Ch. 2: A sickness of the soul
"How're you feeling?"
It seemed like a dumb question all things considered. Still, he was at a loss. There was only so much that he could do. That wasn't a comfortable feeling for a man to have. He certainly didn't care for it.
She was in the bed with her head laid back on the pillow. Sweat beaded her face despite the chill outside, and even inside the hospital. Vic lolled her head in his direction.
"Swell."
The strained sarcasm in her voice brought a slight smile to her face. Walt reached out and placed his hand on her forehead. She was clammy. At his touch, her eyes closed and she exhaled a breath.
"Do you need anything?"
He hated feeling helpless.
Her eyes opened and found his. They were hazy, her eyes. Pain and a lack of the ability to get any real rest were taking a toll on her. She slowly shook her head from side to side.
"No."
His hand left her forehead and moved to her shoulder.
"You sure."
This time, she nodded and her eyes closed halfway.
"Yeah. Just…"
She licked her lips and swallowed.
"…stay with me."
He felt a pull in his chest. What else would he do?
Walt leaned down and pressed his mouth to the top of her head. Her hair was pulled back to keep it out of her face, a few strands having pulled loose. Along her hairline, the soft hair was damp and smelled faintly of her shampoo. The dampness wasn't from a shower, though. It was sweat.
He didn't care. He let his mouth linger there before he tipped his face so that his head touched her.
"Yep."
That was all he offered. He didn't want to risk her hearing a hitch in his voice.
The door opened and the nurse came in. The woman was young, but efficiently professional and empathetic. Walt straightened up as she came around to the foot of the bed and gave Vic a smile.
"How's it going? Is the pain better?"
Vic nodded.
"Yeah."
The nurse started to tug at the blanket and bedsheets.
"Let's check your progress."
Vic pulled her legs up and kept her head on the pillow. From Walt's own close contact, it smelled like bleach and industrial detergent. Harsh, but clean. When the nurse was visible again, she patted the covers back into place and her smile seemed even more genuine.
"I'm going to go ahead and call your doctor. It's almost time."
With that, she left the room and Vic's eyes moved to him again, a stark reality clearly hitting her.
"Oh shit."
xxx
Vic's coat was already draped over her arm when she entered the office after climbing the stairs. Cady and Cooper were both there, standing and wearing uneasy expressions. Vic tossed her coat over a chair and offered Cooper a smile still wondering if this was more a personal thing than anything else.
Neither of them seemed upset or mad, simply apprehensive.
"Hey."
He nodded in response.
"Vic."
Her eyes shifted to Cady, who was shifting her weight from one foot to the other.
"What's the emergency."
The two of them exchanged looks before Cady's eyes drifted to her office door, which was closed. Cady hesitated as though she wasn't sure where to start. Vic folded her arms over her chest and stood looking between them. Waiting. Something she really wasn't all that good at.
"Cady, you got me up here out of bed. What's going on?"
Cady considered her in a way that was reminiscent of Walt.
"You said I didn't wake you."
"You didn't."
Cady made a face after drawing her own conclusion. Vic flapped a hand in dismissal and gave her an almost kind of smile.
"Get your mind out of the gutter and tell me why you called me."
Cady nodded and took a deep breath.
"I was getting ready to leave earlier. Everyone else was already gone for the day. But we…"
She motioned at Cooper.
"…were planning to have dinner. I heard the door open and close downstairs and assumed it was Cooper. But…that was all I heard. No one said anything. I didn't hear anyone coming up the steps. So…I decided to go and see if there was someone there."
She paused before continuing.
…I went down the stairs and…"
Another pause.
"…there was a boy standing just inside the door."
Vic frowned, confused as to how this involved her.
"A boy?"
"Yes. A small boy. He was wearing a coat and a hat."
Vic was still clearly confused and she didn't make any attempts to try and hide it.
"Oh-kay."
Cady pressed on with her story.
"He's young. He can't be more than…five years old. And…he hasn't said anything. I've asked his name, his age, where he came from, where he lives. All he does is stare at me."
Vic studied her.
"Maybe he's lost and wandered in off the street. This time of the night, this door would be the only one around here that's unlocked."
Cady shook her head.
"That's just it. His skin was warm to the touch when I reached him. He couldn't have been walking around out there for any real amount of time. It's close to zero. It seems like someone may have set him inside and left. We went out and looked around…"
She gestured between herself and Cooper.
