Chapter 6
It was just before eight when Adam, Victoria, Hannah and Clay were making their way home. Adam was going to drop the girls off at their house first before he would take Clay back home. Clay had spent the past couple of hours on the couch with Emma recovering from his seizure. He seemed to have more color back in his face and he was able to sit up without looking like he was going to pass right out. Adam was still worried about him and he would have rather to have Clay at his home for the night. He would have preferred to keep an eye on Clay and make sure he was ok. He didn't like that Ash didn't seem to have the medication that both Trent and Naima said that he should have. He didn't like that Ash didn't seem phased by any of this. Adam didn't care how many times Clay had a seizure, he would still have been there beside Clay to make sure he was ok. Yet Ash seemed indifferent to it. Adam wasn't liking this, not one bit. He was going to be using this opportunity to meet Clay's babysitter and see where Clay was living.
Once they pulled up to the house everyone said goodbye. Adam stayed where he was until he saw his wife and daughter get safely into the house before he turned around to look at Clay.
"Alright Kiddo, time to get you home. Do you know your address?" Adam wasn't sure exactly where Ash lived. If Clay didn't know it, then he could easily get it from the base.
"It's Saturday night, Saturday night I go to mommy's for the week." Clay simply said, not realising he had broken the rule about never talking about his mom.
"Wait, your mom is alive?" Adam asked shocked. Everyone had been told by the Upper Brass and Ash himself that he was a single father. That Clay's mother died when he was an infant.
"Yes. One week at Father's, one week at mommy's. I go from one spot to the next on Saturday night. This time it's mommy's turn."
"Ok, do you know her address?" Adam had so many questions right now, but he figured he could ask once they got on the road.
"1530 Sykes Ave." Clay easily said.
Adam's heart sank at hearing that Clay was living in Seatack. It was a very rough area of town with a huge crime rate. Almost four times the average number in the whole city, especially violent crimes. The area itself was covered in drug dealers, pimps, prostitutes, drug users, homeless, it was no place for a child to be raised. Adam made his way towards Sykes Ave as he spoke.
"Have you always lived with your mom and dad like this?"
"Since I remember."
"What does your mom do for work? Is she a teacher or does she work in a store?"
Adam wanted to learn everything he could about this woman who Ash has lied about being alive. That was something he couldn't understand. Why lie about her being dead? Yes, there were plenty of people who shouldn't be parents and Adam had known mothers who told their child that their father was dead because he was a terrible person. But you don't tell the world that someone is dead and then send your kid to live with them two weeks out of the month.
"Mommy sleeps a lot from her medicine. Then she sees my uncles in her room." Clay said with a small shrug.
"What kind of medicine does she take? Is it like your's or something different?" Adam asked, completely afraid of the answer.
"Sometimes it's a pill, but then sometimes so has to put it up her nose or inject it. Then sometimes she smokes it, that's kinda like my inhaler. I don't know what she is sick with, she just says she has lots of different medicines she has to take."
Adam rubbed his hand over his forehead, that wasn't medication, she was a drug addict and based on the different methods of taking the drugs, she was addicted to anything and everything. There was no telling what type of drugs Clay was constantly around.
"You said she spends time with your uncles in her room. Do you mean uncles like me and Uncle Jason or are they her brothers?"
"Mommy doesn't have any brothers. But she's not a part of a team either, so I don't know. Mommy just calls them my uncles. They come over and they stay in her bedroom and then they leave."
"Ok, does your tutor come over to teach you while you are at your mom's?"
"Tutor?" Clay asked confused.
"Ya, your tutor that your dad said you had. You're homeschooled, right?" Adam was very confused now. If Clay had a tutor then he should know what that word meant, even if he didn't, Adam highly doubted that Clay didn't know that word.
"I don't think I'm supposed to talk about this. Father wouldn't be happy if he found out. I'm not supposed to talk about Mommy. I forgot." Clay said, very worried now about Ash finding out.
"Ash won't know. I promise, it'll be our secret. You can tell me Kiddo." Adam knew it wasn't fair to make that promise, because depending on what he was told, he would have to tell someone. He would worry about that later though. For now, he needed to know what was going on so he knew how to help.
"Ms. Google teaches me." Clay stated after a moment.
"With your tablet, but what about a real person? Someone that comes over and teaches you how to read, how to write, they come with textbooks. What about someone like that?"
It was great that Clay knew how to use his Google assistant, but he needed a person as well. Clay could only look things up that interested him, but he didn't know everything. He didn't know that there were all these things out there in the world that he had never heard of before.
"What's a textbook?" Clay asked, confused and that answered Adam's question.
"It's a special book that holds all of this information in it. When you go to school you have different subjects that you learn from. Subjects like English, Math, History, Science, Geography. Each subject has a big book called a textbook and it teaches you everything you need to know in that grade level."
"Grade level?"
"Schools are divided up into grades. So kindergarten, which are four year olds, all the way up to grade eight where they tend to be thirteen year olds. That's grade school, then you have high school which are grade nine until grade twelve. When you graduate high school you should be eighteen. Then you can go to College or University, or a trade school where you learn how to fix cars, build houses, weld, plumbing, electricity, things like that. For you at your age and when your birthday is, you would be in grade one."
"Oh, I just have Ms. Google. Textbooks sound interesting, I bet there is a lot of fun information in them." Clay said, sounding very interested in textbooks and what he could learn from them.
