"It had been a long month. A very long month for all of us here in Astatula," Sheriff Daniels recalled. He made his way through the sliding glass doors that led into Astatula General Hospital.

There he found the elevator and rode it up to the second floor. Sheriff Daniels made his way down the long, winding, corridor and entered Cody's private room on 2 East. Cody laid in a coma in the same bed where he had been since being shot by the Astatula Assassin. Sheriff Daniels could not prevent the "Gunshot Heard Around Potter County," as it became known, from being fired, but, a part of him died that day at Sullivan Lake.

Beth and the Sheriff took turns standing vigil by Cody's bedside. Around the clock one, or both, of them steadfastly refused to leave the boy unattended. This morning was no exception to that rule. It was the Sheriff's watch. Fortunately, the City of Astatula was covering all of Cody's medical bills and the expenses associated with him being shot.

"Thank you very much, Judge Stancil. You really came through in a pinch for the three of us," Sheriff Daniels replied upon hearing the good news he was told in that regard.

The Judge had grown very fond of Cody during the hearing to determine if the boy would be allowed to remain with Sheriff Daniels in Astatula before these tragic events unfolded.

All the same bells and whistles of the machines Cody was hooked up to were talking back to the Sheriff as he entered the room like they knew what they were saying. He prayed for Cody's sake the information these monitors spit out remained spot on. The last thing that was needed was for one of them to malfunction.

The medical team was spearheaded by Rosie Davis, Cody's Lead Nurse. She was portly and dark as midnight. Full of compassion, professionalism, and dedication everyone knew she tolerated no shenanigans when it came to one of her patients. Maybe that was why she was affectionately known as "Mama Rosie".

Every half an hour the attentive medical staff diligently turned Cody to prevent bed sores from developing. These were some of the finest employees Astatula General Hospital offered. Sheriff Daniels knew Cody received the best care possible. He just wanted him home. Where he belonged. And, the Sheriff had no way of knowing if Cody ever would be again.

Doctor Donald Patterson, Cody's attending Primary Care Physician, reassured the Sheriff, "Cody is young and he is healthy. Those are two really good points in his favor."

He also cautioned him, "But his waking up, or let me more correctly state that, if he wakes up again, that is on him. Right now, Sheriff, we're doing all we can do."

Sheriff Daniels knew they were. He had seen their remarkable efforts ever since the day Cody was operated on and admitted to this fine facility. He also understood the team that scored the most points won the football game. But realizing all that did not make Cody wake up any sooner.

Upon walking into the room Sheriff Daniels noticed Cody laid on his back. His left shoulder was still wrapped in all the heavy bandages Fort Knox could hold. That was where he had taken the bullet. Sheriff Daniels also saw one little bare foot stuck out from under the sheet that covered the boy. Yep. All five little piggies were present.

The Sheriff counted and lightly touched each one of them to make sure they were all there. He knew how sensitive to the touch Cody's feet are. The Sheriff teased the bottom of the boy's foot with his fingers. He saw no reflex reaction. Disappointed, Sheriff Daniels slowly shook his head from side to side.

He reached down and smoothed the sheet out and covered Cody's foot. Legally, Cody was not his...yet. However, Sheriff Daniels could not wait for that situation to change. He wondered what took the paperwork so long to come before Judge Stancil's court? He had not been notified of any delays in its processing.

Sheriff Daniels reached down again and brushed the blond bangs off Cody's forehead. He thought to himself, "The little hippie needs another haircut." It had been too long since his last one."

Softly Sheriff Daniels told the boy, "It's okay, Cody. You wake up when you're ready. Beth and I will be here with bells on when you come back to us."

And they would be too.

"Dancing with the stars all the way," the Sheriff promised him.

Then he asked Cody, "But make it a whole lot sooner than later, will you? For me. One little favor. That's all I'm asking of you."

Sheriff Daniels sat down in the comfortable lounger next to Cody's bed. This chaise was now his home and would remain so until Cody woke up. He saw the raised rails on the sides of Cody's bed.

"If I could take your place Little Man, I would. In a heartbeat. No questions asked," the Sheriff said to himself.

Even Matt had a difficult time coping with Cody's condition. As hard as it was for him to do, Matt came to see his best friend. Once. And, that was okay. Somehow Sheriff Daniels sensed Cody knew his running buddy was there for him.

What the Sheriff did not know was what he was going to do. Astatula is their home, and as the Sheriff, Brock Daniels had done his best to protect the town to the full capacity of his abilities. For twelve years he had tried. Today the Sheriff felt he failed. The proof was laying in the bed beside him.

Even Beth, who cared for that special ten-year-old boy laying there like she does, could not do much to sweeten Brock Daniels sour disposition when it came to hanging up his badge and walking away as the Sheriff of Astatula.

"Cody needs me more as his Dad than Astatula needs a Sheriff with half a heart for the position," the Sheriff reasoned.

The thought made sense to him. Later that morning Sheriff Brock Daniels would meet with Mayor Christopher Duncan and resign. Then Sheriff Daniels heard the news reported on the television in the room. Two of the town's youngest citizens were missing. It was assumed they ran away from home. At the moment that did not matter much to him.

"Let them be somebody else's headache," Sheriff Daniels told himself.

Continuing, his thought was, "Right now you're needed exactly where you are much more than you need to be out there chasing another lunatic."

Then, eerily, it donned on the Sheriff and he asked himself, "What if he is a ghost from your past and you are the only one who has ever been able to stop his savagery?"

Missing children always made the Sheriff think of Bee-Bo. He could not help himself. Previously, Sheriff Daniels had seen The Clown's handiwork and it was not a pretty sight! However, his mind was made up. He decided Cody was where he belonged.