"…but there wasn't anyone out that we could find. No one who might have witnessed anything with this weather and at this hour."
Vic looked between them.
"You're thinking that he was abandoned? Just…left here?"
"That seems…likely."
Vic shook her head a bit, trying to clear her thoughts.
"Okay, but…how does that involve me. You should call social services."
"I did. Once we realized that he was alone and possibly abandoned. They told me they will send a social worker out tomorrow and asked if we could find safe housing for him for tonight. In the meantime. So…"
Cady's voice trailed off. The comment and the look on Cady's face hit her like a collision and pulled the entire conversation into sharp focus. Vic's eyes widened.
"And…you thought of me because…"
Cady offered a smile.
"Well, I knew I could call you. And…you and dad already have a young child. So…you guys are kind of already set up for one."
Vic stared.
"Cady…"
Cady tilted her head.
"Just for tonight, Vic."
She pushed out a breath of frustration.
"Why don't you just take him home with you?"
Cady's eyes shifted to Cooper, who looked at the floor. It didn't go unnoticed by Vic.
"I thought about that. We…thought about that. But…we're not married and I wasn't sure if that would cause a problem. Plus…we both need to work tomorrow. You and dad are flexible and you'll be home."
Vic waited, knowing that more was coming. She dipped her chin a little to encourage Cady to continue.
"And?"
Cady bit her lip.
"And…I sort of already gave social services your name. They…required it in order to approve his staying there temporarily. Since you're both former law enforcement with clean records…"
"You didn't."
"I did."
Vic inhaled, filling her lungs with air and letting it out slowly. Cady was nearly wincing, clearly expecting some strong reaction. Vic looked around the office.
"Where is he?"
"In my office. He was lying down on the couch. I'm not sure if he fell asleep."
Vic started for the door.
"Well…let's see him."
Cady led the way and opened her door. The lights were off with only a lamp on. Vic saw a small figure curled up on the couch. As soon as they crossed the threshold, he sat up with an apprehensive look on his face, pulling his legs up and wrapping his arms around them.
He was dressed in an older looking jacket with a thin hat on thin hat on his head. His jeans and sneakers were both worn out looking. The pants and jacket both looked like they might be too small for him.
"Hey."
Vic offered the greeting in a light voice. He didn't answer. She took a couple of tentative steps in his direction, but she could see the way that he seemed to pull even farther into himself and she stopped. Vic held up her hands slightly, her palms out.
"I'm not gonna hurt you."
She slowly advanced again. His eyes followed her. They were the same blue as a warm spring day in the high plains. His hair was the color of wheat and was cut unevenly, like maybe someone had tried to cut it themselves. He was small. Cady said no more than five, but he seemed younger to Vic. Not that she considered herself an expert.
Gingerly, Vic sat down on the couch beside him. She left enough room to ensure that he didn't feel crowded or cornered.
"Sweetheart, what's your name?"
Her question was met with silence. Cady stepped closer.
"He wouldn't talk to us either. I think he can hear. He's just not answering."
Vic turned her eyes back to the boy. Reaching up, she tapped herself on the chest, trying a different route.
"I'm Vic. That…"
She pointed.
"…is Cady and…Cooper. They're both Sheriffs. Do you know what a Sheriff is?"
She didn't really expect and answer, nor did she get one. She was just trying to be conversational and possibly put him a little more at ease.
"I have four brothers. Their names are Victor, Tony, Al, and…Michael. I have a little girl who is younger than you. Her name is Anna."
She would wager based on his expression that he understood what she was saying. She fell quiet and it was only broken by the sound of his breathing. Vic was about to try again when she heard a reply that was so low, she nearly missed it.
"Julian."
It was a whisper more than anything.
"Your name is Julian?"
Slowly, he nodded.
"I like that name. How old are you, Julian?"
No answer. Vic held up her hand with all of her fingers extended.
"Are you…five?"
Nothing. She took away two fingers.
"Are you three?"
Nothing.
Vic added a finger back, knowing she had to be close. That is, if he was going to respond. It was possible he wouldn't give her anything else to work with.
"Four?"
Something crossed his face and she caught it, a smile spreading across her features.
"You're four."
Again, a slow nod.
"Can you tell me how you got here?"
Nothing.
"Did someone drop you off?"
Nothing.
