Chapter 2

Liz and Peter stood outside Faye Boswell's office, Liz taking a few minutes before she had to face the possible anger from her boss. Peter looked at her, before taking a tight hold of her hand.

"Are you okay?"

"Not really, what if I've made a huge mistake here?"

"I can't say that I agree with what you're doing but I meant what I said, I will stand by and support you through this."

"I could lose my job."

"For helping a child who is unwanted by his own family, if they sack you, then they lose me too."

"Oh Peter don't be foolish, Stone Park needs you."

"Not without you too, there women need you just as much as they need me."

"Hello you two."

Liz let go of Peter's hand when the deputy governor Charles Radley came up behind them.

"Are you in part of the meeting as well then?"

"Sorry?" Liz said bluntly.

"The meeting with Faye, she never mentioned you two were coming?"

"No…we need to see her about another matter?" Peter said.

"Oh right, does she know you're standing out here then?"

"Look, we'll come back later, it's not urgent." Liz said, getting ready to walk away.

Charles watched as Peter took tight hold of her hand to stop her leaving.

"No Liz, we need to do this now."

"What's going on?" Charles asked.

"I…" Liz started.

It wasn't very often that Liz struggled with her words, but right now she wished that the ground would just swallow her up.

"We need to talk to Mrs Boswell about Liz applying for guardianship of an inmate's son." Peter stated.

"Guardianship of…did you say an inmate's son?"

"He did."

"This is a joke, right?"

"It most certainly is not." Liz added.

Liz could see the way Charles glared at her, clearly angry with what Peter had just said to him.

"Well…I think you two better come inside."

Faye was seated behind her desk, writing up some reports when the knock at her door stopped her.

"Come in." She said loudly.

She saw her deputy walk inside, a smile on her face as she signed her name at the bottom of a report.

"Wonderful Charles, right on time…are we, oh…"

Faye looked up again and saw her welfare officer and doctor walk in behind Charles, a look on their faces that Faye couldn't quite read.

"Miss Clarke, Dr Mayes? It was just you and I for this meeting wasn't it Charles?"

"It was governor, but I think there's something a little more important to discuss first."

"I see, well judging by the expressions on Miss Clarke and Dr Mayes, I can only assume it's not good."

"There is something we need to discuss with you rather urgently Mrs Boswell." Liz said, a slight shake in her voice.

"Well do sit down, Charles…"

Everyone did as she asked, and sat down opposite her. Nobody spoke for a few seconds, Liz for the first time in her life, scared. She felt Peter take hold of her hand again, the man almost sensing how scared she was.

"Miss Clarke, are you ill?" Faye asked.

"No Mrs Boswell, nothing like that."

"I see, so why the need for Dr Mayes to be present."

"Moral support governor." He stated.

"Moral support, very well. I think you had better tell me what's going on, don't you."

Charles could tell by Faye's tone, that she was starting to worry.

"It concerns one of the prisoners." Liz said.

"Has something happened, did they do something to you?" The concern in Faye's voice for one of her staff was evident and Liz, whether she ever said it or not, always appreciated it.

"No, nothing like that, but this does concern Louise Pritchard."

"Pritchard, ah yes…petty theft, wasn't it?" Faye asked.

"That's correct, well she has a son Sam. Presently, he's being looked after by his aunt and uncle."

"Presently?"

"They don't want him, the aunt has informed me that she has two of her own already and that she can't take care of Sam any longer. She wants to place him in to foster care, with immediate effect."

"Doesn't this woman realise the effect that placing the child in to foster care now will have on him?"

"I did try to explain it to her, we've had several conversations, over many weeks about this subject but she's adamant that she wants him gone."

"What does the mother say?" Charles asked.

"Well, she's never wanted him. She's resented that child since the day he was born. I spoke to her about her sister wanting Sam to go in to care and all she said was "do what you want." She doesn't care about her own son. It seems to me that none of the family do."

Faye could see the sad expression on Liz's face.

"This case, it's affected you Miss Clarke?"

"I won't lie, it has. They call him odd, he doesn't speak a lot, he doesn't go out to play with the other children. He appears to like his own company, he likes to draw a lot."

"Well that's not good for the child, he needs fresh air, other children to play with, make friends to bring him out of his shell."

"I realise that Mrs Boswell."

"So what is it you need from me Miss Clarke. Do you want to try and talk to the mother, or the aunt."

"They've made their feelings for Sam very clear, nothing you can say to them will change their minds."

"So what then?"

"You better tell her Liz." Charles spoke up.

"Tell me what?"

"I know it's highly unethical, but Sam appears to like me. Though he doesn't speak very much, he does to me. I've been around him quite a bit and he trusts me."

"Go on."

"I know you're not going to like this and I'm sorry, but I've applied for immediate guardianship of Sam."

Faye's eyes went wide, as she looked between Liz and Peter, before landing on Charles who looked completely unsure of what to say in that moment.

To Be Continued…