“Hey, kid.” She sat on the edge of the bed but Beckett didn’t seem to notice or care. “Are you OK?” After she asked the question she realized how stupid it was. “Of course not.” She took a deep breath and tried again. “I’m going to help OK? You don’t have to see those assholes again, OK?” Still no reaction. Rion would kill for a shoulder shrug right about now. Beckett was barely even blinking. When she did, it was slow and deliberate.
“I’m going to call Jennifer and see if she can get you an appointment right away.” Rion pulled out her phone and dialed the therapist’s office. She got a voicemail and she growled out loud. “Hi Jennifer. This is Rion, Beckett Webster’s sister. There was an incident at school today. We need to see you as soon as possible.” She left her number and hung up, dropping the phone in her purse angrily.
After a moment’s hesitation she ran her hand over Beckett’s head, trying to smooth her hair down. “Do you want to go to the doctor?” The kid, of course didn’t answer. Rion debated on the merits of taking her. What would they do for her? Give her medication? Was that a good thing? What would medication do? Make her calm? She was already calm. Would it make her sleep? Would that cause her to sleepwalk more? Maybe she just needs to let her body process things naturally?
Rion rested her head in her hands for a moment. She had no idea what to do. She should probably call Chambers, but she dreaded doing so. What if Chambers insisted that Beckett had to go with her? Her stomach hardened into a lead weight. At the moment, she just wanted to go home. She wanted to get Beckett back to her home where she could lay in her own bed and—hopefully—feel safe. Rion made a decision. She would take Beckett home and see how she was in the morning. Hopefully, by then, she would have an appointment with Jennifer. And, if things weren’t better in morning, she could take the kid to the doctor regardless of a therapist appointment. Or, maybe Jennifer could give her advice on whether Beckett should see a doctor or not.
Rion got her phone out again and ordered an Uber. Normally, she didn’t splurge on a car, but these were special circumstances. Besides, she would be getting a supplement for financial help soon. “Can you stand?” she asked. Beckett didn’t acknowledge she spoke. “It would be easier if you would walk for me.” Still no response. When her phone alerted her that their ride was arriving, Rion make the decision to just carry the kid. She was a small and they weren’t going far.
She almost expected Beckett to fight her, but she didn’t resist when Rion lifted her off the bed. The nurse and the principal were still waiting. “Has she spoken?” Chase asked.
Rion looked at her sharply. “No.”
Chase’s shoulders crumpled. “Please keep us updated on her condition.” Both of the women followed Rion out of the nurse’s office. “We really will worry about her.”
“You probably should have thought of that before you let this happen.” With that, both Gemma and Chase stopped following them.
The Uber driver saw them coming and jumped out to open the back door for them. “Hello.” The man looked concerned as they approached.
Awkwardly, Rion sat on the seat and scooted inside without letting go of Beckett. She buckled the seat belt over them both and the driver shut the door. She saw him glance back at them as he returned to the driver’s seat. “Do—do you need to go to the hospital?”
“No. Thank you. Just take us home.”
“OK.” The man pulled away from the curb and began following the GPS’ direction. “Is she OK?” he asked after a while.”
Rion sighed. “I don’t know.”
When the car pulled up to her building, Rion began to struggle to get out. Beckett’s dead weight had caused her arms to ache. “Here, let me help,” the driver jumped out of the car and hurried to their door. He offered to help carry Beckett inside but Rion declined. She didn’t want to upset the kid any more than she was by letting a stranger carry her.
When she got to the door, she realized it was going to be impossible to unlock it without putting the kid down. “Do you need help?” the driver appeared at her side. She looked at him for a moment before admitting that she did need help.
“Can you push 203 please?”
“Sure,” he pushed the button and a few moments later Shep’s voice cracked over the intercom.
“Hello?”
“Shep? Can you buzz me in?”
“Rion?”
“Yeah.”
The lock clicked open with a buzz and a snap of metal on metal. The Uber driver opened the door for her and she nodded a thanks at him. She suspected he was watching them climb the stairs, but she didn’t look back. Halfway up, Shep’s door opened and he appeared at the top of the stairs.