Vic tossed Cady a look and then looked back at the boy. His eyes seemed too old for such a young child. They were still fixed on her with the most solemn expression she had ever seen coming from someone so small.
The silence around them seemed deafening as she sat and they looked at each other. Her mind was running through a gauntlet of possibilities. She swallowed. Slowly, she stood up from the couch and her hand started to move behind her.
Cady stepped back.
"What are you doing?"
Vic faced Cady and Cooper as her fingers dipped into her back pocket and pulled her cell phone free.
"Calling Walt. I just can't show up with a four year old."
xxx
Walt rolled over onto his side and opened his eyes. He was met with two blue eyes staring at him from a sitting position over by the wall. The eyes were wide and there was something in them that registered as fear to Walt.
Vic said his name was Julian. He would have to take her word for it because the child hadn't said anything since arriving at the cabin the night before. To be fair, he was asleep when she pulled in and carefully took him out of her truck, his small body limp and his head resting on her shoulder.
Walt opened the door for her and Vic carried her arm load of four year old into the bedroom. She removed his coat and laid him carefully on the pallet of pillows and blankets that Walt made for him on the floor their bedroom after she called to let him know what was going on. They didn't have a spare bed. Walt briefly considered the couch, but didn't like the idea of Julian having access to the door while they were asleep. Also, he thought the boy might panic if he woke up in unfamiliar circumstances and didn't see anyone around him.
A young child certainly didn't need to be wandering around outside this far out of town. That was dangerous.
So, he settled on the bedroom. Collecting pillows, cushions, and blankets, Walt did his best to fashion a bed that would be comfortable and warm for the child. He wasn't sure what Julian had been through in the time leading up to his sudden appearance at the Sheriff's Department, but he was sleeping hard when Vic laid him down.
He seemed exhausted.
While Vic carefully slipped off his coat and arranged him on the bed with the same gentleness that she did when putting their own sleeping child to bed, Walt tugged off his shoes. He held one up for Vic to see and spoke to her in a low voice.
"His shoes are too small."
Her eyes met his and held there momentarily before she turned her attention back to the task at hand. Once she seemed satisfied, she stood up and motioned for him to follow her into the living room, where she still kept her voice at a lower volume than normal.
"I'm sorry about all this."
Walt shook his head and dismissed the unneeded apology. She gave him a brief explanation over the phone, including the fact that it was Cady who volunteered them for this particular duty. It wasn't the first time he offered up the cabin as a brief sanctuary for someone who needed it. It was something he gave to Vic once upon a time. A time that felt like several lifetimes ago.
This was the first time it was a child. That seemed to make the decision easier. Walt never was one to turn his back on someone who genuinely needed help. He wasn't going to start now, not under these circumstances.
"Don't worry about it."
She shook her head and looked off to the side.
"Who in the hell just drops a kid off like that and leaves?"
He could hear the emotion in her words.
Walt dipped his face.
"We don't know the circumstances. Maybe it was for his safety."
She huffed, not accepting that scenario outright. It was a gut reaction. He knew that. Such things could be hard to fathom.
"How safe would he have been if he had wandered outside before Cady found him? There was no one around, Walt. He could have fucking frozen to death."
Her voice was low, but harsh. Closing her eyes, she looked away again. Walt felt what she was feeling. This wasn't the kind of situation they had to deal with anymore. Not really. He reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder.
"Let's go to bed."
Now, Julian was awake and staring at him from his pallet. Walt sat up and scrubbed his hand over his face, noting how the big eyes stayed on him. Letting his hands fall away, he offered a smile and hoped the child could see that he meant no harm.
"Hey."
There was no reply. Not that he expected one.
A quick glance to his side told him Vic was already up. Walt pushed off the covers and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He was dressed in pajama pants and a t-shirt with the child in the room. As he stood up slowly, the boy seemed to shrink into the wall. The seriousness in his face gave way to another emotion that Walt recognized.
Fear.
"It's okay."
He held up his hands, but it didn't seem to make any difference.
Vic must have heard him talking and came through the door. When her eyes landed on them, she stopped and her forehead creased with concern.
"What's wrong?"
Walt's eyes moved back to Julian.
"He's afraid of me."
Vic turned to look at Julian and held out her hand.
"C'mere."
She kept her voice low and light.
For a moment, Julian stayed where he was. Twice, he looked from Vic to Walt, then back to Vic. Finally, he moved towards her. Slowly and with his eyes on Walt. His small hand found Vic's and gripped. She gestured at Walt.
