SCOUT

The days passed, slow and miserable. It was difficult to sleep though everyone was exhausted. Scout suffered with everything from headaches to cramps and an unexpected fever. Detox was miserable. Her parents escorted her to the bathroom, holding her hair as she hunched over a toilet sure she was losing her guts. Her mom helped her shower. Her dad made sure she ate. They never left. Despite insisting that she'd hated them, she loved them more than ever, because this was the most ugly and disrespectful she'd ever been and they'd stayed.

Today was her first day of therapy, and while she waited for her sign translator to arrive, her counselor was meeting with her parents who would be leaving her after. While she waited, Scout stared at her shoelaces until they blurred and fell away.

When had her obsession with hearing taken over her life? The second the Essence kicked in. Even now something yearned inside her, a beast that whispered, "You need it."

But did she? She had a life before. She'd been happy before. She sure as hell wasn't unhealthy, nor beaten down, her parents didn't look like zombies before- well not on her account, that had been on Alli.

Alli.

And now her.

Alli had never swung at their mom, and punched their dad. Scout closed her eyes in shame. She didn't even recognize herself in the mirror anymore. A battered stranger. Never again. Never. Hearing or not, that's not who she wanted to be.

There was that urge again. Hearing had been everything she dreamt it would be. Her discovered vocal talent a bonus. An ache throbbed in her chest. Sacrifices. Everybody made them. Her parents had. Being here couldn't be cheap and they weren't wealthy by any means. And the restaurant, needed her dad's magic touch. And the hurt, on his face, in her mother's eyes.

Her fingers curled into her palms. This wasn't her. This wasn't how she ended. She squared her shoulders, lifted her chin. Was this what the other mutants and hybrids addicted to Essence and the other synthetics were going through? Were they plummeting into darkness, many with no one to pull them out? Her jaw shifted. As soon as she was out of this place she was paying Tripp's a visit.

DENIM/MIKEY

Denim and Mikey sat across from the counselor. Detox was over, Scout was beginning therapy today and it was time for them to go.

The counselor, Pria Lance, had asked to talk to them first. Anything to help their daughter, Denim and Mikey took their seats willingly.

"Mr. and Mrs. Hamato," Pria flipped through Scout's file. "It's my understanding that Scout is an accomplished martial artist?"

"Yes," Denim and Mikey answered in unison.

Pria smiled. "That's good. A sport is an excellent quality for our patients. Here's the thing, we usually incorporate physical fitness into a patient's rehabilitation. It gives the individual a healthy outlet to focus their anger, keeps the mind busy, and releases hormones that naturally combat addiction. We practice yoga, mostly. Mornings and evenings. But, in addition to that, if your daughter's instructor would be willing, they could work with her daily and greatly help her progress."

"Ooh, ooh, me, pick me!" Mikey raised his hand enthusiastically.

The counselor frowned. "You're her trainer? At this point, we try to give our patients a chance to independently develop coping mechanisms."

Denim laid a hand on Mikey's shoulder, as though to quell his disappointment. "I think we should send Yuuta at first. He's been asking to visit her since she checked in, but didn't count as immediate family. Besides, you need to sleep and check in on the restaurant."

"Fine." He muttered dejectedly.

"We'll let you know when it's a good time for you to resume your role coaching her." The counselor added encouragingly.

SCOUT

Her translator arrived, introducing herself as Devon Carter. Scout thought the woman warm enough, with chipper brown eyes and messy blonde hair piled in a knot on her head. However, Scout shrugged when Devon introduced herself, her attention focused on the closed door to the counselor's office.

What were they talking about in there? What were they saying about her? Planning for her? She hated having so little say in her life. It was a foreign concept to her; her parents always having encouraged her to find her path by trying.

She sucked her bottom lip in, trapping it between her teeth. Something else was bothering her too. She owed her parents an apology. One she wanted to give, but a rebellious streak burst into her chest and she wanted to continue fighting them both at the same time. How dare them put her here. How dare they leave her. Because that's what they were getting ready to do.

