"What are you looking for Dawson?" Joey asked climbing through the
window early Saturday morning. Dawson was pulling things out of drawers and
off shelves. The room was a mess. He had the tv on but Joey doubted that he
was actually paying any attention to it.
"A videotape. I need it for a film project."
"Kind of sudden isn't it?"
"Remember that project I told you was due next Wednesday that I had no ideas for."
"Yeah," Joey said cautiously sitting down on the bed which seemed to be one of the few places in the room not covered with stuff. "What you decide to do an instructional video on how to clean up a bedroom."
"Cute," Dawson said not giving up on his shirt. "No I got this great idea last night and I need the tapes I shot last summer of us just hanging out together."
"Why?" Joey asked completely lost.
"Well the project was to do something that shows something that is important to us. Well I'm going to do mine on friendships. What's more important than your friends?"
"Ah, dysfunctional friendships. That's going to make a wonderful school project Dawson,"Joey told him. Dawson shot her a look. "Oh come on Dawson, Jen and I don't exactly get along, you've dated both her and me, Pacey and I would rather trade banter than talk, Andie and Pacey have dated and broken up, and if Jack wasn't gay I think we might have been able to add him and Jen into our wonderful group of pairings."
"They're not dysfunctional Joey. The friendships we all have with each other are just...complicated," Dawson told her.
"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that," Joey said with a smile as Dawson went back to tearing his room apart in search of the missing tapes. Joey glanced toward the tv as the news team broke into the show that was on with a news alert. Joey instantly recognized the house that was on the television screen. "Hey Dawson, turn the tv up," Joey said urgently as he was standing right next to the tv and the remote was no where to be seen.
Confused Dawson reached over and turned up the volume on the tv without really looking at it and went back to looking for his tape but then the newscasters voice caught his attention.
"You are looking at live footage of the Witter residence in Capeside Massachutes where the Capeside police are conducting a full investigation into an apparent robbery that took place last night," the newscaster said as Dawson gave up his search and sat down on the bed next to his friend Joey. "Right now, what we know very little and the police are not volunteering much information. What we do know for sure that there is at least one confirmed death. Mrs. Regina Witter was killed in the apparent robbery last night."
"Oh my God," Dawson said in disbelief as the newscaster went on to inform the listeners that John Witter was sheriff of Capeside and other information that Dawson and Pacey already knew.
"Dawson," Joey and Dawson heard Mitch Leery call from out in the hallway. "Have you seen the news?" Mitch asked popping his head into the room.
"Yeah, Dad we just heard," Dawson said unable to take his eyes away from the tv screen.
"Come on you two," Mitch Leery said, "I'll drive you down to the station and we'll see what we can find out." Mitch knew his son and Joey would be worried about their friend. In all honesty he was worried too. Though he had never cared to much for John Witter, Mitch had always liked Pacey and looked at him as a second son much like he saw Joey as a daughter.
Dawson stood up turned the tv off, and followed his Dad downstairs to the car with Joey right behind him.
Dawson led his father and Joey quickly down the hallway toward the room they had been told Pacey was in. They had ran into Ted Hipkins at the station who although wouldn't give them any details, had told them that Pacey was at Memorial Hospital. The trio had left the station and headed for the hospital, Dawson extremely irritated that his dad was doing the speed limit.
"I'm sorry, but you can't go in there," a police officer, who Dawson could not remember his name, said as they approached Pacey's room.
"But the nurse told me that he was allowed visitors," Dawson said in protest.
"Pacey's being questioned right now," the officer told him. "Why don't you three go back down the hall and have a seat in the waiting area. Someone will come get you when you can see him."
"Questioned," Joey said confused. "What is going on?"
"I'm sorry, I can't say. Please, go wait in the waiting area before I need to call security to remove you."
"Come on you two," Mitch said putting a hand on each of their shoulders and leading them back down the hallway.
"Pacey, I need you to tell me what happened last night," Mitch Barnes said quietly looking at the teenager who was dressed in his own clothes now and sitting on the edge of the bed as he was just waiting for Dr. Howard to come back and give him the okay to leave the hospital. "Who beat you up, Pacey?" Mitch asked again when Pacey didn't volunteer any information.