"This is Walt. He won't hurt you."
Giving his hand a light tug, she moved towards the door.
"Come on."
He went with her, seemingly relieved to be away. Walt changed quickly and found Vic in the kitchen with Anna in her highchair and Julian sitting at the table. Vic was slicing up a banana for Anna, spreading it across the tray and then turning her attention to Julian.
"You hungry?"
He stared at her. Vic walked to the refrigerator.
"Do you like milk?"
She held up the milk carton. His eyes followed her movements. Vic pulled a cup from the cabinets and half filled it with milk. When she offered it to him, he took it and downed the milk in a series of gulps without stopping for a breath.
Vic pressed her lips together and her eyes flicked to his briefly.
"You want some more?"
He held the cup up and Vic refilled it. Again, he drank the milk completely and quickly. Vic put the milk away and focused her attention on the young boy.
"What do you like to eat?"
No answer.
"Eggs? Oatmeal?"
No response.
"Cereal?"
Silence.
"Pancakes?"
He smiled and Vic smiled.
"Pancakes, huh? I like pancakes, too."
Walt came over and offered the boy a smile.
"I'll make you some pancakes."
The smile faded from the small face, but Walt busied himself with making breakfast for them. Vic pulled a banana from the bunch that sat on the counter and held it up.
"Do you like bananas?"
He extended his small hand. Vic peeled it and passed it to him. He ate the piece of fruit in four bites. She shook her head and walked his way. When she reached him, she spoke in a low voice.
"He needs to see a doctor."
Walt nodded as he mixed the ingredients for pancake batter.
"Yes, he does."
Vic reached around to pull her phone from her pocket.
"Any idea when the social worker is supposed to be here?"
Vic shook her head as she scrolled her phone.
"No. Cady said she'll call me when she knows. If I can get him in this morning to see the pediatrician, I'll have them send whatever they find over so that it can be on file."
She wandered out of the kitchen and Walt could hear the low tone of her voice. Julian sat unmoving, watching him as he started to measure out batter into a pan and wait to flip it. Walt smiled at him and turned his focus back to breakfast.
By the time Vic returned, he was working on the last few flips. Vic breathed out a sigh.
"They can see him this morning."
Walt passed her a plate and she started to fork pancakes onto it. She set it on the table and held up a bottle for Julian to see.
"Syrup?"
He nodded and she added the sugary liquid before pushing the plate to him. As she started on her own plate, both of their attention was pulled back as the boy started to eat in a fashion that Walt could only describe as automatic.
Something in the way he was feeding himself disturbed Walt on a level he couldn't quite name. One look at Vic told him she was feeling the same thing. They were all seated and eating when there was a quick knock on the door, followed by Eli walking in the way that he normally did when he arrived for work.
Once in the kitchen, he paused and his eyes landed on Julian.
"You guys babysitting?"
Walt leaned back in his chair.
"He was left at the Sheriff's Department last night. He's staying here temporarily."
The young man took in the younger boy. Vic spoke up.
"Until social services can find a placement for him."
Eli's face darkened noticeably, his past with absent parents clearly on his mind. It was one of the reasons Henry asked Walt to hire the young man. He lived on the Rez with his grandmother and she did her best. Henry was doing his best to keep the teen out of trouble once he finished high school.
"Social services."
He was looking at Vic.
"Yeah."
"You should just keep him."
She sighed.
"He's not a puppy, Eli"
He shrugged and looked at Walt.
"Want me to get started?"
"Yep."
He nodded and his eyes returned to child still eating his food without pause.
"You should keep him."
He repeated the comment. Walt met the teen's eyes.
"He's someone's child and we don't know the whole story. Vic's right. He's not a puppy."
Eli shook his head again and his gray eyes dropped.
"Tell that to my parents."
Saying nothing more, he left the kitchen.
xxx
"Good morning, Vic."
Vic was seat in the exam room at the pediatrician's office. She could tell that Julian was nervous. That much was clear based on his expression and the way he was pulled into himself. She wasn't sure if it was the hospital environment since the office was located in Durant Regional, or if it was just that he was somewhere unfamiliar. The pediatrician, an older woman in her sixties with short dark hair and eyes to match, came in carrying her laptop as always.
"Dr. Sheehan."
The doctor looked over at Julian and offered him a gentle smile.
