Ethan was doing chest compressions on Amie on the floor. Breathed into her mouth. It wasn't working and he felt panic rise. "Come on Amie don't do this to me please breathe!" He pleaded. Alice walked in.
"Amie!" she screamed.
She was beside her. Took over the chest compressions. Amie gasped weakly. Her pulse weak. The ambulance arrived. Lexi ran inside. Saw Amie on the floor. Panting softly.
"What happened?" she asked panic in her tone. Worry creased across her features.
"I'll tell you later!" Ethan whispered and glared at Daniel.
"Amie it's Lex. I'm gonna put this mask on you. It'll help you breathe. Your gonna be fine. I'll make you all better." Alice was by her side as Amie was rolled from the house on a stretcher.
Ethan stayed at home with Daniel.
"What the hell went on in here?" Ethan asked coldly.
"She threw something at me!" Daniel told him.
"You did that coz she threw something at you?" Ethan asked in complete disbelief.
"She wouldn't say sorry." Daniel tried to explain.
"So you choked her?" Ethan fumed.
"No, I grabbed her. She struggled so I held her tighter. I didn't mean to do that to her." Ethan had to say he sounded genuine. But that wasn't gonna cut it this time!
"Daniel you nearly killed her. You have gone too far this time!" he walked over to a phone and dialled a number.
(X)
Peter and Amy watched as the other Amie was wheeled out of the house on a stretcher. His heart almost stopped when he saw her pale. With a oxygen mask over her face. Alice looked ill. Her eyes never leaving her child. He saw Ethan talk on the phone for a little bit then he walked outside.
"Peter I'd appreciate if you could go down to your hut. This is a family thing you know."
Peter nodded. Worried sick about a child he didn't even know. "C'mon Amy."
"Is Amie ok daddy?"
"She will be honey." he assured her.
(X)
15 minutes later Ethan led some people in the house. He's in there. "Make sure you scare the hell outta him!" Ethan muttered.
They nodded. Put on serious faces.
They walked inside. "Daniel Trevanion." they asked coldly.
Daniel looked at them and nodded.
"We're arresting you for the offence of Actual bodily harm on Amie Trevanion." they picked him up and started to put cuffs on him.
"What?" his jaw dropped. "Where am I going?" he panicked.
"Jail of course! You can't do things like that and get away with it!" the other officer said.
"But…but…"
They led him outside in the car. Drove away. Alice was gonna be pissed at Ethan but something drastic had to be done. He'd nearly killed Amie and he needed the fear of God put into him! Ethan followed a little way behind.
Ethan walked into the prison. "Well?" he asked.
"We have someone talking to him at the moment." the officer replied.
Ethan nodded. An hour passed.
"We put him in the cells for half an hour. He's seen a real prisoner too. A mean looking prisoner!"
"think it'll work?" Ethan asked.
"Hasn't failed before. Not with the young ones anyway! He's a big lad Eth. He needs to learn to control himself. He's back in his cell. We'll get him for ya."
"Can I come?" Ethan asked.
He nodded and they walked to the cells.
"Let me in for 5. I wanna talk to him." Ethan said.
(X)
Ethan walked into Daniels cell. Daniel was sat on a bed with his arms wrapped around his legs. He looked up at Ethan as he walked in.
"Is Amie ok?" he whispered. "They wouldn't tell me." his voice wobbled.
"Dunno." Ethan said. Trying so hard not to go and hug Daniel. Hugging him wouldn't help him to control his temper. This had to be done Eth. Remember that!
"I really didn't mean to hurt her!"
"Daniel you're a big lad. Your like your dad coz he was big too. Amie is little, like your mum. Do you even realise how close you came to really hurting her, killing her?"
"I didn't mean it!" he repeated.
"It doesn't matter if you meant it or not. If you do it, it's done. Do you think the police care if you meant it. You still broke the law and have to be punished."
"I lost my temper." he said.
"So you throttled your baby sister who is half the size of you? Daniel I'm losing my temper now but you don't see me wrapping my arm around your neck do you?" he asked angrily.
A tear slid down Daniels cheek. "I am sorry!"
"Sometimes sorry doesn't cut it!" Ethan told him.
"I dunno how to control my temper."
Ethan had been waiting for an opening. He turned his face contemplative. "Are you willing to let me teach you how to control yourself better?"
He nodded.
"Are you gonna apologise to Amie and try to make it up to her?"
He nodded again.
"C'mon then."
"I haven't gotta stay here forever?" Daniel asked.
"No but they warned me that if you hurt any more of your family again they'll lock you up and throw away the key!"
Daniel paled and nodded.
They walked out and the police man looked fiercely at Daniel.
"Remember what I told you boy!" he said menacingly.
Daniel nodded vigorously.
"HOME!" Ethan said and then winked at the officers. They nodded and smiled.
(X)
Amie was home. Absolutely fine. If she experienced any blurred vision or nausea she was to go straight back. They had been more worried about the bump of her head than anything else.
"Ames you gonna tell mum what happened?"
Amie shook her head. Her usually bouncy happy talkative child was quiet withdrawn and still. They walked up the stairs on the veranda.
Ethan and Daniel appeared. Amie dived behind her mums legs and hid there.
"Amie?" Alice asked looking behind her.
She wrapped her arms around her mums legs tightly.
"Daniel has something to say." Ethan said. "Do it!" he told Daniel coldly.
"Amie?" Daniel said. Peeked around his mums legs at his baby sister. She ran from behind them. Ran to Ethan and put her arms out. He picked her up. She hid her head in his neck.
Daniel frowned.