Pacey looked over at his brother who was standing against the wall. Part of Pacey still wanted to just drop this because he still doubted as to whether or not anyone was going to believe him. One look at his brother though, and Pacey knew that this time Doug wasn't going to let it go. Pacey was starting to wonder if Doug hadn't already told the Deputy Sheriff Barnes something.
Pacey looked from his brother to the third person in the room. Mrs. Travers, a state social worker that had been called in. She looked back at Pacey sympathetically and Pacey couldn't help but wonder how much she got paid to pretend she really cared about complete strangers.
"My Dad did," Pacey said softly looking down at the floor. He waited for Barnes to tell him to stop lying and tell him the truth but it didn't happen. Pacey looked up from the floor toward the officer but Pacey didn't see the look he was expecting, the look most people gave him when he tried to say anything. The look that told Pacey that the person didn't believe him.
"Exactly what happened Pacey?" Mitch asked.
"It wasn't too long after Doug had left that I started hearing my Dad yelling at my Mom again. At first I just stayed in my room and ignored it but then I heard my Mom yelling for him to stop. I left my room and went downstairs and saw my Dad hitting my Mom. I yelled at him to stop it and he turned on me. He punched me a couple of times, yelling at me to mind my own business. I took a couple of swings at him but then he grabbed me by the collar of my shirt and shoved me against the wall telling me that I was a loser and a disgrace to the family," Pacey looked out the window not wanting to remember the events but wanting to tell them everything that happened now that he had started. He knew that if he didn't continue know he might never get the courage to come forward again. "When he let go of my shirt, I went down to the floor from the pain," Pacey continued in a shaky voice. "He started kicking me in the ribs and I remember Mom yelling at him to stop it, and he turned back on her." Pacey stopped talking then trying to keep from crying.
Doug left his place against the wall and sat down next to his brother. Doug put his arm gently across his brothers shoulders and pulled him close. No one said anything waiting for Pacey to continue when he felt ready.
"I got to my feet and ran. God help me, I ran and left her there alone," Pacey said the tears now falling down his face. After years of hating Doug for not standing up to there father he had ended up doing the same thing Doug had always done - leave.
"It's not your fault Pacey," Doug said softly to his brother.
"Pacey, is that the only time your father ever hit you?" Mrs. Travers asked. Pacey shook his head no in answer to her question.
"And the bruise Doug noticed the other day?" Mitch asked. "Was that from your father?"
"Yes," Pacey said.
Mitch took a deep breath. He was not looking forward to the task he now had to do. "I've got enough information for now," he said. "Doug I don't want you or your brother to leave the hospital until I give you the okay. I'm going to go arrest your father for child abuse and I want the two of you here, where we can protect you, until we have him in custody."
Doug nodded.
"What's going to happen to me now," Pacey asked quietly.
"For now you'll be able to stay with your brother," Mrs. Travers told him softly. " It'll be up to you, Doug, and the courts as to whether that will become permanent or not. We'll have to wait and see how everything works out," she said wishing she could give him a more certain answer but she couldn't. She wasn't even sure that the older brother would want the responsibility of the sixteen year old boy. If not there was always the three sisters who had yet to even show up.
Mrs. Travers and Mitch Barnes headed for the door to the room. Telling his brother that he would be right back Doug followed them out into the hallway.
"Sir, the blood on the shirt.." Doug started but was cut off before he could finish his question.
"It was your father's blood, Doug, which backs up your brother's story about John grabbing him by the collar," Mitch told him. Although he had no doubt as to whether or not Pacey was telling the truth giving the boy's past he was glad that they had some kind of solid evidence. That with Doug's testimony of past abuse would give credibility to Pacey's story when he told it to a judge. "Prepare you brother Doug, because as hard as I know it is going to be for the two of you, you're both are going to have to testify at your father's trial."
Doug nodded. He had expected that. He was prepared to do so. Giving all Pacey had been through lately though, Doug wasn't sure he could say the same for his brother.
"Hey Doug," Deputy Eriks, who was currently standing guard on Pacey's room, said as Mitch Barnes headed down the hallway. "A couple of Pacey's friends are down in the waiting area. They've been down there for the last few minutes."
Doug groaned. With everything that had been happening, it had totally slipped his mind to tell Dawson and Pacey's other friends about what was going on. They were probably worried to death.
