“I need your help,” Kerry whispered conspiratorially, even though the man she had with her wouldn’t be able to hear through two walls and doors unless she was yelling—which knowing Kerry, was actually possible.
“What do you need?” Rion tried to keep the annoyance out of her voice.
“I need you to give me an hour and then come knock on my door. Pretend to have some kind of emergency. Like you need my help.”
“Why?”
“I don’t want him to spend the night,” Kerry giggled.
Rion could smell the alcohol on her breath. “Why don’t you just tell him to go?”
Kerry rolled her eyes. “It’s just easier. Will you knock on my door in an hour?”
Rion stared at her for a long moment until she thought to look at the clock. The microwave display read 2:07. "It’s two in the morning! It will be 3 by then.”
“Please,” Kerry whined.
“Fine,” Rion groaned. She knew Kerry wouldn’t give in until she agreed.
“Thank you!” Kerry squealed and launched herself into Rion’s arms. She wrapped her bony arms around Rion’s neck and gave her a sloppy kiss on the cheek. Rion wasn’t a big woman, but Kerry felt like a child as she squeezed her back half-heatedly. She bounced out of the apartment, bumping into the doorframe as she went
“Jesus,” Rion muttered slumping onto the futon.
Despite Kerry being a train wreck, she actually did like the other woman a little. She was sweet, nice, and could be really funny. Rion couldn’t figure out why she tried so hard to be her friend, nor could Rion figure out why she didn’t just tell Kerry to go away. If she ignored her long enough, the girl would have to give up eventually. Especially now that she had Beckett to worry about. She couldn’t take care of a kid with a drunk woman banging on her door at all hours of the night.
Link was watching her from the hallway. “Yeah, I know,” she told him.
She stretched out on the futon and told herself that she was going to go back to sleep and that Kerry’s choices were her own to deal with. She was somewhat surprised that she brought a guy back to her house. It seemed that Kerry usually went to their place. Then again, Rion realized, maybe it’s always the same guy. I shouldn’t assume that this guy isn’t the one she usually stays with. Rion snorted to herself.
When she found herself still awake at three, she groaned and pushed off the futon. She stood in the kitchen area trying to figure out a good excuse for Kerry to get rid of the guy. Finally, she wrapped a dish towel around her hand threw open her door. Feeling like an idiot she began banging on the door across from hers. “Help!” she yelled. “I cut my hand!”
Two
The next morning, Rion regretted her late night. Her act had worked and Kerry was able to get rid of the guy under the pretext she needed to take her friend to the hospital. But, now Rion was tired and sore. It was going to take some getting used to sleeping on the futon.
She got ready to go to the hospital feeling like she was about to run some kind of gauntlet. She needed to continue to get Chambers’ approval in order to take Beckett home. But, more importantly, she needed to gain Beckett’s approval. What if she showed up and Beckett refused to go with her? Not only would she feel like a loser, but the kid would be saying she would rather go to some foster home than stay with her own sister.
Rion grumbled, but wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans and grabbed her bag. She had considered putting the too warm jacket on again, but in the end decided it was stupid. Either she would get Chambers’ and Beckett’s approval, or she wouldn’t. A jacket wasn’t going to make the difference. She would rather go comfortable in her black tee-shirt and jeans, than uncomfortable. Rion hurried from her apartment, wishing she wasn’t feeling like throwing up.
Walking into the giant children’s hospital, Rion could feel the weight of the building pressing down on her. Twenty-four hours ago, she was living her life purposefully simple. A place to live, a job that paid her bills, a cat that kept her company. She hadn’t needed or wanted anything else. But, now, here she was complicating her life in the biggest way possible. What the hell am I thinking? Her breathing was shallow and her legs were shaky, but she kept moving. It was early morning, but the sun was already baking and the cool air-conditioned building caused gooseflesh to raise on her skin. Why is it every time I see Chambers I have to be sweaty?