"You must be Julian."
He stared at her. Vic spoke up.
"He doesn't talk very much."
The doctor nodded.
"Understandable. Does he seem to be able to understand what you say? We could be dealing with some hearing loss. Possibly developmental issues."
"He can hear well enough to respond to some questions. Right now, all we have is a name and age."
The doctor nodded and started typing. She looked at Vic over a pair of thin rimmed glasses.
"Can you tell me anything you've noticed about him that might be pertinent."
Vic glanced his way.
"He eats like…he's really hungry. He drinks the same way. Anything that we have offered him, he inhales it."
More typing. Vic shifted in her seat.
"His clothes are too small. I guess you can see that for yourself. I'm not an expert, but he seems small for his age."
She paused and Dr. Sheehan lifted her dark eyes.
"Something else?"
"Um…he's afraid of Walt."
The doctor looked up again before returning her eyes to her computer screen. After a moment, she stood up and knelt in front of the boy.
"Julian, can you come over and sit on my table? I just want to look you over and make sure that you're okay."
He looked at her.
Vic stood up and held out her hand.
"Come on."
Hesitating, he took her hand and allowed her to lead him over and lift him onto the table. Stepping aside, she watched as the doctor carefully started to give him an exam. She talked to the boy in low tones as she went in an obvious effort not to frighten him. Vic folded her arms over her chest and watched the scene play out.
Julian was apprehensive, but tolerant.
She noticed that he was almost always obedient in a way that bordered on mechanical. Everything the doctor asked him to do, he did with halting motions, processing as he went. Every so often, the doctor would pause and enter something into her computer.
Finally, she stood up and gave Vic a look.
"We'll need blood work and we'll check his hearing and eyes. Do you mind if the nurse takes him while we talk?"
Vic shook her head.
"Not if he'll go."
A young woman came in wearing scrubs and offered Julian a smile.
"Hey, buddy. My name is Marie. You want to come with me and let us check on some things?"
The question was followed by the silence that Vic expected.
"We've got some lollipops."
She extended her hand and it hovered. His blue eyes shifted to Vic. She gave him the best smile she could muster and nodded.
"Go."
Slowly, he took the offered hand and allowed himself to be taken out of the room. The doctor watched him go.
"He trusts you."
Vic turned away from the door.
"You think so?"
"Yes, I do. He seems to look to you for some form of reassurance."
"Maybe because I fed him."
The doctor shook her head.
"If that were the case, he would also trust Walt. What are your thoughts on that?"
Vic sighed.
"In my experience…I would guess that he's been abused somehow by a man. Or, he's witnessed abuse by a man. Maybe his mother was beaten by his father…or a boyfriend. I've seen that on domestic violence calls before."
"That would be my assumption as well. Walt is a big man. I can see where he would be intimidating to someone who was already distrustful of men in general."
"Yeah."
The doctor consulted her laptop.
"He is a little on the small size for his age. That could be genetic. Since I have no history, I can't say. Or, it could be a result of poor nutrition. He's malnourished."
"Malnourished?"
"Yes."
Vic looked away, emotion pushing up into the back of his throat.
"God. You don't think about that happening here."
The doctor gave her a somber look.
"I know. It's a hard thing to think about. But, he needs to be on a good steady diet. I suspect he may be anemic. Probably due to his diet, or lack thereof. I'll write you a prescription for an iron supplement. Also, a good multivitamin certainly won't hurt. He needs to be somewhere he can rest and play outside. I know that sounds trivial, but some sunshine and exercise goes a long way when it comes to kids. He needs a good, nutritious diet where he's getting plenty of protein, fruits, and vegetables. Milk and water to drink mostly. Some juice is okay, too. These are the things that come naturally to you and I, but we have no idea what kind of an environment he's been raised in up to this point."
Vic nodded as the doctor spoke.
"What do you make of his not talking?"
The doctor leaned back on her stool.
"He certainly seems to hear okay. He can follow basic instructions. It's entirely possible there's some developmental delay. Or, it could simply be from trauma. How long is he staying with you?"
Vic hesitated.
"Um…a social worker is supposed to be coming today. Can you send all of this to Cady at the Sheriff's office?"
The doctor smiled.
"Of course."
Her smile faded a bit.
