by Karen Nappa
"Where are they taking him?" Tim asked, turning to Joe.
"St. Luke's North. Are you still on with 911?" He pointed to Tim's cell phone.
"I guess so. I'm not sure." He put the phone to his ear. "Madeline? Are you still there?"
"Yes, Tim. I've been listening to everything. Your uncle is on the way. Is your friend on his way to the hospital now?" Madeline asked.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Why don't you and I keep talking until your uncle gets there? I'd rather not leave you alone," Madeline said.
"That would be good. Let me say goodbye to the fireman first?"
"Sure, I'll be right here."
Tim turned to Joe, who was standing nearby. Everyone else was back on the truck. Tim thanked him for his help, and Joe wished him luck. They walked around to the front of the house together. Joe got on the fire truck and waved as they drove away.
Madeline kept Tim occupied talking about his school and what activities he was involved in. They talked about trains, of course. About ten minutes later, James arrived in his truck. Tim said goodbye to Madeline and thanked her for her help. "That's my job, Tim. I hope your friend is all right."
"So tell me what's going on, buddy?" James asked as he sat down on the step next to Tim.
Tim all but threw himself into James' arms, and he was barely able to brace himself in time to keep from toppling over. Tim sobbed his heart out while James stroked his back. His experience with handling subdrop had taught him he wouldn't get answers any sooner by pressing the issue. So, he just sat and waited until Tim pulled himself together and leaned back.
"Sorry, James."
"For what?"
"Having to call you and for crying all over you." Tim looked down.
James placed a finger under his chin and raised his gaze to him. "Don't ever think like that, young man. You are family, and I will always come for you." He ducked his head a bit so he was sure the boy could read the sincerity in his eyes. "Want to tell me what happened?"
Tim did and ended with, "When I decided I didn't want to bother mom at work and Granddad had Abby, I thought of you."
When he finished, James nodded. "I'm proud of you, Tim. You kept your head together and did the right thing. I'm glad you had 911 call me." James ruffled Tim's hair affectionately and chuckled as the boy immediately tried to straighten it. "Do you know what hospital they took Josh to?" James asked.
"The fireman said St. Luke's North."
"Okay, let me make a couple of calls and let the family know what's going on. You said it looked like Josh had been beaten up? Do you have any idea who did it?"
"Not exactly, but I can guess." Tim looked rather uncomfortable. "Josh made me promise not to tell." Tim sighed but then looked James in the face. "He had a split lip last week and told me his mother's boyfriend had hit him. And now I've broken my promise," Tim said. He looked like a deflating balloon, his head dropping into his hands.
James understood loyalty, but some promises were better not made, and he wanted Tim to know that. "I'm sorry, buddy. I know you thought you were helping, but that's not the kind of secret you can keep. When someone is being hurt, you need to tell an adult, like your mother or your granddad."
"Or you or Aunt Laura or Mr. Connor?" Tim asked.
"Yes, or if it's at school, you can tell a teacher or the principal. I need to make some phone calls, starting with your mother. Or would you rather call her yourself?"
"No, Uncle James, you call her, please."
James tried Suzie's number and it went straight to voicemail. So, he left a quick message and then decided to call Paula Stone, given what Tim had said about Josh's home life.
She answered on the second ring, "Detective Stone."
"Hi, Paula, this is James Black."
"Hi, James. Is something wrong with Laura?"
James couldn't suppress a smile at her protective cop instinct. "Laura is fine, but I have a young friend who needs help." James quickly summarized what he knew about Josh and asked Paula's help to contact his family and find out about Josh's condition. "Since we're not family, we won't be able to get any information. I thought you could help with that, too."
"True," Paula said. "How long ago was he taken to the hospital? If it's only been an hour, they aren't going to know much yet about his condition. I'll call and make sure they document his injuries. 911 would already have dispatched a unit to inform his mother, but that's a low priority call and I know things are busy today. If they haven't gotten there yet, I'll save them the trip. I'll send Det. Christopher with someone from Social Services. What's the address? Never mind, dispatch will have it. I'll call you back when I know more."
