Thank you for your review, Whispered Truth! My day has been so boring and now my modd went up thanks to you :)
Enjoy and please review! Tell me what you like/dislike.
In trouble
Olivia's family had an open kitchen that was attached to the dining/living room. Autumn and Olivia sat at the dining table. Autumn had a laptop in front of her and was typing what Olivia suggested. Nearly every time Olivia took a moment to think about the next part, Autumn went on typing and Olivia said something like:
"Yes, that's good!"
I was really glad that they got along so well despite Autumn's silence. I could have watched them the whole time, but Cory demanded my attention. We played a video game. Unfortunately we had to mute the sound, because Olivia complained that she wasn't able to concentrate. After a while I heard Autumn flinch and gasp.
"Oh, sorry! Is something wrong with your arm? Do you have a bruise there or something?" Olivia asked. She wanted to pull back Autumn's sleeve, but Autumn freed her arm from Olivia's grip and hid it under the table. Olivia raised her hands in surrender.
"Okay, understood. It's not my business. Let's go on."
I was sure that her father had caused that bruise or whatever Autumn hid. Cory laughed at me because my car had crashed into the fence while I was paying attention to Autumn.
About an hour later the two girls were finished. Autumn packed her stuff and headed to the door, but Olivia called her back.
"Hey, Autumn, don't go already! Stay, please! You can't leave me alone with these two twerps, can you?"
Autumn hesitated. Please stay, please stay, please …, I thought until Autumn sighed and put her jacket back onto the hook. Yay!
"Let's watch a movie, shall we?"
Olivia and Cory snuggled in the wide armchair while Autumn and I sat down on the couch. I wished I could at least put my arm around her shoulders, but it was too early for that. Somewhere in the middle of the movie Autumn blew her breath up her face in an attempt to cool it. It was a warm late summer day and even if she hadn't sat next to a werewolf whose body heat radiated off him, she would have sweat in her cardigan.
"Warm in here, isn't it? Why don't you pull off your cardigan?" I asked quietly, although I already knew that she wouldn't do it. Like I had presumed, she shook her head. Olivia had obviously heard my question and got up.
"I'm feeling hot, too. I'll get us some ice-cream. Any preferences?"
She, in contrast to Autumn, only wore a skirt and a top, but I guess snuggling with a werewolf was quite hot, too, in the literal sense.
"Chocolate", I ordered. Autumn looked at me surprised and smiled. I guess it was chocolate for her as well.
"Cherry for me, babe", Cory ordered.
I was right. Autumn took chocolate scoops as well.
When Olivia's parents came home about half an hour later, Autumn jumped and looked at her watch in horror. She rushed to the hallway and grabbed her jacket, waving goodbye to us.
"Do you need a ride?" I offered.
She hesitated, but then she nodded. On the way to her house I asked:
"Why are you so nervous? Is your father going to beat you because you're late?"
She looked at me, not answering my question. I assumed that was a Yes. As I pulled onto her driveway, she unfastened her seatbelt hastily. I held her back when she already had her hand on the door handle.
"You know you can always text me, right? When you need help or want to talk. And if someday you want to really talk, I mean with your own voice, about your mother's death, or whatever, just call me. I'm a good listener. Okay?"
She nodded and got out of the car. She hadn't even shut the front door behind herself when her father started yelling.
"Where have you been? I'm starving! Off to the kitchen with you, lazybones!"
I could hear him emphasizing his words with a slap into her back. I fought an inner struggle whether to interfere or not. But then again, Autumn was still pretending that he didn't beat her, though I really couldn't understand why. Sighing, I pulled back onto the street and pushed the pedal to the metal. I'm not usually a speeder, but I had to vent my anger somehow, if not on her father.
I didn't get a chance to talk to or even see Autumn the next day. I was busy at work, making a two-day trip into the mountains to check on the condition of a hiking trail. When I came home on Friday, I had one hour left before the bonfire would start. Of course I'd use it to check on Autumn. At first her house seemed fairly quiet. There were sounds of flatware on plates. Then there was more noise, as if the dishes were being put into the sink. Water started to flow.
"That was really good, babe. Come here."
Hesitant footsteps.
"Give Daddy a kiss."
Short moment of silence.
"Not on the cheek, silly!"
What? Where else would a daughter kiss her Dad?
"When did you grow these nice jugs?"
He groaned with relish. I was on my feet the second Autumn whined.
"Hey! Stay!" her father shouted.
I hadn't reached their backyard yet when the front door opened. Autumn ran around the house and to the woods as if the Devil himself was after her. Her cardigan had been pulled off her shoulders.
"You come back now, young lady!" her father yelled, "Come back, you bitch!"
Autumn seemed to not have seen me when she had rushed past me. I went after her. She followed a path that lead to a small clearing, where a creek fled by and the last storm had uprooted an old tree. She sat down on the log of that tree and buried her face in her hands, crying her heart out. I was about to leave the shadow of the trees when she suddenly stopped, sniffed and pulled her cell phone out. Sobs shook her shoulders while she texted, every now and then stopping to think. When my phone buzzed, I could have jumped for joy. The text said: Hi Embry. I'm in trouble. Can u come? If it doesn't cause u inconvenience… I'm on a clearing. Just follow the path that starts in my backyard. Autumn.
I texted one word back: Sure.
I waited about five minutes, although that was hard because she had started crying again. Then I stepped onto the path and out onto the clearing. Now I couldn't contain myself anymore and ran the last feet towards her. I crouched down in front of her and gently touched her arm.
"Autumn. What the heck happened?"
I had to pretend that I didn't know. She flabbergasted me by hugging me and burying her face in my chest, nearly knocking me over. I wrapped my arms around her.