“Holy shit! What happened?” He rushed down to meet them. He reached out to take Beckett from her arms, but she hesitated. “Here,” he insisted.
Rion finally relented. Her arms were shaking and she knew she couldn’t carry the child much longer. Shep scooped Beckett up and turned, quickly climbing the stairs. He waited in front of their door for Rion to find her keys and let them in.
Once inside, Shep turned to her. “Where should I take her?”
“The bedroom. She needs rest.” Rion followed him into the bedroom and once he laid Beckett in the bed, she pried off the kid’s shoes and tossed them into the closet.
Beckett immediately curled into the fetal position again. She didn’t make a sound. She didn’t look at either of them. She just continued staring straight ahead, and slow-blinking periodically. Shep followed Rion out and she pulled the door shut but didn’t latch it.
“What happened?” he asked again as they both sat on the futon. When he noticed Rion’s shaking hands he got up again and poured her a glass of water. “Here. Tell me.”
Rion took a deep breath and explained what had happened.
“Shit,” he breathed.
“I know.”
“Did you take her to the hospital?”
“No. I couldn’t decide if I should,” Rion lifted her shoulders and let them fall. “I figured they would give her drugs. And I don’t know if that’s what she needs. I did call her therapist though.”
“You might be right about the drugs. I hate the idea of giving drugs to kids. She seems calm now.”
“But she’s even quieter than before,” Rion groaned.
“Give her some time. She’s probably in shock.”
“I know. But what do I do now?”
“I don’t know.”
Rion didn’t want to admit it, but it felt like she was falling in a deep well. Spinning out of control. “I think I messed up.”
“How? What did you do?” Shep looked at her with raised brows.
“She didn’t want to go back there.” Rion swallowed the lump in her throat. “But I made her.”
“What else were you supposed to do? You talked to her teachers. They were the ones that were responsible for her safety while at school.”
Rion knew he was right, but she couldn’t stop the guilt that chewed at her. “I don’t know if I should tell Chambers or not.”
Shep thought for a while. “I would wait. At least until you have an appointment with the therapist. That way you can tell her you already have a plan of action.”
“You’re right.”
“What do you think she’s going to do?”
Rion knew he meant Chambers. “I don’t know. Probably insist that Beckett needs to be placed in a different foster home.”
“That’s ridiculous!”
Rion shrugged. “She already has doubts. I think this might push her over the edge.”
“But you are doing the best you can for Beckett. You are doing the right things.”
“Are you sure?” Rion didn’t meet his eyes.
“Of course. Aren’t you?”
“I don’t know,” she lifted her hands lamely. “I try. I thought it would be better for her to be here than in a home with strangers. But, she’s not getting better. She’s getting worse.”
Shep huffed. “R
aising a kid isn’t a straight line.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, it’s not going from point A to point B to point C. Sometimes it starts at C, the goes to B, then maybe to A, then back to C, then suddenly you find F, and maybe you go back to B. It’s not predictable.”
Rion felt exhausted. Being so angry and afraid had used up all her resources. Plus, she was starting to feel nauseous. She didn’t have the energy to debate Shep’s argument. Besides, it sounded like what she needed to hear at the moment.
Shep watched her. “You look like you need to lay down.”
“I can’t. I need to keep an eye on Beckett.”
“I’ll watch over her.”
Rion considered his offer. She was very tempted. “I don’t know.”
“Rion. No one is expecting you to do everything.”
Chambers is, Rion argued silently. “There are plenty of people raising kids on their own.”
“But you have support,” Shep argued back. He brushed his shaggy hair out of his eyes. “Kerry and I are your friends, we are here to help you.”
Rion didn’t know how to respond to that, but she relented. “Don’t let me sleep for long.”
“I won’t.”
***
The murmured sounds of talking woke Rion and she sat straight up in alarm. Shep and Kerry stopped talking and turned to her with wide eyes. “Are you OK?” Shep asked.
Rion caught her breath. “Yeah. Sorry.”