James ended the call with a sigh of frustration. His hand was gripped around the phone so tightly he wondered that it didn't splinter.
"What's wrong? Can't she help about Josh?" Tim asked.
"She can help, but it's going to take time. Let me try your mother again and Aunt Laura, so they know what's going on. Then we can go to the hospital."
Suzie was understandably upset and insisted on talking with Tim, so James swapped phones and moved off to give both of them some privacy. His call to Laura was a little easier since she had only met Josh once. She promised to call Dan and ask if Abby could stay over with him and Mary.
When they were both finished on the phone, James decided a snack was in order on the way to the hospital. They stopped at a sub shop and then went to see what they could find out about Josh. When they got to the hospital, Suzie, Connor, and Laura were there to meet them.
"I managed to find out that he's still here in the emergency room. I don't know if that's good or bad," Suzie said.
"Who knows? Paula should be able to find out more when she gets here. She was going to send her partner Bill and someone from Social Services to Josh's house to at least inform his mother. Have you ever met her, Suzie?"
"Nope. She's never shown up for anything at school, and Josh has been eating with us more and more often. On the weekends, he eats like it's his first meal of the day. He's been getting thinner, but I put that down to a natural growth spurt."
They sat for about an hour in silence in the ER waiting room. Connor had his arm around Suzie and Tim sat on her other side. Laura had brought her laptop and was trying to get some work done. The TV on the wall kept up a constant barrage of commercials interspersed with news. The magazines on the end tables were old and torn with nothing anyone wanted to read. When the lack of conversation got to be too much for him, James offered to get coffee for everyone. He got back to find the only change was Connor. He was on his feet and pacing the length of their section, constantly checking everyone's location. James watched him and wondered at his behavior. He seemed hyper-vigilant. He knew that Connor was ex-military but didn't know details. He worried that Suzie might be getting more than she bargained for.
Connor had sat with Suzie for as long as he could manage, but eventually, his nervous energy got the best of him and he got up to pace the waiting room. What had the boy been thinking? How bad was his life to take such a drastic step? What about Tim? Why had he called James? He'd thought they were getting closer.
Hospitals were pure hell, as far as he was concerned. The smell of sickness and death that no amount of disinfectant could hide reminded him of the many times he had visited members of his company when they had been injured. And then he thought about Tom O'Neill. No hospital could help him. He only hoped Josh would be luckier.
They all came to attention when Paula Stone entered with a tall, dark-haired man with a Mediterranean complexion and a handsome mustache. She waved at them but went straight to the information desk where both she and her companion displayed their credentials.
After speaking for a few minutes, the officers came over to where they were all sitting. "We'll get more information from the doctor in a little while." Paula introduced her colleague. "This is Derek Kiriakis, from the Children's Division of Social Services. He visited Josh's mother, Jennifer Miller, and Ethan
Young, her current boyfriend. Let me introduce you to Josh's friends and their families. This is James Black and his partner, Laura Turner. This must be Laura's sister, Suzie Kaspar, and this is Tim Kaspar, Josh's friend. Tim's the one who found Josh. This gentleman," she indicated Connor, "I don't know."
Suzie hastened to complete the introductions, "This is my friend, Connor Carmichael. He's here for moral support."
"Nice to meet everyone. Sorry it's under these circumstances," Kiriakis said. "Tim, maybe you can tell me about Josh in general and then about today?"
"Sure, but what's happening with Josh now?" Tim countered.
"They're admitting him to the hospital. The overdose was handled at the scene, but he has a concussion and possibly internal injuries from the beating. There's evidence of long-term scarring. He's been someone's punching bag for several years, at least," the social worker said.
"Is he going to be okay?" Finding out about how Josh was now was more important than anything else.