"They have a lot of fun things in them, including all about dinosaurs. Have you ever been to a museum?"
"No, but I've seen them on my tablet. Father says we don't have any in the city."
"We have plenty of museums in the city. We can always go and check them out together."
"Really?" Clay asked, feeling completely awake now.
"Of course. Museums are a great way to learn. So you don't have a tutor then?"
"No." Clay simply said.
"What about your babysitter, do they ever teach you?" Adam was trying to get the full picture of what was going on in Clay's life.
"I don't have one of those."
"Well, probably not when you are at your mom's place, but what about your dad's when he's at work?"
"No, I take care of myself. That's how it's always been, at least that I remember. I'm very good at it."
"I'm sure you are Kiddo. But still, sometimes it's nice to have someone there with you. Someone that makes you dinner and you can play with. Someone that makes you feel safe."
None of this was what Adam had been expecting. It seemed like Clay was basically on his own no matter where he stayed. He was going to have to do something. He didn't know what, it wasn't like he could call Social Services on Ash. He was a brother, he couldn't go against the brotherhood like that. The thing was, he doubted talking to Ash would accomplish anything either. He was going to have to talk to Vic about it and see what she thought. He was going to have to tread carefully with this one, because he didn't want to go against the brotherhood and cause problems for Bravo. At the same time though, he couldn't leave a child in a bad situation either.
"Safe?" Clay asked, confused.
"Ya Buddy safe. Someone that you can go to when you are feeling scared. Someone you can go to when you don't feel well or are hurt." Adam said gently, as the pain increased in his chest.
"I have Ms. Google for that. She always distracts me if I'm scared or yucky feeling. I guess Ms. Google is my safe person."
The simplicity in Clay's tone is what did Adam in. To hear a child, a six year old, say that an AI was his safe person, that person he could rely on when he didn't feel well. It was heartbreaking. Clay truly had no idea what it felt like to be taken care of, to be loved, and treated like a child. Smart or not, Clay was a child and he deserved to have all of the comforts that a normal child had. Adam pulled out front of the building that Clay's mom lived at. It was rundown and looked like a strong gust of wind would knock it over. Before he even got out of the car he made the decision that Clay couldn't stay here tonight. He pulled out his phone and sent a quick text to Vic letting her know.
'Hi Babe, it's a long story but I'm going to be bringing Clay back with me tonight. It's not safe for him where he is. I'll explain more when we get back to the house.'
"Alright Kiddo, let's head inside." Adam wasn't going to let Clay stay here, but he needed to see how bad the situation was.
They both got out and Adam held onto Clay's hand as they headed inside. The elevator didn't work, not surprisingly, so Clay guided Adam up the stairs to the third floor. Within the stairwell Adam was able to see dirty needles all over the floor and cockroaches crawling all over the walls, the floor and the handrailing. The fact that Clay didn't even seem phased by it told Adam that he had been here for years. He was completely used to the level of decay all around him. When they arrived at Clay's mom's apartment, Clay opened the door and Adam was once again not impressed to discover the door handle was busted so it wouldn't lock. It wasn't safe for anyone, let alone a child.
Walking into the apartment Adam was instantly hit with the smell of drugs. It wasn't from pot, it was from the contraption in the kitchen, someone was making drugs here. Everywhere Adam looked it only got worse. There were empty liquor and beer bottles all over the place, garbage, old food stuck on plates and in bowls. There was white powder left on multiple surfaces, a few pills left on the coffee table. There were dirty needles and empty drug baggies all over the floor, on the counters. Adam could have sworn there was even piss and shit on the carpet.
"Clay, how long has that stuff been in the kitchen?" Adam asked.
"Six weeks, I think. Mommy said Uncle Dave could make their medicine here." Clay answered, before he called out. "Mommy?"
Six weeks, which meant that Clay had been breathing it in for three weeks. Adam thought that could be why his asthma and seizures had been getting worse. Before Adam could say anything to that a very old looking woman came out of what Adam assumed was the bedroom. The problem was, she wasn't that old, she just looked it. She was extremely thin, Adam could see her bones, her face was sunk in, her skin was pale, she had track marks all over her arms. She came out in nothing but some old black panties and a black bra.
"Well now, I didn't know we had company. And who might you be?" Clay's mom asked with what she figured was a sexy smile. She had no idea how ugly she truly was.
"He's Uncle Adam, he works with Father." Clay supplied, as he went and pulled out his tablet.
"Well then, tell me you have the money that bastard owes me for putting up with this one." Her sweet tone instantly dropped and before Adam stood a junky whore who considered her son a meal ticket.
"I don't have anything for you. And even if I did, I wouldn't give it to you. That money should be going to Clay and what he needs. It's not for you to shoot up with." Adam said with an edge to his voice. He couldn't stand bad parents. If you didn't want to be a parent then fine, there were other options than having a child and not taking proper care of them.
"If you ain't here to pay me, then you gotta go. The kid needs to spend some time with his Uncle Matt."
"No! I don't want to see him!" Clay instantly yelled, surprising Adam as he hadn't heard Clay yell or get upset like this before.
Clay's mom reached out and snatched Clay's tablet right out of his hands as she spoke. "Well too bad, he wants to see you. And you're gonna see him or I'll fucking smash this piece of shit tablet." She said with an edge to her voice.
"No! Don't!" Clay started to cry at just the mention of not being able to have his tablet.