She had to ask for directions to Beckett’s room and it was a trek through the building to get there, but once she arrived she stood outside for a moment to collect herself. She could hear voices from inside but not well enough to make out the words. She tried to swallow the lump in her throat and it took her several tries. Nurses, doctors, patients and their visitors hustled by, not paying her any attention, but she felt like she had a flashing marquee over her head reading, MAKING A HUGE MISTAKE! She tried to ignore everyone else. They weren't important. She had no way to predict how this meeting was going to go. What if Beckett was freaking out? What if the kid started crying? What if she jumps up and hugs me? I’m supposed to do something about any of that. For a brief moment she considered running. I have family, she suddenly realized and nearly laughed out loud.
Before Rion could bring herself to knock, the door to Beckett’s room swung open. She jumped as badly as the nurse did. “Oh!” the woman exclaimed. “You got me!” she laughed putting her hand to her chest.
“Ha,” Rion croaked. “Me too.”
Chambers appeared from behind the nurse. “Rion! Good. You’re on time. Come on in.”
The room was designed to hold two kids, but only the further bed was occupied. It was covered by a curtain with brightly colored leaves on it. The kid was apparently in the bed, blocked from view. Rion stepped inside and realized how nervous she looked when Chambers’ face softened. “Come on over,” she smiled at Rion. The social worker was no longer brusque and harried. She seemed more relaxed, and her hair was in place. “Come meet Beckett.”
Rion’s steps were unusually small as she shuffled towards the open end of the curtain. Her breath was stuck in her throat as she peered around it. Some part of her must have expected the kid to be swallowed by blankets, plugged into machines, and fragile looking. So, she was nearly taken aback by the healthy, though pale, kid sitting on top of the covers.
Her hair was dark brown, almost black, matching her large round eyes. Beckett stared at Rion. Shocked into silence, she stared back for a moment. She could barely remember what her father looked like, but always knew that she must have resembled him more than her blonde haired, blue-eyed mother. Beckett confirmed it. There was no denying they were family. Neither Rion nor the kid said anything as they continued to appraise each other. She couldn’t read Beckett’s face because it was very un-kid-like neutral. She looked the same way Rion imagined she, herself, looked. But, even if the kid was apprehensive, she didn’t look away, and it almost made Rion smile. The kid had moxie.
“Beckett is feeling shy.” Rion and Beckett both jumped at Chambers’ voice. At their reaction, the social worker laughed a little. “Beckett, this is Rion—Rion this is Beckett.” Her unnecessary introduction was meant to be amusing and break the silence, but it mostly added to the awkwardness of the moment. She must have realized the two of them needed a time alone because she looked around, shrugged and then announced she was going to go find the doctor so they could update Rion.
Rion watched her go and when she turned back to Beckett the kid was still staring at her. “Hi,” she said. She looked around for a place to sit. The chairs were shorter than the bed, and sitting on the bed itself felt intrusive. Finally, she moved to the window and could feel Beckett’s gaze following her. She leaned against the sill and tried again. “Are you feeling OK?” The kid didn’t react for a moment, but then shrugged. That’s something I guess. Rion didn’t want to ask questions that could set Beckett off, if she was capable of being set off, so she stuck with safe questions. “What kind of stuff do you like to eat?” The kid shrugged again. At least it was a faste
r response this time.
Before she could think of another question, the door opened again. Chambers rushed in and a doctor, wearing a sweater and slacks instead of the requisite white coat, followed her. “Rion?” she asked. “Can you come with us?”
She furrowed her brow. Did anything good ever follow a question like that? She looked back at Beckett and was a little relieved to see that the kid looked a bit worried too. Maybe she’s thinking the same thing I am? “Sure,” she finally said, and pushed away from the window. She tried to give Beckett a reassuring smile, but she wasn’t sure if it was successful or not. Rion followed Chambers and the doctor from the room and the nurse from earlier returned to watch over Beckett while they were gone.
They moved to a small office at the end of the hall. Chambers and Rion sat in front of a desk and she expected the doctor to sit behind it, but he pulled up a matching chair so that they were in something that resembled a circle. She waited for them to deliver bad news. Something along the lines of “we don’t feel you are fit to care for Beckett. Her trauma is so bad we’re going to have to have her committed.”