"They don't know yet. They're hoping he will be. I'm concerned, too. Josh is my responsibility now. Can you tell me about him?" His voice gentled as he worked to calm Tim enough to get the information he needed.
"Me and Josh have been friends since third grade. He's a year and a half older than me. I think he had to do first grade twice, but we don't talk about stuff like that. He's smart like me, which is good, because he's missed a lot of school this year. He's had a lot of bruises and stuff. He says he's clumsy, but I know he's not. He's really good at soccer." Tim's voice got faster and faster as he told his story, "The other day, he came to the treehouse with a split lip and told me his mother's boyfriend had done it. He swore me to secrecy, but Uncle James said I shouldn't keep a secret like that and I'm really sorry I did, now," Tim finished, out of breath.
Derek picked up the salient points and asked a few clarifying questions. "Do you know how long Josh's mother has had this particular boyfriend?"
"No, sir."
"Have you been to Josh's house recently?"
"Not in the house, but we walk home from the bus together, and sometimes we stop at his house before coming home. I saw the boyfriend once. He looked like a real scuzz ball. We hung out at his house some when we were little, but he's always come to my house for a long time now."
"That's certainly indicative of problems in the home. As Det. Stone said, I visited there before coming here. Based on the home visit and what I've been told of Josh's medical condition, Josh is now in the temporary custody of the Children's Division. I understand the police will be filing charges of child neglect against Ms. Miller and abuse charges against her boyfriend. Once Josh is released from the hospital, we'll be looking for a suitable foster care placement," Kiriakis told him.
"How badly is Josh hurt?" Suzie asked, her brows drawn in concern.
"Due to privacy laws, I'm not at liberty to go into more detail, other than to say that the doctors have not finished evaluating his condition. They expect to keep him here at least two more days. You should be able to visit tomorrow, I think."
Paula added to what Derek had said, "Both Ms. Miller and Mr. Young are also being charged with drug possession. We found significant quantities of pills, heroin, and fentanyl in their possession. The charges may be increased to include intent to sell. The district attorney will make that decision."
James exchanged a look with Laura at the mention of foster care before he turned to the social worker and asked, "Mr. Kiriakis, Laura and I would be interested in fostering Josh, if that would be possible? We're planning to adopt, and we've been through all the foster care classes already."
"Have you considered being foster parents before?" Derek asked.
"No, we had planned on going straight to adoption. But we have a connection to Josh through Tim, and it seems like it would be good for him and us. We had planned to adopt an older child anyway."
"Do you realize all the problems a young teen like Josh can have?" the social worker asked.
"Not completely, we know it won't be easy, but these kids need stable homes and we've got that and a lot of love to offer," Laura said.
"Are you married? Paula introduced you as partners."
"No, we're not," James said. "We were told when we started classes, it wouldn't be a problem. I would do the initial adoption, and Laura could be added later. Couldn't I be the foster parent of record or something like that?"
"Yes, that's certainly possible. We would need to get home visits and reference checks done quickly. The fact that you're here for a child you barely know speaks well for you. Give me your information, and we'll see what we can do."
James asked, "Do we know why he did it?"
"No, it could have been a stupid mistake, an effort to ease the pain, or an active suicide attempt. For now, they have him on suicide watch." He showed a tired smile. "I suggest you all go home. There's nothing to be gained by staying here tonight."
Josh slumbered in and out of consciousness. His belly ached and he was queasy. Beeping sounds reached his ears. He slowly took stock of the rest of his body. Everything hurt—it all blended together. Where was he? Before he could open his eyes, the dark void pulled him under again.
After a brief consultation, they decided to take the social worker's advice. Connor took Suzie and Tim back to Suzie's place. James and Laura stayed for a few minutes to continue their discussion of foster care with Kiriakis.
"Call me Derek," he said. "If we're going to be working together for Josh, we might as well be on a first name basis."