This situation was getting way out of hand. Adam had no idea who Uncle Matt was, but Clay really didn't want to see him. Adam could also understand why Clay's tablet was so important to him. His Google assistant had become the only friend he had. The AI was essentially a parent to him. It's what he went to when he was scared or feeling lonely or sick. It was a comfort to have his tablet, a comfort he needed in order to not only function, but to feel safe.
"Stop, put the tablet down." Adam ordered.
Clay's mother just looked at him, apparently confused as to why he was still here. He was about to tell her to do it again when a set of footsteps stopped him. Adam turned out of reflex to see who had just walked into the apartment. He saw a man around his age and size coming into the apartment. He reeked of cigarette smoke and his clothes were old and worn. This man didn't have much money. Seeing the man though made Clay cry more and he brought his legs up to his chest. Adam was just about to ask who the hell he was when the man beat him to it.
"Who the fuck is this Kristy? I told you I was coming for the kid. You didn't say I would have to wait for someone else to finish with him. I want him first, not after someone's already fucked him. I'm paying you extra to take that sweet cherry."
Adam wasn't a man that got angry too often. He was calm, level-headed, he thought things through and kept his emotions in check. It was a skill he had mastered after running Bravo and then teaching a shitload of Green Team cadets. It took a lot for someone to make him truly pissed off. Hearing this man talk about having sex with Clay, Adam literally saw red. His entire field of vision became red, as if the rage in his chest had overtaken his entire body and all that was left was red. Before any logic could kick in, Adam was hauling back and punching Uncle Matt with every ounce of strength in his body. Uncle Matt went flying, but Adam didn't stop there. He grabbed the man and continued to punch him across the face. He could hear Clay's mom screaming, but that didn't stop him. This piece of shit was coming here to molest Clay and his mother was allowing it, taking money for it. Adam held Uncle Matt down against the kitchen counter as he pulled out the man's wallet. He looked at his driver's license and quickly memorized the name and address for later.
"Get the fuck out of here." Adam growled, as he threw Uncle Matt towards the door.
Adam didn't pay him any more attention as he ran for the door. He snatched Clay's tablet from his mother's hand and grabbed Clay's little red backpack. He put the tablet in it as his mother spoke.
"You had no right! He was paying me two hundred bucks. I needed that money."
"You're a piece of shit." Adam said with disgust.
He put Clay's backpack over his shoulder and turned to Clay. Clay was now rocking on the coffee table with his hands over his ears as he cried. Adam knew he needed to get Clay to calm down, but he didn't want to do that here. He couldn't do that here. He bent down and picked Clay up and placed him against his chest. Clay fussed more with being moved and touched by someone, but Adam held onto him.
"It's ok Clay, it's ok. It's just me Kiddo." Adam said, as he quickly made his way down the stairs so he could get Clay far away from this place as he could.
Once outside Adam went and opened his door and then sat down on his seat, but had his body facing outside with the door still open. It would give him enough room to hopefully get Clay calmed down so he would be able to be in his seat and they could drive. Adam rubbed his hand up and down Clay's back. He could feel him shaking and he knew if he wasn't holding onto him, Clay would be rocking.
"You're safe, it's ok. He's never gonna hurt you again, I promise Kiddo."
Clay whined and buried his face into Adam's chest. Adam used his right hand and opened Clay's backpack and took out his tablet. He turned it onto the show that Clay was in the middle of watching and played it. The spanish words flooded the truck and Adam was hoping it would calm Clay down. After a moment Clay turned his head towards the tablet and slowly Adam began to feel Clay calming down. His body slowly stopped shaking and his breathing returned to normal. Adam continued to hold onto Clay as he watched the show and after ten minutes Clay had finally calmed down enough that Adam felt confident he could get him into his seat properly.
"Hey Kiddo, I'm going to get you into your seat, but you can keep watching your tablet, ok?"
Clay just gave a small nod and Adam moved so he could get Clay situated. Once Clay was buckled into his seat he handed him his tablet.
"Can you give me your Dad's address Kiddo?"
Clay told Adam it as he kept his eyes on his tablet. Adam rubbed Clay's head and headed back into his own seat. He pulled his phone out and saw a text from Victoria.
'I'll have the guest bedroom made up for him. What is going on?'
Adam could tell she was worried, he couldn't blame her. Unfortunately, it was still going to be a long few hours before they reached the house. He had to take Clay to get his things from Ash's, but then he needed to take him to the hospital. He had to get looked at. He didn't want to have to do this, but he was going to have to have all of Clay's injuries documented and call Social Services. It was going to start a shitstorm, but it was the only thing that Adam could do. He couldn't pretend like this wasn't happening. He couldn't ignore it. He had to get Clay safe, that was all that mattered.
'It's a long story, I'll explain when we get there. It's gonna be a few hours though, I have to take Clay to the hospital to get checked out. Can you call Naima and let her know we are coming in and that Clay needs a female doctor please? I promise I'll explain when I get home.'
Adam knew Vic wasn't going to be happy with not getting the full story, but this wasn't something he could tell her over the phone. This conversation needed to happen face to face. Adam made the journey to Ash's place while Clay watched his shows. Having the tablet was something that Clay needed to keep with him. Adam would need to make sure that it was always charged and they had a charger for it. At least until Clay was better socialised and mentally healthy. Once they arrived at Ash's apartment building Adam got out and went to grab Clay.
"Ok Kiddo, we are going to head inside real quick here."