"Thanks, I'll got talk to them," Doug told his co-worker and headed down the hall toward the waiting area.
"A videotape. I need it for a film project."
"Kind of sudden isn't it?"
"Remember that project I told you was due next Wednesday that I had no ideas for."
"Yeah," Joey said cautiously sitting down on the bed which seemed to be one of the few places in the room not covered with stuff. "What you decide to do an instructional video on how to clean up a bedroom."
"Cute," Dawson said not giving up on his shirt. "No I got this great idea last night and I need the tapes I shot last summer of us just hanging out together."
"Why?" Joey asked completely lost.
"Well the project was to do something that shows something that is important to us. Well I'm going to do mine on friendships. What's more important than your friends?"
"Ah, dysfunctional friendships. That's going to make a wonderful school project Dawson,"Joey told him. Dawson shot her a look. "Oh come on Dawson, Jen and I don't exactly get along, you've dated both her and me, Pacey and I would rather trade banter than talk, Andie and Pacey have dated and broken up, and if Jack wasn't gay I think we might have been able to add him and Jen into our wonderful group of pairings."
"They're not dysfunctional Joey. The friendships we all have with each other are just...complicated," Dawson told her.
"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that," Joey said with a smile as Dawson went back to tearing his room apart in search of the missing tapes. Joey glanced toward the tv as the news team broke into the show that was on with a news alert. Joey instantly recognized the house that was on the television screen. "Hey Dawson, turn the tv up," Joey said urgently as he was standing right next to the tv and the remote was no where to be seen.
Confused Dawson reached over and turned up the volume on the tv without really looking at it and went back to looking for his tape but then the newscasters voice caught his attention.
"You are looking at live footage of the Witter residence in Capeside Massachutes where the Capeside police are conducting a full investigation into an apparent robbery that took place last night," the newscaster said as Dawson gave up his search and sat down on the bed next to his friend Joey. "Right now, what we know very little and the police are not volunteering much information. What we do know for sure that there is at least one confirmed death. Mrs. Regina Witter was killed in the apparent robbery last night."
"Oh my God," Dawson said in disbelief as the newscaster went on to inform the listeners that John Witter was sheriff of Capeside and other information that Dawson and Pacey already knew.
"Dawson," Joey and Dawson heard Mitch Leery call from out in the hallway. "Have you seen the news?" Mitch asked popping his head into the room.
"Yeah, Dad we just heard," Dawson said unable to take his eyes away from the tv screen.
"Come on you two," Mitch Leery said, "I'll drive you down to the station and we'll see what we can find out." Mitch knew his son and Joey would be worried about their friend. In all honesty he was worried too. Though he had never cared to much for John Witter, Mitch had always liked Pacey and looked at him as a second son much like he saw Joey as a daughter.
Dawson stood up turned the tv off, and followed his Dad downstairs to the car with Joey right behind him.
Dawson led his father and Joey quickly down the hallway toward the room they had been told Pacey was in. They had ran into Ted Hipkins at the station who although wouldn't give them any details, had told them that Pacey was at Memorial Hospital. The trio had left the station and headed for the hospital, Dawson extremely irritated that his dad was doing the speed limit.
"I'm sorry, but you can't go in there," a police officer, who Dawson could not remember his name, said as they approached Pacey's room.
"But the nurse told me that he was allowed visitors," Dawson said in protest.
"Pacey's being questioned right now," the officer told him. "Why don't you three go back down the hall and have a seat in the waiting area. Someone will come get you when you can see him."
"Questioned," Joey said confused. "What is going on?"
"I'm sorry, I can't say. Please, go wait in the waiting area before I need to call security to remove you."
"Come on you two," Mitch said putting a hand on each of their shoulders and leading them back down the hallway.
"Pacey, I need you to tell me what happened last night," Mitch Barnes said quietly looking at the teenager who was dressed in his own clothes now and sitting on the edge of the bed as he was just waiting for Dr. Howard to come back and give him the okay to leave the hospital. "Who beat you up, Pacey?" Mitch asked again when Pacey didn't volunteer any information.
Pacey looked over at his brother who was standing against the wall. Part of Pacey still wanted to just drop this because he still doubted as to whether or not anyone was going to believe him. One look at his brother though, and Pacey knew that this time Doug wasn't going to let it go. Pacey was starting to wonder if Doug hadn't already told the Deputy Sheriff Barnes something.