"There is no way to know what this child has been through or seen unless he tells us. Clearly, he needs help. If they can put him in a foster home with people who really understand his needs, there's no reason for him not to thrive that I can see. He seems physically okay, unless something shows up in the blood work. I'm not anticipating any surprises. But, we'll have a better picture once all that is done."
"I keep asking myself how this happens even though I know it does."
Vic felt a sadness working its way up into her stomach. This was part of her old job that she never missed. Seeing other people in pain. Especially a pain that could be avoided. The doctor gave her a knowing look.
"I ask myself that frequently in my line of work. It never gets any easier to see children in lives they have no control over. But, the truth is, whoever did this might have done him a favor. He can get the help he needs now. He has a chance and he's young enough that he might not remember it all later on."
The door opened and Julian walked in with the same young nurse. He crossed the floor and stood by Vic, his eyes looking at her almost imploringly. She gave the doctor a final look before she stood up and took his hand.
xxx
The office felt strange to him now.
That was odd for a place where he once spent so much of his time. A good portion of his life was contained within these walls, both before and after he decided to run for Sheriff. Even after his retirement, with Vic still employed, he was in and out a good bit for a variety of reasons. To see her or Cady, to help with cases when asked.
He didn't come as much anymore. With neither Vic nor himself working here, there was no reason to. He did come to meet Cady for lunch, to see Ruby and Ferg. But, he didn't linger during those times. He couldn't say why. He didn't really feel like a stranger here. He also didn't feel like he belonged here. It was an odd sort of limbo that he only thought about when it occurred.
It was a bit disorienting to feel like a guest here.
Right in the moment, that was a little how he felt.
He was a bystander, a witness of sorts.
Vic called him and told him the social worker was hoping to speak to both of them. He left Eli with the early afternoon work and drove into town. Parking on the street, he was a little surprised to find that he beat Vic.
Although, it wound up being only by a few minutes.
Cady smiled at him and introduced the social worker as Elaine Arthur. She was an older woman. Older than him by a few years, maybe trying to get in her time so that she could retire. She reminded him of an old fashioned school teacher with her graying hair that was pulled up in a tight bun and the extremely proper looking dress that she wore.
When he shook her hand, he could see her sizing him up. Of course, he was doing the same. She gave him a polite smile and he had an instantaneous thought that Vic wouldn't like her. He wasn't sure what even brought that into his mind, but it was there all the same.
Elaine Arthur was all business.
She probably wouldn't like Vic either.
It was in that instant that Vic came through the door with all the energy that she normally brought. She simply wasn't a quiet person. She was ushering Julian along with her. Walt noticed almost immediately that the child was wearing a different coat along with new looking shoes and clothes.
That would explain her tardiness. She was getting him clothes that fit.
Walt nearly smiled at the thought. For all Vic's brashness and her in your face attitude, she was also a deeply compassionate person. He saw it many times when she worked for him. The better he got to know her, the more obvious it was.
She gave Cady a smile.
"Sorry, I'm late."
Cady gestured at Elaine.
"No problem, we were just discussing our young friend here. Vic, this is Elaine Arthur, the social worker."
Elaine extended her hand and Vic took it. Her eyes took the woman in.
"Nice to meet you."
"You, too."
Cady motioned at her office.
"Let's go in. Ruby…can you watch Julian?"
Ruby, who had already relieved him of Anna, smiled in that grandmotherly way that she was so good at.
"Of course."
That taken care of, the four of them walked into Cady's office where she closed the door. Cady took a seat behind her desk and Elaine lowered herself into a guest chair. Walt opted to lean on the wall and watch. Vic took a seat in another guest chair and settled into it in a most familiar posture.
"I was just telling Elaine how Julian came to be here."
Elaine pulled a notepad from her slender shoulder bag along with a pen. Walt noticed that the page was already three quarters full of notes. She turned her attention to Vic.
"So…the boy stayed with you and your husband?"
The question was directed at Vic, who nodded.
"Yes. Cady called me last night and asked if he could stay with us. She said she cleared it with someone from your office."
"Right. Mrs. Longmire…"
Vic cut in.
"Moretti."
Elaine glanced up.
"Excuse me?"
"My last name is Moretti."
Elaine looked between them.
"And your husband's last name is Longmire?"
"Yes."
Elaine scribbled something.
"Is Vic your legal name?"
"Victoria."
More scribbling ensued. Finally, she looked back up.
"How does the boy seem to you?"
Something crossed Vic's face, but she answered in a civil enough tone.