“Rion, this is Dr. Ramsey. He’s been Beckett’s attending since she was admitted.”
“Hi,” Rion responded, barely more than a whisper.
“Hi Rion. Thank you for being here.”
The doctor’s voice was deep but warm exuding safe authority. He held out a hand and she shook it, aware of how damp her skin was against his soft, but strong palm. “Of course,” she managed. “How is Beckett?”
Chambers smiled at her, as did Dr. Ramsey. “I think she’s going to be fine,” he reassured her.
“We just wanted to discuss Beckett’s case without being in front of her.”
“Oh,” Rion sagged a little with relief. “Sure. That makes sense.”
Dr. Ramsey smiled again. “I think Beckett is going to be fine,” he repeated. “Eventually.” Rion swallowed. “She’s doing remarkably well even now. We aren’t entirely sure what she saw. But, physically, she’s fine. Emotionally? That’s harder to gage.”
“The no talking?” Rion nodded.
“Yes.”
“It’s not uncommon,” Chambers added.
“Not at all,” the doctor agreed. “I think she’s just going to need time.”
“And therapy,” Chambers asserted.
“Absolutely,” Ramsey nodded.
“Of course,” Rion gave them a small smile. Therapy hadn’t done anything for her as a child. But, she would make sure Beckett gave it a shot. “I have the brochures you gave me and a list of counselors to call.”
“Wonderful,” Chambers smiled.
“Was—is, I mean, was Beckett quiet like this before?”
Chambers shrugged. “We don’t think so. I checked with her school and they said she wasn’t in any special education courses. She has always been a shy kid, apparently, but nothing alarming.”
Relieved, Rion nodded. “What else?” she asked, looking from Chambers to Ramsey back to Chambers.
“The detective said you could pick up some of her stuff tomorrow. You’ll need to get her enrolled at school.”
“OK,” Rion’s chest swelled as she took a deep breath. “When can I take her home?”
Rion waited in the lobby until the nurse and Chambers brought Beckett out. The kid was wearing sweat pants and a Minnie Mouse tee-shirt and she wondered if that was what she had come to the hospital in. When the three of them stopped in front of Rion she tried not to look at nervous as she felt. Turns out, there wasn’t any sort of test or approval she had to pass. At least none that she could tell. Apparently, as long as Beckett didn’t scream in bloody murder at the sight of her or that Rion wasn’t a criminal, Chambers was prepared to let her go home together.
When asked, Chambers had explained. “The ideal is to keep families together. It doesn’t benefit anyone to put kids in foster care or in state homes. If you are willing and capable…” she shrugged. “It doesn’t hurt that Beckett asked for you—more or less.” After a moment she had continued. “You are young…but…something tells me you might be able to help Beckett through this more than a stranger.”
Rion had been shocked by the credit the social worker was giving her. And a little overwhelmed, truth be told. “What-what do I do if she…I don’t know…”
Chambers smiled, “Everyone has the same thoughts about parenting. Do what feels right. Read some books on parenting. Take her to the therapy appointments. Make sure she has fun. Let her be a kid. And, well, if you encounter anything you don’t feel you can handle, you have my card. Call me anytime—day or night.”
“Thank you.” Most people would have probably thought she was crazy for taking in a strange sister that she hadn’t even known existed—and Rion couldn’t really even explain to herself why she was doing it—but she couldn’t stomach the idea of making Beckett go with strangers either. Even before she had met her. The realization that she could keep someone out of foster care—could keep a sister out of foster care—was too tempting.
That was even truer now as the kid stared up at her. She had bedhead and dark circles under her eyes and she was still pale. “You ready to go?” she asked her. Instead of answering, Beckett grabbed her hand and stepped away from Chambers and the nurse. It was almost as if the two women had just been her escorts and not her caregivers. Rion actually smiled at the kid’s wordless dismissal of the two adults. The nurse looked surprised, but Chambers just raised a brow and shrugged.