Clay gave a nod and he put his tablet into his backpack and got out of Adam's truck. Adam took his hand and they headed towards the entrance. Standing out front was a younger woman, within her twenties, wearing some older clothes. She didn't look like a prostitute, but she was clearly waiting for someone.
"Bout time." She said, as they approached.
"Excuse me?" Adam said, confused as to why she was talking to them.
"I've been waiting for him. I'm supposed to bring him upstairs for his old man."
"And who are you?" Adam asked, not trusting anyone that Ash was going to have around Clay.
"Sam. Look, I've been waiting forever and I don't get the second half of my money until I send him a photo of the kid inside his apartment. So, just hand him over and then we can be on our way." She said, as she scratched the inside of her arm.
Adam could tell that she was clearly a junky, but based on her appearance she wasn't that long into it. "He hired you to babysit his son?" Adam asked.
"No, he gave me a hundred and told me to wait until a man brought him. I was then to bring him upstairs, take a photo and send it to him. He would then pay me another hundred. That was it. No babysitting involved. Now, if you don't mind I would really like that extra hundred, so hand him over."
"How about you make an extra fifty? You go do what you were told to do, but you also keep quiet about me still being here. Deal?"
"Shit, deal." Sam easily agreed.
Adam knew she would be using the money to get more drugs, and that should have bothered him, but right now Clay mattered more. They all headed inside and up to Ash's apartment. Adam stood back as Clay walked in and Sam took the photo and sent it off. Once Adam checked to make sure she didn't say anything else to him, he handed her the fifty.
"Get out of here." Adam ordered.
Adam didn't need to tell Sam twice before she was taking off down the hallway. Adam just shook his head as he walked into the apartment. He could tell that Clay was confused by all of this and Adam couldn't blame him. This was out of his routine and from what Adam could tell, Clay liked having a set routine.
"Can you show me where your room is Kiddo?" Adam said, as he looked around.
Adam could see liquor and beer bottles all over the place. He took out his phone and took some photos as proof. Clay made his way down the hallway and stopped out front of a closet. Adam was shocked when Clay opened the door and went and sat down on the old blanket. Adam could see the single flat pillow in the closet and a small pile of clothes. It was this single moment that Adam knew he was doing the right thing. This moment where he knew that everyone on Bravo would have his back, everyone in DEVGRU.
"Is this where you sleep?" Adam asked, making sure to keep his voice calm and even. He didn't want Clay to think he was angry with him. He was pissed, but he didn't want Clay thinking it was directed towards him.
"Mhm, it looks just like the one at Mommy's."
"Ok, do you have another backpack or a bag that you could use to put your clothes in?"
Clay gave a nod before he spoke. "Why?"
"Because you are going to stay with me, Victoria and Hannah until Ash gets back." Adam said with a warm smile.
"Why?" Clay asked confused.
"So you don't have to be alone."
"I alway stay alone at Father's." Clay simply said and it was clear he was very confused about why it would be an issue now.
"Ya, but don't you want to come and stay with me?" Adam asked, as he bent down so he was eye level with Clay. "Vic, she has the guest room all set up for you. You could sleep on a big comfy bed. Have some breakfast in the morning, play outside. It could be a lot of fun."
Adam could see Clay thinking about it. He knew he could just order Clay to do it, but he didn't want Clay to feel like he didn't have a say in his life. So much had been taken from him, forced onto him, he didn't want to pile onto that. It was already going to be bad enough taking him to the hospital.
"Won't Father be mad?" Clay asked, softly.
"He doesn't have to know. It can be our secret."
Adam knew it was a secret that would explode once Bravo returned, but Clay didn't need to know that. He was only six years old, he deserved to be sheltered from the explosion that was heading their way. Adam would take it on and he would protect Clay from everything.
"Ok." Clay easily agreed.
"Alright, you get your clothes and things together that you want to bring to the house. I'll grab your medication Kiddo."
Clay gave a nod as Adam stood up. Adam made his way further down the hallway to take photos of the rest of the place. He noticed that Ash had a nice bedroom, the only bedroom in the place. He then went into the kitchen to find Clay's medication. He noticed that almost all of the kitchen cabinets had locks on them except for one. He opened it and saw peanut butter, frosted flakes, a couple of plates and two bowls in it. Adam took photos of everything, including the locked cupboards. He then opened the fridge and saw milk with Clay's name on it, but everything else was kept behind a clear plastic wall that was built into the fridge. Once again it had a lock on it so Clay couldn't get to the huge amount of food behind it. Adam took photos and did his best not to slam the door. It was no wonder that Clay was thin and only ate certain foods, he didn't have a chance to eat anything else. Adam grabbed his anti-seizure medication and he knew Clay already had his inhaler. He didn't see any refills for it so he would need to make sure he had some. It would be something he would talk to Naima and the doctor about at the hospital.
Adam turned to look as he heard Clay walking towards him. He saw that Clay had a small blue backpack with him along with his red one.
"That it? You don't have any books, toys, a favorite blanket?" Adam asked.
"I don't have books or toys, and I don't like my blanket. It's scratchy."
"There is nothing worse than a scratchy blanket, I completely agree. What about the toys that your Uncle Jason and the others gave you when we first met?"
"Father said I wasn't a good enough boy for them. He put them in the garbage."
"Well, that was very wrong of him. I know for a fact that you are a very good boy. Let's get out of here."
