Somewhere Safe
Chapter 7
"Trent Hernandez, please report to the office. Trent Hernandez to the office. Thank you." Trent looked up at the P.A. system and then at Dr. O. Dr. O. looked at him.
"I didn't do it Dr. O. I swear! Perfectly innocent boy over here!" Trent pasted an angelic expression on his face. Dr. O. cocked an eyebrow and pointed to the door without a word. Trent sighed and walked up to the office.
When he got there, He was ushered in without waiting. He seemed a little confused by that. He shrugged it off and Knocked on the principles door.
"Come in!" He opened the door. There in the office sat Ms. Randall, the school psychologist and his father's attorney, Mr. Park.
"Ah, Trent, there you are. Please come in and close the door." Trent closed the door. Mr. Park cleared his throat.
"Trent, I have something to tell you. It is of utmost importance that you know. Is there someone that can be with you right now?" The school psychologist, Mr. Kirks, asked sitting down next to Trent. Trent pulled away and stood up.
"I can page Dr. Oliver for you. He is the boys guardian. He should be here." She turned away and paged Dr. O. Trent was confused. Was he in some sort of trouble that everyone else knew about but he didn't? He looked at Ms. Randall.
"Ms. Randall, What is going on? Did I do something wrong?" Trent started to panic. Mr. Kirks took him by the arm. Trent shook him off and gave him a dirty look. There was a knock. Trent opened it.
"Dr. O., They won't tell me whatever it was I did. They just sit around this office with somber looks on their faces." Dr. O. looked grim. He looked at Trent.
"Trent, please wait outside for me. I want to talk to them privately. We will call you in if we need you." Trent nodded and walked outside to wait.
A few minutes later, The Psychologist stuck his head out the door. "Trent we are ready for you now. Please come back." Trent got up and walked into the office, sitting down next to Dr. O., who looked a little upset. Dr. O. turned towards Trent.
"Trent. There's been an accident." Trent looked at him weirdly. Dr. O. continued
"Trent, your father passed away early this morning from a heart attack." Trent just sat there. Mr. Kirks came over and took Trent's arm.
"Come on son, let's go to my office and talk about this." Trent yanked away from him. He cast pleading eyes at Dr. O.
"Dr. O. Please tell me it's not true that this is all some kind of trick. Please." Tears were starting to cascade down Trent's face. Dr. O. threw an arm around Trent's shoulders.
"Trent it is true. Your father has passed on. You are not alone though. I am here for you, and so is Jason, Kira, Conner and Ethan." Trent threw Dr. O.'s arm off his shoulder. He stood up.
"You are lying. Why are you lying to me?!" He pushed Dr. O. away from him. Mr. Kirks grabbed his arm.
"DON'T touch me! Dr. O., PLEASE! It's not true. IT CAN'T BE! Please tell me it's not true. Please, I'm begging you. Please." Dr. O. picked up his cell phone and called Jason.
"Jase, it's Tommy. We have a situation. Meet me up at the school. Come straight to the office. 20 minutes." He put the phone back into his pocket. He took hold of Trent's arm and pulled him down in the chair again. Trent resisted a little bit. He sat down quietly.
"Trent, Please believe me. I didn't want it to be true anymore than you did. I am so sorry Trent. SSsshh" Dr. O. made soothing sounds, trying to calm Trent down. Trent sobbed into Dr, O.'s jacket. Mr. Park who had been quiet until now, cleared his throat again. He took a sealed envelope out of his briefcase. He handed it to Dr. O.
"Trent, Dr. Oliver, I am sorry for your loss. When you feel up to it Trent. I would like to meet with both of you to discuss arrangements for the funeral and the reading of your father's will. At a more appropriate time of course." He left the office, and Dr. O. set the envelope on the desk. Just then there was a knock on the door.
"Come in." Ms. Randall said tiredly. The student volunteer poked her head in nervously.
"There is a Dr. Starr here to see Dr. Oliver and Trent, Ms. Randall. He insists that he is expected. " Ms. Randall nodded.
"Send him in." The girl nodded and stepped back. A young man came in and nodded.
"Tommy, Trent. What's going on?" Dr. O. stood up.
"Thanks for coming. Trent's obviously upset. He just found out his father is dead." Jason mouthed the word 'shit' and took a seat next to Trent.
"Trent." Was all he said. Trent threw himself into Jason's waiting arms.
"I can't do this. I can't! I am supposed to plan his funeral and hear the reading of his will. I can't do this Jason. I think I'm going to be sick." Jason gently leaned him over the wastebasket and kept a hand supporting his back. Trent leaned over the waste basket, throwing up everything that he had eaten. Which was a lot. Dr. O. returned with some wet napkins.
Jason whispered something to Dr. O. and he nodded. Dr. O. took Jason's place. Jason opened up his bag, and retrieved a vial and a needle. He eyed Trent, and filled the syringe. He moved over to Trent.
"Trent, you are going to feel a little sting. You are way too upset and you need to calm down right now ok? I am going to give you a shot of Valium. You've had it before." Trent shook his head.
"No please Jason, don't do this to me. Please. I can calm down." He started to struggle. Dr. O. grabbed hold of him and held him tight. Jason swabbed Trent's arm and plunged the needle in.
"No, Damnit, no, You promised Jason. You promised me. You-"
The drug took effect almost immediately. Trent slumped down in the seat, breathing deeply. Jason took his pulse.
"His pulse in good. He needs to go home and get into bed. Tommy. I'm going to take him back to your house." Dr. O. agreed and helped Jason take Trent out to Jason's car. He promised to bring Trent's stuff home with him after school. They parted ways.
After his last class, Dr. O. had a planning period, but he arranged to leave early to be home for Trent After he had helped Jason take Trent out to the car, He arranged for Trent to be absent from a week. He also arranged to take a week off as well. He was just walking out of the office, When Conner, Ethan and Kira came running up.
"Dr. O. ! We JUST heard about Trent's dad, Is there anything we can do? How are you doing?" Kira asked walking with him. They talked for a few minutes and Dr. O. promised to let them know what was going on with Trent and the funeral. Then he hopped into he car and headed home.
When he got back there. He hurried into the house, toting his and Trent's stuff. He saw Jason sitting at the table writing in a couple charts. He shut the door.
"How-"
"He's fine, dad Don't worry I have been checking on him every 15 minutes. Have not heard a peep out of him since I brought him back. He's been sleeping peacefully. You on the other hand, look like shit and need to sleep. So go shower and sleep because you stink. I can stay here awhile."
Dr. O. shook his head. "I'll nap later. I need to make this as easy on Trent as possible. I need to call around to area funeral homes and start making the arrangements."
Jason threw a folder at him. "All ready did it Tommy, now come on, You have been running yourself ragged and it needs to stop. Don't make me use valium. Because you know I will. And you know I can take you."
Dr. O. flipped him off and sat down at the table. He put his head down on the table and gave a huge sigh. Jason poured a cup of strong coffee and set it before Dr. O. Dr. O looked up at Jason. He looked on the verge of losing it. Jason smiled and placed his hand on his shoulder.
"You look like you could use a long session of meditation. A really long session of meditation. You want to go? I can keep an eye on Trent. Please Tommy, Let me help you. You will be no good to Trent if you run yourself down before the funeral, and he will NEED you that day. Go meditate and then take a hot shower and take a nap all right? I am here for as long as you need me."
Dr. O. nodded and went upstairs to change and check on Trent for himself. Once he was satisfied, he came downstairs and walked out the door. He had been neglecting meditation for sometime. He needed to do this. He decided that he would take a run first to clear his mind and go from there. With that, he headed down the road jogging.