Beckett’s tiny hand was warm in hers and Rion felt like giggling or crying. I’m supposed to make sure this little person is not just safe but happy and healthy. She felt like throwing up but a little like skipping too. “OK, let’s go,” she led the kid out of the hospital into the already sweltering morning.
For the entire train ride, Beckett remained quiet. Rion tried a couple of more times to engage her in conversations. Asking her what her favorite animal was. What her favorite color was. But Beckett either shrugged or just stared at her as if she was trying to figure out what Rion was. Eventually, she gave up on the questions, hoping the kid would talk when she was ready. The train roared along the tracks and people came and went and Beckett watched them silently.
Once they arrived at Rion’s building, she warned her. “The landlord is fine, but a weird—I guess more annoying—guy, so let’s hurry.” She could have sworn the kid looked like she was going to smile and Rion relaxed a little. She jiggled the lock open and pulled Beckett through the door and up the stairs. Either Bernie wasn’t home, or he hadn’t heard them, because his door didn’t open. Rion sent up a silent thanks as she hurried up the stairs. She eyed Kerry’s door warily, hoping it would stay closed. Surely she was still sleeping off whatever she had been on last night. Kerry was the last thing Rion—and Beckett—needed right now.
The two hustled inside the apartment and shut the door behind them. They stood in the doorway for a moment. Beckett lives here now, she realized as her stomach dropped to her feet. Now what? “Well…this is it. My—our—place.” She looked down at Beckett but the kid was busy surveying her surroundings. Rion held her breath. Having lived in the suburbs, Beckett was probably used to much nicer living arrangements. “It’s not the Ritz, but it’s not so bad either.” The kid didn’t respond, but she didn’t look upset either. A keening sound startled Rion. At first she thought it was coming from the kid, but when she looked down, Beckett was staring towards the bedroom.
Link stood in the doorway with his hair on end. He was glaring at Beckett and growling. “Link!” Rion was shocked. He was as friendly as most cats are, but this was unusual behavior, even for him. “Stop that!” The cat licked his lips, shook his head, and turned to run back into the bedroom.
“Sorry about that. He’s not really been around kids before.” Beckett stared up at her but didn’t say anything. Her big, brown eyes were almost amused. “Well, let me show you around.” She led her to the bedroom hoping that the cat wouldn’t decide to attack them. He must have bee
n content to stay under the bed because he didn’t make any noise or appearances.
“You can sleep here for now. I’ll sleep on the futon.” She turned around and motioned towards the bathroom. “There’s the bathroom. I got you a toothbrush.” Back in the living room she pointed towards the kitchen. “Help yourself to whatever you find. I got some stuff that I hope you like.” Rion tried. “If you don’t, we can pick up something else.”
Beckett still didn’t say anything and Rion felt her first actual flash of frustration and she tightened her hands into fists. Give her time, she told herself. “Want to watch TV?” Beckett shrugged and Rion relaxed at the small victory. They settled on opposite ends of the couch and Rion turned on the TV. She handed the remote to Beckett and waited to see what she would find. The kid looked at the remote as if she had never held one before then back up at her. “You can watch whatever you want.”
Beckett turned to the TV and began flipping channels. Rion raised an eyebrow at the kid’s choice. She had found the midday news and laid the remote next to her. Again, Rion wondered if the kid had been weird before her parents’ death. She had never known a child to want to watch news. Do kids not watch cartoons anymore? But, she shrugged, maybe some do. She sat down, making sure to leave plenty of space between her and the kid.
By the time the news went off, Rion realized she was getting hungry. “You ready for some lunch?” Beckett studied her for a moment before nodding. “Holy crap!” Rion exclaimed with a nervous smile. “You can do more than shrug.” The kid narrowed her eyes at Rion, but didn’t look angry. Just curious.
Rion pulled out a chair at the breakfast counter and Beckett climbed up. “Do you like PB&J?” Beckett nodded and Rion nearly grinned. “Do you eat crust?” Beckett nodded again and she felt a tiny seed or confidence sprout. Maybe I can do this after all.
Something Happened Page 2