Adam took the bags from Clay and then took Clay's hand and they headed back out to his truck. Once he had Clay settled into his seat, he gave him his tablet back before he got in. Now came the hard part, getting Clay seen by a doctor. Adam figured he would start by getting Clay to the hospital and then explaining what would need to happen. He had no idea how Clay would handle this, but he was hoping if he had his tablet going it wouldn't be too bad. He also knew it was getting late and at some point Clay was going to need some sleep. He knew from Hannah that the more tired a child was the crankier they got. He had no idea what cranky would look like on Clay, but he could imagine given his uniqueness it could be pretty bad and hard to get him to co-operate.
Adam arrived at the hospital and quickly parked in the first spot he found. He then turned his truck off and got out. He opened Clay's door, but Clay was so immersed in his show, he didn't even realise that the truck had stopped. Adam couldn't help the warm smile that touched his face. He wondered what Clay saw when he looked at something, what his mind picked up that others didn't. There was no way he wasn't a gifted child, no six year old was this smart. Adam reached over and pressed the pause button and only then did Clay snap out of it.
"Where are we?" He asked, as he looked around.
"We are at the hospital where your Aunt Naima works. We just need to go in and see her, but you can bring your tablet with you."
"I don't like hospitals, they smell funny." Clay instantly complained.
"I know, that is the smell from the cleaners that they use. I know this is going to be hard, but we need to go in and see Aunt Naima. Can you do this for me please Kiddo? I promise, we will be in and out as fast as possible."
Clay gave a small whine but he gave a nod and that was good enough for Adam. Adam got Clay's seatbelt off and he picked him up.
"You hold onto your tablet and I'll hold onto you." Adam said with a warm smile.
Clay hugged his tablet and placed his head down on Adam's shoulder. He was getting tired with how late it was getting. He just wanted to be left alone so he could watch his show and sleep. Adam rubbed his hand up and down Clay's back as they headed for the front door of the emergency room where Naima would hopefully be meeting them.
"I know you're tired, we'll get this wrapped up as quickly as we can and then we'll head home so you can sleep."
Adam was relieved to see Naima standing there in the ER. He could also see that she was confused and worried about what was going on. Adam also knew she wouldn't be happy about having to stay quiet about this. She would not be happy at all with having to keep this a secret from Ray, but it was necessary. Ray would understand why this needed to be kept quiet until they returned from their mission.
"Hey Sweetie, are you feeling ok?" Naima asked, as she went over to them.
When Victoria had called her and said that Adam was on his way in with Clay she was instantly worried. She had no idea if maybe it was because Clay had a seizure or something happened with his asthma. Clay whined and turned more into Adam's shoulder.
"He doesn't like hospitals." Adam supplied by Naima's worried look.
"Oh, well that is very common around here. Why don't we go into the back so we can talk and see what is going on?" Naima said warmly to Clay.
Naima guided them into one of the private exam rooms within the ER. She had no idea what was going to happen, but she had asked Dr. Robbins to come in with them. She was a pediatrician and would be able to check Clay over should something be wrong. The second they walked into the room and the door closed, Clay started to fuse. It was very clear that he didn't want to be here and they couldn't blame him.
"Hi, I'm Dr. Robbins." The doctor said to Adam.
"Adam Seaver, I appreciate you coming down to see us."
"Not a problem. Can we get him down on the bed?" Dr. Robbins asked.
Adam had no idea if that was going to be possible really, but he was hoping to work up to it. "Kiddo, can I put you down on the bed?"
Clay whined. "No scratchy. It's bedtime, I always go to bed now."
"I know, you don't like the feel of the sheets, but what if I held you and you sat in my lap? I know it's been a very long day for you Kiddo, we just need to do this real quick and then I promise you can sleep. Can you do this for me please?"
Naima whispered to Dr. Robbins as Adam worked on getting Clay to sit down. "He's not diagnosed, but he's on the spectrum. Closer to the higher end of it, but we're gonna need to go slow."
Dr. Robbins gave an understanding nod as Adam moved the blanket off the bed so it was just the sheet before he sat down with Clay still curled up into him.
"You got some bruises there Buddy, do you think you could tell me how you got them?" Dr. Robbins asked, as she moved a bit closer, but didn't over crowd him.
"Seizure." Clay said softly.
Adam spoke before anyone else did. "Clay, did Ash tell you to say that? Did he say it was another rule, like keeping your mom quiet?"
Confusion instantly spread across Naima's face, but she knew better than to ask right now. She would be able to get the full story soon enough.
"I watch?" Clay asked, as he moved his tablet.
"Ya Kiddo you can watch it, but I also need you to answer the questions, ok?" Adam said gently.
Clay gave a small nod and he moved his tablet and started to watch his show. Adam spoke again. "Are your bruises another secret Kiddo?"
Clay gave a small nod and both Naima and Dr. Robbins were getting a better picture of why Clay was here. Naima knew she was not going to be happy at all with this tonight.
"Clay, I need you to tell me who gave you those bruises. Can you do that for me Kiddo?" Adam knew that they needed to hear the words from Clay. They couldn't speculate here. Clay needed to say a name.
"Our secret?"
"I can't promise that this time Kiddo. But what I can promise you is that whoever hurt you, will never get to do it again. I promise, I will keep you safe. In order for me to do that though, I need you to be honest and tell us the truth ok?"