“No need to be,” Kerry smiled at her.
“What time is it? How long have I been asleep?”
“About two hours,” Shep answered. “Not too long.”
Rion swung her feet over the side of the futon and tried to rub the sleep out of her face. She hated naps, had always hated them. Even as a child and even in the best of times, she woke up groggy and confused. She shuffled to the bathroom and splashed water on her face. “How’s Beckett?” she asked as she returned to the kitchen.
Shep handed her a glass of water and made room for her at the counter. “She’s…the same. I’m pretty sure she hasn’t slept. Every time I’ve checked on her she’s still just lying there staring.”
Rion was touched by his concern. “Thanks for watching over her.”
“No problem. Gave me time to study.”
“Study?” Rion looked up in surprise.
“Yeah. I’m taking some classes.”
“Way to go!” Kerry high-fived him.
Rion felt guilty she hadn't known Shep was in school. “That’s great. What are you studying?”
“Eh, childhood development,” he grinned sheepishly.
“That’s awesome!” Kerry exclaimed.
No wonder he knows more about kids than I do, Rion grumbled to herself. “That’s really cool,” she tried to smile at him but wasn’t sure how well she accomplished it. “Did Shep tell you what happened?” she asked Kerry, changing the subject.
“Yeah, I feel so bad for the kiddo.”
“Now I really don’t know what to do.”
“Shep said you were making a therapist appointment. That seems like the best thing to do.”
“Rion seems to think Beckett is doing worse with her,” Shep nodded at her.
“That’s bullshit!” Kerry scowled. “You would never intentionally hurt her. There are plenty in foster care that would.”
Rion’s throat and face burned with the memory of shaking Beckett. “I just don’t want to mess her up more than she is.”
“I really doubt—”
Kerry was cut off when Rion’s phone rang. She hurried to find it in the blankets before voicemail picked up. “Hello?”
“Hi, Rion? This is Jennifer.”
“Oh! Thanks for calling me back. I need to make an appointment for Beckett as soon as possible.”
“What happened?” Jennifer asked, her voice soft with concern.
Rion gave her a quick rundown. “I haven’t taken her to a doctor, but I can if you think that’s best.”
“Well, we have an appointment on Monday. I don’t normally do weekend appointments…” She was silent and Rion waited, expecting to hear the worst. Jennifer sighed. “Considering the circumstances, I would make an exception, but I really can’t this weekend. I will be out of town. I’m leaving in a few hours.” A lump grew in Rion’s throat. “I think resting the weekend might be good for Beckett. It will give her some time to calm down and process what happened. If anything changes—gets worse—over the weekend, take her to the hospital. If she's not eating or sleeping." Jennifer sighed, "I don’t like giving children sedatives, but if she has a crisis it might be for the best.” When Rion didn’t respond after a moment, Jennifer spoke again. “Rion? Are you still there?”
Rion forced her words out around the lump in her throat. “Y-yes. I’m here. I’m-I’m just worried about her. I want to do the right thing.”
“And you are.”
“OK.”
“I’ll see you Monday afternoon.”
“Thank you.” When Rion hung up, Kerry and Shep were watching her. “She can’t get her in before Monday.”
Kerry gave her a half smile. “At least it didn’t sound like she was overly concerned.”
“She, basically, said if she has another freak out, to take her to the ER.”
“Well,” Shep shrugged. “At least you have a plan.”
“Yeah,” Rion got up and peered into the bedroom. She hoped Beckett would be asleep, but instead she was still lying, staring at the wall. It was as if she hadn’t moved at all. She tiptoed into the room and sat on the edge of the bed. “Hey, kid. Need anything?” Beckett continued her silence and didn’t answer. “Well, if you need us, we are here.”
When she returned to the living room Kerry and Shep were waiting for an update. “Same,” she shook her head. When she returned to the counter, Kerry put an arm around her shoulders.
“She’ll be OK.”
Not wanting any more attention on herself, Rion turned to Shep. “Tell me more about your classes. I feel bad that I didn’t know you were going to school.”
“I didn’t either,” Kerry offered.