Pacey looked from his brother to the third person in the room. Mrs. Travers, a state social worker that had been called in. She looked back at Pacey sympathetically and Pacey couldn't help but wonder how much she got paid to pretend she really cared about complete strangers.
"My Dad did," Pacey said softly looking down at the floor. He waited for Barnes to tell him to stop lying and tell him the truth but it didn't happen. Pacey looked up from the floor toward the officer but Pacey didn't see the look he was expecting, the look most people gave him when he tried to say anything. The look that told Pacey that the person didn't believe him.
"Exactly what happened Pacey?" Mitch asked.
"It wasn't too long after Doug had left that I started hearing my Dad yelling at my Mom again. At first I just stayed in my room and ignored it but then I heard my Mom yelling for him to stop. I left my room and went downstairs and saw my Dad hitting my Mom. I yelled at him to stop it and he turned on me. He punched me a couple of times, yelling at me to mind my own business. I took a couple of swings at him but then he grabbed me by the collar of my shirt and shoved me against the wall telling me that I was a loser and a disgrace to the family," Pacey looked out the window not wanting to remember the events but wanting to tell them everything that happened now that he had started. He knew that if he didn't continue know he might never get the courage to come forward again. "When he let go of my shirt, I went down to the floor from the pain," Pacey continued in a shaky voice. "He started kicking me in the ribs and I remember Mom yelling at him to stop it, and he turned back on her." Pacey stopped talking then trying to keep from crying.
Doug left his place against the wall and sat down next to his brother. Doug put his arm gently across his brothers shoulders and pulled him close. No one said anything waiting for Pacey to continue when he felt ready.
"I got to my feet and ran. God help me, I ran and left her there alone," Pacey said the tears now falling down his face. After years of hating Doug for not standing up to there father he had ended up doing the same thing Doug had always done - leave.
"It's not your fault Pacey," Doug said softly to his brother.
"Pacey, is that the only time your father ever hit you?" Mrs. Travers asked. Pacey shook his head no in answer to her question.
"And the bruise Doug noticed the other day?" Mitch asked. "Was that from your father?"
"Yes," Pacey said.
Mitch took a deep breath. He was not looking forward to the task he now had to do. "I've got enough information for now," he said. "Doug I don't want you or your brother to leave the hospital until I give you the okay. I'm going to go arrest your father for child abuse and I want the two of you here, where we can protect you, until we have him in custody."
Doug nodded.
"What's going to happen to me now," Pacey asked quietly.
"For now you'll be able to stay with your brother," Mrs. Travers told him softly. " It'll be up to you, Doug, and the courts as to whether that will become permanent or not. We'll have to wait and see how everything works out," she said wishing she could give him a more certain answer but she couldn't. She wasn't even sure that the older brother would want the responsibility of the sixteen year old boy. If not there was always the three sisters who had yet to even show up.
Mrs. Travers and Mitch Barnes headed for the door to the room. Telling his brother that he would be right back Doug followed them out into the hallway.
"Sir, the blood on the shirt.." Doug started but was cut off before he could finish his question.
"It was your father's blood, Doug, which backs up your brother's story about John grabbing him by the collar," Mitch told him. Although he had no doubt as to whether or not Pacey was telling the truth giving the boy's past he was glad that they had some kind of solid evidence. That with Doug's testimony of past abuse would give credibility to Pacey's story when he told it to a judge. "Prepare you brother Doug, because as hard as I know it is going to be for the two of you, you're both are going to have to testify at your father's trial."
Doug nodded. He had expected that. He was prepared to do so. Giving all Pacey had been through lately though, Doug wasn't sure he could say the same for his brother.
"Hey Doug," Deputy Eriks, who was currently standing guard on Pacey's room, said as Mitch Barnes headed down the hallway. "A couple of Pacey's friends are down in the waiting area. They've been down there for the last few minutes."
Doug groaned. With everything that had been happening, it had totally slipped his mind to tell Dawson and Pacey's other friends about what was going on. They were probably worried to death.
"Thanks, I'll got talk to them," Doug told his co-worker and headed down the hall toward the waiting area.