Adam wasn't going to promise this time around, because it would be a promise he would have to break and that wasn't fair to Clay. He couldn't have Clay thinking he could trust him only to destroy that trust within hours. They were all quiet as they watched as Clay debated mentally on what he should do. He knew he wasn't supposed to tell anyone, but he also wasn't supposed to tell anyone about his mom and he did. Clay already knew that his dad was going to be mad at him, that he was going to be in a lot of trouble if he ever found out what Clay had talked about. Clay knew it was simple, he doesn't talk, but his mind wasn't willing to just accept that. There was a part of him that wanted to tell Adam what had happened. He wanted to not have to be scared and alone anymore. In the end, his need to not be scared won out.
"Father." Clay said, softly.
Adam looked up at Naima and Dr. Robbins and gave a nod to them. It was time for them to take over so it would be official and no one could say that he coached Clay into saying anything. Dr. Robbins stepped forward as she spoke.
"Clay, you said your father put those bruises on you, do you know why?"
Clay gave a small shrug before he spoke. "Father drinks, it makes him mad. I try to hide in my room, but if he's really mad he finds me."
"I took photos of the apartment." Adam said, as he pulled them up and handed the phone over to Dr. Robbins. Naima moved closer so she could see them. Dr. Robbins flipped through them and it was clear she was not happy about it. Naima shook her head at the state of the apartment. At what Clay was living in. She knew everyone on Bravo was going to be pissed. This was going to be a nightmare.
"Clay, what about your mom Sweetie?" Naima asked.
"Mommy takes her medication and sleeps a lot. She doesn't hurt me. She spends most of her time in her room with my uncles."
"There was medicine, lots of different medicine, all over the place. Some in pills and some in powder form all over. Places he could have touched. They were also making their own medicine in the kitchen." Adam said. Clay had no idea just what was truly going on in the apartment and Adam didn't want him exposed to that just yet. When he was older his mind would see it for what it truly was, but there was no need to introduce that to Clay right now.
"Ok. Clay, you said your mommy spends the day with your uncles in her room. Have any of those uncles made you feel uncomfortable?" Dr. Robbins asked gently. She was already making a mental list of the tests she would need to run on Clay.
Clay gave a small nod as he turned into Adam more. It was clear that something had happened.
"Clay, do you know the difference between a good touch and a bad touch?" Dr. Robbins asked, gently.
Clay looked over at her and shook his head.
"A good touch is something like a hug, or like what Uncle Adam is doing with you right now. It's a touch that doesn't make you feel uncomfortable. It feels nice. A bad touch is when someone touches you and you don't like it. It can be anywhere on your body. But there are also touches that are very bad, and those touches are when someone touches you in a no-no place. Do you know where your no-no places are?" Dr. Robbins began to explain. She had unfortunately gone through this conversation many times before. When Clay just shook his head, she continued. "A no-no place are your private parts, so your bum and your pee-pee. Only you are allowed to touch those places at your age. If someone else does it and they don't have your permission, that is a very bad touch. Has anyone ever touched you in one of your no-no places?"
Clay whined as he turned into Adam's chest. Adam wrapped his arms around Clay as he started to rock slightly.
"It's ok Kiddo. You're not in trouble, you didn't do anything wrong. Dr. Robbins just needs to know to make sure you are safe, that's all." Adam said, as he rubbed Clay's back.
"He's right Clay. You have done nothing wrong. No one here is going to be mad at you. We just need to know so we can make sure you are safe and it never happens again." Naima said this time. She knew it was going to be hard for Clay to admit to anything, but they needed him to say it outloud.
"I don't like it." Clay said softly after a moment.
"You don't like what Clay?" Dr. Robbins asked.
"Uncle Matt, I don't like it when he touches me. He's mean, he holds me down and makes me do things." Clay said with tears building in his eyes.
"That must have been very scary Clay. Did Uncle Matt touch you in your no-no places?" Dr. Robbins asked gently. Clay gave a nod and Dr. Robbins continued. "With just his hand or did he use his mouth or maybe his pee-pee?"
"Hand."
"Has Uncle Matt ever made you touch him in his no-no places?"
"His pee-pee. He makes me touch it and he puts it in my mouth and makes me drink his special juice. I don't like it. It tastes yucky and it hurts my throat and mouth. Mommy says I have to though. She said he pays good money and she needs it for her medicine. That if I don't she'll get sick and it'll be my fault." Clay said as the tears started to run down his cheeks.
Adam held him closer and did his best to comfort Clay. He knew this was going to be hard to hear, but he wasn't expecting it to cut through his heart like this. Clay was such a sweet little boy, he didn't deserve any of this and Adam was going to make sure he recovered from all of this. Clay was his son now, it was just that simple.
"I'm sorry that happened to you Clay. Did Uncle Matt ever put anything in your bum?" Dr. Robbins asked, she needed to know how far things went.
Clay shook his head and Adam spoke. "When I dropped him off at his mom's, Uncle Matt showed up and was pissed that I was there. He said he wanted to be Clay's first, that was why he was going to pay his mom so much. I think tonight it was supposed to happen."
"Jesus." Naima said under her breath. To think that they had just barely managed to stop Clay from being raped, it was too much. She wanted to wrap her arms around Clay and never let him go.
"Clay, how long has Uncle Matt been touching you?" Dr. Robbins asked.
"Um… after the beach I went back to Mommy's and he was there."
"So about three months now." Naima said, knowing that Dr. Robbins wouldn't know when Clay went to the beach.