"Shhh. Everything's going to be fine. I promise."
She shook her head in disagreement. As it was pretty uncomfortable to hug someone in a crouch, I picked her up, sat down on the log and sat her down on my lap. I stroked her back and waited for her tears to run dry. When they did, she raised her right hand to wipe them away, but only to drop it again the second it touched her face, breathing in heavily through her teeth. She then supported her right arm with her left.
"May I have a look at your arm?"
She nodded and carefully pulled the sleeve back herself, clenching her teeth together. Her wrist was red and was obviously bruised. I gently sampled it. From the amount of pain it seemed to cause her, I wasn't sure if it was "only" bruised.
"It might be broken. We've got to check this at the hospital."
She shook her head fiercely.
"This has to be treated properly."
"But I have no money", she whispered so quietly I, despite my improved hearing, was barely able to understand her. But hey, she had spoken to me!
"Don't worry about money. I'll pay."
She shook her head.
"Yes, I will. Now, will you tell me what happened?"
She sighed and sobbed.
"Okay, let's try the yes-no-questions again. You only have to nod or shake your head."
She nodded.
"Your father beats you, doesn't he?" Nod.
"And he beat you today, too?" A hesitating shake.
"But he broke your wrist, didn't he?" Nod.
"Did he rape you?" Shake.
"He wanted to. But I ran away" she admitted quietly.
"Was that the first time he tried that?" Nod.
"Autumn, why do you want to stay with him? I know he is your father, but he hurts you and he treats you like dirt."
"I have nowhere else to go. He's the only family I've got left. I'm afraid of being sent to a foster home. But I don't think I can go back to him after this. I don't know what to do!" she said and the tears started to come back.
"You really shouldn't go back to him after this. As a start, you'll be my guest. Are you sure you don't have any relatives? Not even distant cousins?"
She shook her head.
"Okay. Don't worry. I don't think the CPS would let me care for you, cause I look too young, but I've got friends who would be considered worthy foster parents. They're really nice. You could stay here in La Push, where you already made friends with Olivia and I could always visit you. How does that sound?"
She nodded with a sigh. My solution seemed to be acceptable.
"Now, let's get you to the hospital."
She sighed again and got up reluctantly.
"They'll ask questions!" she complained.
I pushed her towards the path with one hand while pulling my cell phone out with the other. I dialed Kim's number.
"Yeah? Embry?"
"Hey, Kim. I assume you're already at the beach?"
"Yes. Why? Aren't you coming?"
"Maybe later. Could you come to the hospital? I think Autumn's wrist is broken and maybe she should be checked all over to be sure there isn't more", Autumn shot me a glare, "she doesn't want the doctors to ask questions, so, could you treat her please?"
Kim sighed.
"Alright. Can you pick me up at the beach?"
"Sure."
The sun had already set and it was dark in the forest. Autumn stumbled over roots and stones every now and then. Finally, I picked her up bridal style.
"Hey! Let me down! My wrist is bruised, not my legs!"
"But you can't see anything. I don't want you to fall."
"Oh and you can see?"
"Yes."
"Everyone says you're older than you look like. How old are you?"
Now she had definitely regained her voice.
"I'm thirty."
"Oh. You're indeed twice as old as I am. Why do you look like seventeen or eighteen?"
"Hasn't everyone told you that that's a secret?"
"And why do you care so much about me? Are you attracted by girls my age?"
"I'll tell you eventually, but not today."
She became serious.
"What about my stuff? All my clothes and books and CDs are in my room."
"We'll get them tomorrow, when your father isn't home."
She stayed silent for the rest of the walk and during the ride to the beach. I honked and Kim came running to my old Chevrolet Forester.
"Hi Embry. Hey Autumn. I'm Kim."
Autumn smiled nervously at her.
When we entered Forks hospital the old nurse at the information desk greeted:
"Good evening, Dr. Cameron. Didn't you have the morning shift today?"
"I did. I'm just doing a friend a favor", Kim replied pointing to me. She led us to a small doctor's office.
"You can wait outside, Embry."
I started to protest, but she cut me off.
"You wanted me to check her all over, didn't you? I don't think she'll undress if you stay."
Autumn nodded, so I went outside and sat down on one of the waiting chairs. About half an hour later Kim came out and shut the door behind her.
"My God, she's got bruises all over her body. The wrist is broken and some of the bruises are quite severe, but there are no alarming injuries. You definitely have to convince her that she can't stay with her father anymore. If you don't, I'll call the CPS."
"She knows she can't go back. He wanted to rape her tonight."
"Oh. I didn't check her there. But you said he wanted, right, so he wasn't successful."
"Yes. She was able to escape."
Kim waved for me to follow her into her office. Autumn sat on the plastic bench, her wrist in a purple cast.
"So, Autumn, you're ready to go", Kim announced, "You went through a lot, maybe you should try to distract yourself. There's a bonfire at the beach tonight and the elders will tell the legends of our tribe. Do you want to come?"
Autumn looked at me and nodded. Then she hopped off the bench, took my right hand with her well hand and squeezed it. She wanted to lose her grip afterwards, but I didn't let go of her hand. She sighed.
Back at the beach I introduced her to my former and current pack members, their imprints and children and the elders, Billy, Sue and Old Quil, who we secretly had renamed as Very Old Quil. Believe it or not, they had saved some food for us and had not yet started the storytelling, so that Autumn wouldn't miss a single one of them. She sat down next to me. There was a fresh breeze coming from the sea and it didn't take long until she leaned against my warm side. When Billy came to the part where he said that the wolves didn't age, I watched her face to see her reaction. Only then I realized that she had fallen asleep. Well then, maybe better this way. She'd had enough to take in today.