Thanks to everyone who has favourite, following and reviewing.
I just want to point out, that I am not a child psychiatrist, just a mother and grandmother who couldn't bear for a child to have nightmares following trauma. I wouldn't be able to just go along respecting boundaries if I knew my child was hurting.
All characters belong to E.L. James.
Chapter 2.
Christian is nearing his sixth birthday; he has lived with his new mom and dad for two years now. He feels safe and he knows that these people care for him. But the nightmares still come, he sees the man with the belt coming for him, hurting him, hurting his mother, and he so wants to help her, to stop him from hurting her but when he tries, he can't he is too small, too weak. And he feels the pain as the belt bites as the cigarettes burn; he hears his mother crying and his own screams wake him.
When he wakes, trembling and sweating they are there, to take the terror away. Their touch takes the fear away but the pain lingers. Some times it's so bad he can't bear for them to touch him and he has to push them away; they don't let go of him right away, they always hold him for a little bit longer; just a little bit longer every time. And it's getting better.
To day he is sitting with Elliot, watching him doing his homework. Christian doesn't do homework; he doesn't go to school because he has lost his words. He knows the words but they just won't come out. So his new mom has him working at home. She reads to him and has him writing things called letters and numbers. And best of all, she is showing him how to make the music on the piano. She says when he is a little bigger she will bring a teacher to show him how to play the piano properly.
He can recognise some of the words in the books now and he can write his name and where he lives. He finds that he can do the sums that Elliot does and he knows Elliot gets them wrong.
Like today, Elliot is getting them wrong. Christian is shaking his head at him,
Saying in his head "No, No it doesn't work like that."
Elliot glowers at him; he understands what he is saying.
"Well, Mr know all, you think you're so clever you do it" and he nudges Christian's
Shoulder with his own.
This Elliot knows he can do without causing Christian to become upset. They often have these nudging contests and they have become the equivalent to a play fight. This Christian can tolerate; it's a recent break through and it is fun.
Elliot tosses his pencil to Christian and a page out of his note book. Christian looks at the numbers a small frown on his forehead as he concentrates. His pick up the pencil and solves the problem writing down the answer in neat rows. Then smirking slides the paper in front of Elliot.
"Mom, "Calls Elliot "Will you look at this sum and tell me which answer is right?"
"Sure, honey, be right with you" she sits with her boys and looks over the pages.
"This one is the right answer. "She says pointing to the one Christian wrote. "Well done, Elliot" she says patting him on his back.
Christian punches the air and nudges Elliot's shoulder a big grin on his face.
Their mom looks at them "Am I missing something here?"
"Christian got it right, not me" Says Elliot sulkily.
"Really!" their mom is amazed. Then she gently rubs Christian's head.
At that moment, dad comes into the room.
"Carrick, just come over here and look at this." and shows him the completed sum
"Christian has done this, isn't great?"
Carrick looks at the paper and his eyes open wide. He sits beside Christian and asks quietly, "Can you do anymore, Christian? Can you help Elliot to work out the rest?"
Christian nods. And he and Elliot settle down to finish the homework.
There is a lot of tutting and shaking of heads, gentle nudging and giggling from the boys.
Grace and Carrick look on from the couch away from the table where the boys are.
They talk in low voices;
"You know Grace we are going to have to get a special tutor or find a school that deals with kids with problems like Christian's."
"Yes, he is very bright, I mean Elliot is bright, and above his age year in school; but Christian is up to his level in math and he is not six yet the only thing that's stopping going to school is his inability to speak. We don't know how well he reads, but he understands enough to be able to work out the math. We need a good therapist for him to break through the barrier that is stopping him from speaking. We know he can talk, the police woman who brought him out of the apartment said he was yelling for his mommy; but stopped as she got him in the car to take him to hospital.
"Mmm do you know of a good therapist through the hospital?"
"Of course, and now we have made some headway with his being touched and he is happy with us I think it's time."
Six months later.
"Now boys, do you remember that I told you that this is a special day?"
"Yes, you said you had a surprise for us" said Elliot eagerly.
"Well, later to day daddy and I are going to see a very special person, and if everything works out right we will be bringing her home in a week or two."
Both boys look on curiously. Elliot has a little scowl on his face and rubs his curly blond hair,
"Her: A girl? " Elliot doesn't like girls they are silly.
"It's like this boys, I'm fed up with being the only girl around here, so we are going to adopt a little girl so she can stick up for me against all you boys"
The boys think this over, not sure. They look at each other and Christian shakes his head and grimaces he doesn't like girls either. He doesn't like it when they put their arms around him and try and kiss him; it hurts. He only likes it when mom puts her arms around him in the night when he has nightmares, then it feels safe and the bad dreams go away.
Grace can see the concern on their faces.
"The good thing about this is that Mia is really just a baby. So she will not bother you for a while. But she will be your little sister so, because you are both so much bigger your dad and I will be expecting you to watch out for her."
Elliot shrugs, "Has she no mom and dad of her own like Christian and me?"
Christian frowns as he thinks "I have a mom of my own! but she left me. I remember my mommy, she had long brown hair, and, and she didn't care for me because I am a bad boy and she left Me." he is shaking now with the memories and he is breathing fast.
Grace notices Christian's reaction and reaches out to hold him but he pulls away with a guttural cry and runs out of the door. He runs and runs until he comes to the boat jetty. He sits down panting and shaking. Thoughts running through his head.
"I have a new mom she cares for me; she gives me food, I have lots of clothes to wear, I am warm, no one shouts or hits me or burns me here. No more of that but where is my mom I haven't seen her in so long; not since she went to sleep on the floor." Christian shivers as if cold and tears come into his eyes and roll down his cheeks. He is sobbing trying to breathe as realisation hits him. "My mommy is dead!"
After a while he feels a gentle hand on his head. New mommy is here. The hand slides down the back of his head and onto his shoulders pulling him close.
"Oh my dear, dear boy, hush now we have you, you are safe we love you Christian "