"You already know we're James and Laura," James said. "We have a lawyer friend who specializes in child and family law, Henry Cole. Do you know him?"
"We've worked together a few times. Josh will need a guardian ad litem for the abuse case. If you're interested in Josh on a long-term basis, you could do worse than to contact him now. We can probably get him appointed in the next day or two. I'll call you first thing tomorrow to set up the home visit and go over the rest of the details."
James reached out his hand. "Thanks a lot, Derek." He and Laura got up and headed for home. When they got to the car, James had Laura call Henry to get the guardian ad litem process started. Josh would need all the help he could get.
Chapter 16
S uzie looked back at her son. Tim was staring off into space and she was thrown back in time. The last time Tim had been this distant was when Richard had died. She hoped he would be able to cope with this whole Josh business better. She looked over at the man beside her. Connor was silent, too, his hands gripped the steering wheel with such force, his knuckles were white. She could see that the man was disturbed about something. He still had the distant look on his face that he'd had since he started pacing in the hospital waiting room. She did not need two brooding men.
Connor parked the car in front of her house, and Suzie sat in silence, the only sound, the pinging of the motor cooling down. Connor had turned off the engine but was still gripping the steering wheel with one hand. His other hand was holding the key, fist resting on the gear shift between them. Tim probably didn't even realize they were home. He hadn't made a move to leave the vehicle.
Suzie turned to Tim. "Honey, we're home. Why don't you go inside and take a shower? I'll make us pizza." Tim nodded without answering. He left the car, moving robotically, and went into the house.
"Hey." Suzie turned her attention to Connor. She rested her hand on his fist, and he jerked. His turned his head in her direction, and Suzie drew back from the anguish on Connor's face. This was about more than the horror of what had happened with Josh.
Connor scrubbed his left hand over his face and said, "How could Tom be so stupid? Doesn't he know we love him? Doesn't he know we all struggle?"
Suzie blinked in confusion. Tom? "What are you talking about, Connor? Who is Tom?"
Connor dropped his hand, and his head jerked up, his eyes wide with surprise that he wasn't alone. He shook his head. "Nothing." He reached for the door handle. "Let's go have that pizza. Do
es it have meat on it?"
Suzie opened her mouth to say something, but he had already exited the vehicle. Suzie huffed. What was he hiding from her? Nothing? Yeah, right. When people said 'nothing,' it usually meant there was a shitload of something. She thought they were building a relationship and establishing trust. Apparently, she was supposed to trust him with her body and heart, but he didn't have to trust her with his past. Suzie didn't know if she liked the thought. No, that was wrong—she knew with every kernel of her being, she didn't like it.
Suzie stepped out of the car and slammed her door a bit harder than was strictly necessary and marched up to the house. She didn't glance back to see if Connor would follow her. All of her submissive feelings were gone for the moment. She went through the still open front door, dropped her purse on the side table in the entry hall, and walked straight into the kitchen.
Connor stared after her and rubbed the back of his head. Hell, why had he mentioned Tom? The whole incident with the kid had rattled him. He couldn't open his war wounds to Suzie. Nobody needed to hear that. Besides, it was horrible enough to go through those experiences and have to relive those moments in his dreams. He didn't want to tell them to anyone. If only the memories would leave him alone. But he had pissed off Suzie. Connor sighed and went to make amends to his rùnag.
Suzie was putting two pizzas into the oven when he walked into the kitchen. Connor hugged her from behind and nuzzled at the sensitive spot in her neck. Before she could pull back and tell him off, he whispered in her ear, "I'm sorry, rùnag."
Suzie slowly turned around. Connor gave her space to do so but held his arms around her. He didn't explain what he had meant in the car. He didn't elaborate on what he was sorry for. Suzie opened her mouth, and he covered her lips with his own. Before she was able to collect her thoughts, Tim entered the kitchen and Connor stepped out of the way so she could hug her boy.