"Did you tell your daddy about what Uncle Matt has done?" Dr. Robbins asked.
Clay gave a nod. "He said to do what Mommy tells me. That to get used to it for when he sends me to the work camp."
"Work camp?" Adam asked, confused.
"Father said I would be going to Africa soon to work in a work camp. Father said that I would get used to what Uncle Matt was doing and then I would make the people at the work camp happy."
Shock and anger flooded into the room. None of the adults could believe what they were hearing. To know that Clay's father, someone that was supposed to protect him, was aware that Clay was being molested and he told him to get used to it. That he was going to be handing him over to some work camp in a third world country.
"We're going to need to call DCFS." Dr. Robbins said.
"I know, but I'm hoping we could put a pause on that. I know it's not protocol, but he still has to go through what you need and it's already nearing after nine o'clock. He needs sleep. I promise, I will call first thing in the morning, by then he will have slept and his mind will have the chance to reset."
Adam was really hoping to give Clay a bit of a break. They still needed to get Clay through the tests and exam. They had a long way to go still and Adam knew Clay was not going to tolerate it very much. If they could push the social services part to tomorrow that would give him a chance at getting Clay rested first.
"Adam works with my husband and Bravo. He's a good man, he will make the call tomorrow." Naima supplied. She knew it would be going against regulations, but she also knew exceptions could be made.
"Alright. I'll have my report ready for them in the morning. Naima, I want blood work, check for everything. I also need to listen to Clay's lungs and see how his asthma is. I would also like to submit requisitions for a CT-Scan and chest x-rays for his asthma. We also need to document his bruises." Dr. Robbins said, getting down to business.
"He doesn't have a blue inhaler or a rescue treatment." Naima supplied.
"What? Who is his family doctor?" Dr. Robbins asked, shocked. Those two medications went hand in hand with seizures and asthma.
"I don't know." Adam answered.
"Do you have the orange inhaler?" Dr. Robbins asked.
"Ya." Adam said, as he grabbed Clay's red backpack and pulled out the inhaler. He handed it over to Dr. Robbins, who pulled out the cartridge to read the name.
"Dr. Collins, he's not a family physician or a pediatrician. He works at a free clinic in Seatack. He's overworked and a hack. Clay needs a pediatrician that he can see regularly. I'll prescribe the rescue treatment and the blue inhaler, but I will be including it into my report that he needs a pediatrician." Dr. Robbins said, as she handed the inhaler back.
"I'll work on getting him one tomorrow." Adam easily promised.
Adam knew he was going to have a very long list of things he would need to do within the next couple of days. He knew keeping Clay was not going to be as simple as telling Ash he was staying with him. They would have to go through court. They would have to deal with the police for Uncle Matt and Clay's mom, they would have Social Services involved. It was going to be a lot, but it was not only the right thing to do, it was the only thing to do. They spent the next couple of hours going through the painstaking process of getting Clay examined, having photos taken of his injuries and getting his blood taken. It was a lot for Clay and he was beyond done and exhausted. All of the adults were also shocked to see how thin Clay truly was. Adam and Naima knew he was thin, but they attributed that to him only wanting to eat certain foods. They had no idea he was this thin, he hadn't been when they were at the beach. Clay was malnourished and easily twenty-five pounds underweight for his age. They would need to work with Clay on getting him to eat not only more frequently, but also different foods. That was going to be an interesting adventure, but Adam was up for it.
It was nearing midnight by the time Adam pulled into his driveway. He turned off his truck and let out a small sigh. He was exhausted, but he knew he was going to have a very long conversation with his wife once he walked through the door. Adam looked into his rearview mirror and saw Clay sound asleep in his seat. He couldn't help the small smile that touched his lips. Clay was a really cute kid and he deserved so much better than the life he had been given. Adam was really hoping he could give Clay the life he deserved. Adam grabbed the few things he had in the truck before he got out and opened Clay's door. With practice eased, Adam was able to get Clay out of his seat and against his chest without waking Clay up. The second Adam walked through the door Victoria was up off the couch and coming towards them.
"I know, I'm sorry." Adam softly said.
He could tell that Victoria had been worried about Clay, once that worry wore off she was going to be pissed that he kept her in the dark for this long.
"The room is ready for him." Victoria whispered back.
Adam gave a nod and made his way up the stairs to the guest bedroom. Clay had gone to the bathroom before they left the hospital so he didn't have to worry about that. He pulled the covered back off the bed and gently placed Clay down on it. He then went to remove Clay's shoes and that was when Clay woke up.
"Where are we?" Clay said with a sleepy voice.
"We're at my house Kiddo. I'm just getting you into bed." Adam said, as he finished removing Clay's shoes.
"It's soft." Clay said, as he turned and sank into the bed.
"The bathroom is right across the hall and my room is right next door on the right. If you need anything or if you are scared, come and get me. I'm not going to be mad or upset, ok?"
"Ok." Clay said, as his eyes closed.
Adam covered Clay up with the comforter as he spoke. "Goodnight Kiddo."
Adam headed out and closed the door almost all of the way, but left it open enough so they could hear if Clay was ok or not. He made his way back down the stairs to find Victoria sitting down on the couch waiting for him. Adam went over and placed a kiss to her lips before he sat down.
"You owe me a lot more than a kiss." Victoria said, as she turned to face her husband.
"I know, I'm sorry. I didn't expect any of this to happen when I offered to drive Clay home." Adam said as he rubbed his hands over his tired face.