"Um…he doesn't talk. He seems…very hungry. He's…"
Her eyes moved to him.
"…afraid of my husband."
Elaine glanced at Cady.
"Did you also note the fear of men?"
"Yes, he didn't seem comfortable around my boyfriend either. I didn't think much of it at the time. He does appear to be more open to women."
Elaine turned her attention back to Vic.
"Anything else?"
"I took him to the doctor this morning and she said he's small for his size and malnourished."
"You took him to the doctor?"
"Yeah."
"We could have taken care of that."
"You weren't here and I wanted to make sure there wasn't anything that needed immediate attention."
"Do you have those files?"
"The doctor is sending them over when all the labs are done."
"Labs? You don't have legal authorization to seek medical care for this boy."
Vic's eyes narrowed and she sat up.
"Sue me."
"That won't be necessary, but we do have protocols in place."
The look on Vic's face told her exactly what she could do with her protocols.
"Good for you."
The comment came out more under her breath than anything. He could tell that Elaine heard it, but she chose to ignore the remark.
"So, we haven't found an in home placement for the boy…"
"Julian."
Vic broke in. Elaine looked her way.
"Pardon?"
"You keep calling him…the boy. His name is Julian."
The two women stared at each other for a moment before Elaine turned her attention back to Cady.
"We haven't found a foster placement for Julian…"
She strong emphasized his name.
"…just yet. We do have a group home who is willing…"
"A group home?"
The irritation was clear on Elaine's face at Vic's continued interruptions. She took a breath.
"Yes. A group home. They don't normally take children under six, but they say they can keep him isolated for a few days while we try and…"
"Isolated."
Elaine sighed heavily, her patience eroding rapidly.
"For his own safety."
Vic shook her head.
"He doesn't need to be isolated. He needs to be with people who can help him come out of his shell and work through whatever it is that has him…"
She gestured.
"…where he is."
Another sigh escaped the social worker.
"I don't disagree with you. In a perfect world, I would have the perfect placement for each child that I am responsible for. Unfortunately, we live in a deeply flawed world where the need exceeds the availability. Many of the foster homes that we do have are already out of space. And…not everyone is willing to take every child. A child such as Julian, who may have some special needs, can be more difficult to place."
"So, you don't have any idea how long he'll be in this group home?"
"No, we will do our best to find him a placement. But, there aren't any guarantees in my line of work."
Vic sighed.
"Putting him in that kind of environment is only gonna make him pull further into himself."
"Ms. Moretti…I realize that the system is flawed, but I didn't create it."
Vic cocked her head.
"Yeah, but do you try and change it?"
"Excuse me."
Walt wondered what Vic's record for how fast she could push people really was.
"Do you just accept that the system is flawed, or do you work to make it better? It's a simple question."
"Are you questioning my work ethic?"
"No, I'm questioning your humanity."
It was then that Cady chose to intervene.
"We all…"
She stood up and drew all eyes to herself.
"…want what's best for Julian. Since…the police investigation will center on Durant and Absaroka County for the time being…what if he just stays here."
"Here?"
Elaine looked around.
"At the Sheriff's Department?"
Cady shook her head.
"No, of course not. What if he stays where he is…"
She pointed.
"…with my dad and Vic. It's a safe, quiet place."
"They are not approved foster parents."
Cady dismissed the claim.
"We got emergency approval from your office last night. Surely, you can call and have that extended. I'm sure they won't object to back ground checks or anything like that."
"Cady."
It was Vic. Cady looked her way.
"I'm trying to come up with a solution that works."
Elaine shook her head.
"We have protocols…"
This time it was Cady who cut in.
"I appreciate that. Realistically though, sometimes, you have to go around protocol in order to do the right thing. I'm sure we've all been there."
Walt doubted that. Elaine Arthur seemed like a woman who walked the line all the way and refused to cross it. An orderly person who appreciated the boundaries and safety that rules and protocols offered her.
It would be natural that she and Vic would clash.
Vic was the polar opposite. She was a rule bender and a pusher of the envelope. She was frequently driven more by her desire to do what she felt was right more than anything else. It was that side of her that currently landed her in hot water at more than one point in her life. From Philadelphia all the way to this moment in time.
He could see Elaine waffling.
"I just don't know. There are things that we would need to go over. I would need to call and get authorization for…"
"Make your calls. We'll do it."
Every eye in the room turned his way.