"What do you expect Daniel? She's scared of you!" Ethan told him.
Alice looked between the 3 of them. "What happened?" Alice demanded.
"Tell your mother Daniel!" Ethan told him.
He looked at the floor. "Amie threw something at me and wouldn't say sorry so I…I put my arm around her neck."
"It was you?" Alice squeaked. "You did that to her?" Alice was shocked.
He nodded still looking at the floor.
Alice looked at Amie trying to burrow herself into Ethan's neck.
Anger built. "Get in that room right now! Not one sound! I'm warning you Daniel DO NOT PUSH ME!" her voice was tight and controlled.
Daniel walked into his room and closed the door quietly.
"You want mummy?" Ethan asked Amie softly.
He felt her nod against his neck.
He handed her over to her mum. She hugged her close.
"Did you see?" Alice asked.
"I was in the study. Heard them talking in the living room. Well couldn't hear them clearly. I was gonna go in there coz Daniel had been in a funny mood all morning. They weren't yelling so I left them and continued what I was doing. Suddenly Daniel was yelling at Amie. Telling her to say sorry. I walked in and saw her pale. Lifeless limp body. Her lips were blue. His arm still around her neck tightly. I was scared to death. I got him to release her and she fell to the ground. Not breathing."
Alice rubbed her daughters back.
"I don't know what to do with him Ethan. I mean I can't hit him. I'd never do that. But I'm so far outta my depth here. Taking his stuff away isn't gonna cut it this time!"
"I sorta half sorted it for you." he admitted. "Sorry."
"How?"
"I phoned a couple of school buddies. They're police officers."
"Oh Ethan you didn't you got the police to talk to him?" she asked.
"No I had him arrested. The works. Cuffs. Cell. Interview!" he stated simply.
Alice jaw dropped. "You had my 7 year old son arrested? He could be scarred for life. I want him punished but that was too far Ethan!" she hissed at him.
"No Alice I didn't. He needed to learn that he went too far! You're his mother and you love him but it's time for tough love. He could of killed her. She was limp in his arms and he still hadn't let go. She wasn't fighting anymore and he was still holding her tight. His face and eyes intense. He was completely focused on getting her to do what he wanted. Above all else. If I hadn't walked in when I did what would have happened? All I could get him to say was he didn't mean it. He needed to be taught that it doesn't matter if he meant it or not. When someone gets hurt you face up to the consequences. He's lucky she's still here!" Ethan said heatedly. Aware that Alice was still holding Amie.
"But the police!" Alice said angrily.
"Scared the life outta him. He knows he did wrong. Said he's gonna work with me on controlling his temper."
"I'm not happy. I'm the parent not you!"
"And you admitted you had no idea how to handle this!" he told her calmly.
"As a therapist you should have known the damage that would have done to him!" she told him angrily.
Ethan was losing it slowly. "And as a MOTHER you should have known the damage he could have done to her. What happens next time? If no one is there to stop him? Will it be Amie? Or when he's taller and more muscular and pushing you around? Don't bother going off on me when I did the right thing in the long run!"
"Go away Ethan. You shouldn't of done it. Simple as that!"
He shrugged and left her to fume. Alice took Amie in her bedroom.
"Mummy is Daniel gonna hit me again?" she asked in a small voice.
"No baby he won't." Alice vowed.
"How do you know?"
Alice had no answer for that. Amie took the quiet badly.
"I think I'll be really small and quiet and not bother him. Then he won't even notice me and won't wanna hurt me again." she told her mum.
"Amie you don't have to do that!" she said softly.
"What if he hits me again? I don't want his arms around my neck again. I was trying to tell him I was sorry but he held me really hard and I couldn't talk. I tried to get out but he held me harder and harder. My neck felt all tickly here." she pointed to her throat. "But on the inside. I saw black bits on my eyes too. Then it was really dark. I was really scared coz I couldn't breathe. I thought I was going to see daddy in heaven and that made me sad coz I wanted to stay with you!"
It was the last sentence that got Alice. Her 6 year old daughter talked so matter of factly about her brother with his arms around her neck. How she thought she was gonna die. To see that through a child's eyes was heart breaking!
"Amie I promise you that he will NEVER do that to you again. I PROMISE. Have I ever broke a promise yet?"
Amie shook her head.
"So you don't have to be small or quiet. You can be noisy and big ok! Mum is gonna talk to Daniel. Will you be ok?"
Amie nodded.
Alice walked into her sons room. He was sat on his bed doing nothing. She slammed the door. Crossed her arms. He looked so much like his dad at the moment.
"Do you understand what you did?" she asked coldly.
He didn't answer.
"You know what your little sister just said to me? Your 6 year old sister?" she fumed.
He shook his head.
"She thought she was going to see your dad!"
"But I…" Daniel started shocked.
"Dammit Daniel don't you dare say you didn't mean it!" she yelled. "She thought you were gonna kill her!"
Daniels face turned troubled.
"I have made exception after exception for you. I understand you have ADHD but no more Daniel. You hurt her again. Threaten her again and I will phone the police myself. She's afraid in her own home Daniel! That is not acceptable! If you step one foot out of this room you will be in deep trouble. ARE WE CLEAR?"
Daniel nodded. His mother had never lost her temper like that before. She walked from his room. Closed the door and exhaled a breath.
"C'mon Ames." she said.
Amie peeked from her room. Then ran and grabbed her mums hand.
"It's ok sweetie. He won't do anything."
Amie nodded and they walked down to the surgery.
A/N awwwww poor amie. and daniel learned his lesson. or did he? will he do it agen? keep reading 2 find out what he does next :O x