"What did happen?" Victoria asked with a great deal of patience.
"Turns out Clay's mom isn't dead like we've all been told by Ash."
"What? Where is she? Why would he lie?" Victoria instantly asked, cutting Adam off.
"I don't know why he's lying. He splits custody of Clay. One week with her, one week with him. When I asked Clay his address, he said he was supposed to be going to his mom's tonight for the week. She lives in Seatack, the apartment was disgusting. There were prostitutes all around the outside of it, pimps, drug dealers, homeless people, junkies, they were everywhere. The hallways had dirty needles in em, and cockroaches running all over the place. I knew he wasn't going to be staying there, there was no way I could let a child live there. I thought I would see what the inside looked like and then talk to Ash about it. There were drugs everywhere, all over places that Clay would have touched. She was even cooking some, the placed reeked of moldy food, there were piss stains on the floor. It was bad, it was really bad."
"Some people don't deserve to be parents. Do you think Ash knows it's that bad?" Victoria asked, pissed that Clay was put into that position.
Adam gave a huff to that. "Oh ya he knows. I wish the drugs were the worst part. We just got there when some guy named Uncle Matt shows up. Clay started to panic. Apparently he was there because he gave Clay's mother money so he could rape Clay. He had been molesting Clay for three months now and Ash knew about it. Clay told him and Ash just said he would get used to it. That it would come in handy when he sent Clay to a work camp in Africa."
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Victoria said with an edge to her voice. It wasn't often that she swore, but when she did you knew she was pissed off.
"He's not who we've all been led to believe he is. He's a snake in the grass and it's going to destroy Bravo. This has never happened before in DEVGRU." Adam said, worried about how all of this was going to play out.
"It's not your fault. Ash brought this upon himself. You couldn't leave Clay there, you had to bring him here. They will understand that you are just trying to keep him safe. What did the doctor find?"
"Naima met us there with Dr. Robbins, the pediatrician. I took Clay to Ash's first so he could grab his things. He didn't really have anything, just a few changes of clothes and his tablet. Ash threw out the few things we got him, said he wasn't good enough for toys and books. Ash had him sleeping in a closet in the hallway. There were literally a couple of old blankets on the floor with a very old and flat pillow. He had locks on all of the kitchen cupboards, except for one that had Frosted Flakes, peanut butter and some plates and bowls. The fridge even had a built in screen that had a lock on it so Clay could only get the milk and jam in the fridge. Ash made it so he couldn't eat anything but what he was allowed to eat. Dr. Robbins explained the difference between a good and a bad touch. Clay was scared to talk about it, but we got him to open up. He said it started three months ago and his mother was there, said he had to do what he was told, because Uncle Matt was paying good money. Uncle Matt would touch him, hold him down and make Clay touch him and forced him to have oral sex. Thankfully, he was never penetrated. That would have happened tonight if Bravo hadn't been spun up. He's malnourished and twenty-five pounds underweight. They took his blood, but we won't know until the morning if there were any traces of drugs in his system. He's covered in bruises, Ash has been beating him for years Clay said. Whenever he drinks he gets mean and he goes and hides in his room, but sometimes Ash finds him."
"That man deserves to be shot. What do we need to do for Clay? What's our next step?"
That was one of the reasons why he loved his wife so much. He didn't need to ask if it would be ok to take Clay in. He didn't need to try and explain himself why he wanted to do this. To her, Clay was a six year old boy that needed help. That needed someone to love him and protect him, he was family and it was just that simple to her.
"I got Dr. Robbins to agree to not calling Social Services, I said I would in the morning. I wanted Clay to get some sleep first. She was going to have a report ready for then. He doesn't actually have a family doctor, his prescription for his inhaler came from a doctor in a free clinic down in Seatack. We need to find him one, she put in orders for a CT-Scan and chest x-rays to see how his asthma is and if there was something missed for his seizures. She wrote a prescription for a blue inhaler that we give to Clay when he has an asthma attack and a rescue treatment to stop the seizures as they happen. That's all for now, Social Services will have their own list that we will need to complete if we are going to keep him."
"Well we're keeping him. He's family, we can't just let him go into some foster home. That poor boy has been through enough, he needs stability and he needs love. We'll do whatever it is that we need to do to ensure he stays with us. Bravo will stand behind you. Ash is their brother, but you were their brother long before he was and you are standing on the right side of this. They'll support you and Clay." Victoria said with complete confidence.
"I know, I just hate having to be the one that will have to blow their world up. It needs to be done though, I can't leave Clay in that environment. He needs to be protected from Ash and that is exactly what I am going to do. Thank-you for being understanding of that. Not many women would be happy to take in a little boy, especially one in Clay's situation." Adam said with pure love to his voice.
"He's a sweet boy. Will he have some bumps in the road, of course, but we will figure out the best way to help him through it. Now, we both need sleep before we have to be up in the morning. We'll need to get up at seven to start making the right calls to people and to explain to Hannah why Clay is here."
That was going to be a hard conversation, but one that would need to be had. Thankfully, it was something they could deal with tomorrow.
"You're right. Come on baby, let's get some sleep and then tomorrow, we'll face this storm together." Adam said with a loving smile.
"Just like we always have." Victoria easily agreed.
They both knew it was going to be a long and hard road until they got Clay completely free from Ash and his mother, but it was a road they were more than willing to go down. They just hoped that Bravo would handle it well.