“I don’t make a big deal of it,” Shep looked embarassed.
He started talking excitedly about the two courses he was taking online and Rion surprised herself by how well she paid attention. Her world was crashing down and Shep’s excitement was a relief. It was nearly contagious. The front door buzzer caused them all to jump and stare at the door as if it could tell them who was calling.
“Were you expecting someone?” Shep asked Rion.
Fuck. “No…but I have an idea who it is.” She crossed to the intercom and answered. “Hello?”
“Rion? It’s Carolyn Chambers.”
Double fuck. Rion couldn’t bring herself to respond, but she held down the button to unlock the front door.
“Uh, I’m out,” Kerry announced.
“What?” Rion turned around quickly.
“I hate social workers.”
Rion looked at Shep. “It’s probably not great for me to be here either,” he grimaced.
“Thanks a lot guys,” Rion muttered.
Kerry opened the door as Chambers crested the top of the stairs. When Shep brushed past Rion, he whispered in her ear. “I’ll come back later. Don’t worry.” His breath brushed against her neck, giving her chills, and she scowled after him.
Chambers watched her friends leave before giving Rion a tight lipped smile. “Hello,” she stepped inside and shut the door behind her.
“Hi,” Rion swallowed back her nausea.
“I bet you know why I’m here?”
“I guess the school called you?”
“Yeah. It’s protocol. How is she?”
Rion sighed. “Honestly…I don’t know.”
Chambers tilted her head. “Tell me.”
She motioned towards the bedroom. “She’s—she’s just lying there. Not sleeping. Not talking.” Rion couldn’t meet Chambers’ eye, but she watched th
e woman’s feet as she crossed to the bedroom door and peeked in.
“Hi Beckett,” she whispered. After a few moments, she sighed and turned back to Rion. “Did you take her to the hospital?”
She could feel her face turning red. “No.” She swallowed. “I thought about it. But I was afraid it would upset her more. I tried to get her into the therapist early, but she’s going to be out of town. Jennifer said to let her rest. But that if she had another episode to take her to the hospital.” She looked up in time to see Chambers nod.
“Rest might do her good. Being poked and prodded by strangers might make things worse.”
Rion felt her shoulders relax. Chambers actually agrees? “That’s what I thought too.”
"We know Beckett has been through more than most people. It's a lot to process. Normalcy can help more than anything sometimes. As long as she's not hurting herself or others, and as long as she is eating, I wouldn't consider this a hospitalization case." Chambers tilted her head. "Now, if this continues, it will be a different story."
Rion nodded. She felt like an elephant had been lifted off her shoulders.
Chambers sat on the futon without being invited and after a moment Rion sat too. This time, next to the social worker. “How are you feeling?” she asked Rion.
Rion sighed, and thought about lying, but in the end she went with the truth. “Scared.”
“About what?”
“That—that I’m not doing Beckett any good.” She hated how small her voice sounded. Her throat burned with shame and regret but she swallowed it down. “I don’t want to mess her up worse than she is.”
“You know,” Chambers smiled at Rion. “All parents go through that.”
“Yeah.”
“If this is too much for you…I can start the process of finding Beckett another placement.”
Rion wanted to throw up. She clenched her hands together to stop them from shaking. “I don’t know.”
Chambers was silent for a long while. “Take the rest of the weekend to think it over. See how Beckett is after seeing her therapist on Monday.”
Rion was surprised. “O-Okay.”
The social worker smiled and set her leather binder on the table. “I have two daughters. My husband and I divorced a few years ago…” Rion wasn’t sure where she was going, but she didn’t interrupt. “When my youngest—Emily—was four, I forgot she was at home, and left for work.” Rion raised her brows and the social worker chuckled. “Her daycare had closed—it was some kind of holiday, President’s day or something. Not one of the big ones. And her bus didn’t pick her up. She had gone back into her room to play after Kendra—my oldest—left for school. I was in a rush—more so than normal. I just ran out the door—completely forgot that Emily was home.” Chambers smiled at Rion again.
Something Happened Page 14