She'd be alone in this strange place, where people planned her day for her, telling her what to do and when. She flipped through the schedule and restrictions they'd given her. No phone. No electronics. Visitors subject to search and not to bring personal items, and only to come at approved times. Even her reading material and television shows were pre-approved. This place was like prison.

She glanced at Devon, turning her shoulder a bit so the woman understood she didn't want to talk. Then the office door opened and Scout's heart began to race.

This was it. Her parents were leaving her. In a strange place. Tears rushed her eyes, her chest aching as her mom and dad walked out. How she wanted to scream and beg and demand that they not leave her. But her pride wouldn't let her do any of those things, not any more than it would let her apologize to them. She lifted her chin and crossed her arms, avoiding eye contact.

When her mom knelt down in front of her, Scout's breath quickened. Mommy please, please don't leave me here. Her jaw shifted, then she swallowed hard while pressing her lips tight. She wouldn't break. She wouldn't.

Denim lifted her fingers to Scouts hair, brushing a stray lock away from her eyes. Then she kissed her cheek and Scout's heart jerked. Her fingers dug into the sleeves of her skirt as she resisted the urge to plead.

Denim stepped back and Mikey scooped her up in a big bear hug, squeezing the wind out of her. He only set her down when she tapped his arm for air.

Eyes glistening, he signed and spoke. "This is it. They're packing us off. I thought I might sneak in some more time when they said your martial arts coach could continue to train you, but they shot that down. They're the experts and I guess they know best. Still seems major sucktastic though. But you're gonna get some quality time with Yuuta, so how awesome is that, am I right?"

He hesitated, looking miserable. "Not sure what I'm supposed to do without my Cubs. I mean, since you and Jem were born I can't even imagine life without you, and you know I've got a crazy-big imagination. How did I even live all those years before you? It's nuts."

He seemed to catch himself, as though realizing he'd gotten off track, and rubbed his head sheepishly. "Don't worry about me kiddo. Just focus on getting well. Until then, I'll just have to suck it up until they let me see you again." Eyes shimmering, he gave her another hug.

Scout blinked hard, resisting the urge to hug him back. Tears filled her eyes faster than she could contain them. I love you, Daddy. The words repeated again and again in her head. But she refused to speak them. She was angry, hurt and afraid, and he was leaving her. She swallowed again and again desperate to suppress the painful lump in her throat. With every word her dad spoke, he threatened to break her.

Her lip quivered when he at last released her, his weight shifting, as if he'd accepted she wouldn't relent. When he took his first step toward her mother, Scout almost caved. The conflict inside her was painful, soothe her dad, tell him she loved him and make him feel better, or be strong and let him know how bad he was hurting her leaving her in this terrible place.

Her mother placed a comforting hand on his arm. She kissed his shoulder reassuringly as they made their way down the hall. Scout's tears fell. The words fell silent from her lips as the door closed behind them. "Bye, Daddy, I love you."

Just minutes after her parents left, Devon tapped Scout on the shoulder then motioned to the counselor's now open door. Taking a deep breath Scout went in, taking a seat opposite the woman's desk.

Devon extended a hand to the woman then signed as she introduced herself as Scout's translator. Then she signed as the counselor introduced herself to Scout. "My name is Pria. It's nice to meet you."

Scout's gaze shifted back and forth between Devon and Pria as the counselor went on, but Scout didn't respond.

The woman seemed unfazed. "How are you feeling now that detox is behind you?"

Scout stared at her. She felt like she wanted to get the hell out of this place.

Pria smiled. "I bet you want to go home."

This woman was a genius. Scout leaned back in her chair and Pria leaned forward, placing her arms on her desk. "I'm going to let you in on a secret, Scout. The faster we start talking, the faster that you participate in the program, the faster you can get out of here and go home. And the more you don't, the longer you will be here."

Pria leaned back, picked up a pen and tapped it against Scout's file. "Your file says you're actually a really good kid. This behavior is unusual for you. I've met your parents, they love you very much. In fact, you're lucky. A lot of my patients' parents don't even come to visit, let alone sit vigil while their kid undergoes detox." Her head tipped to the side and Scout noticed a foundation line along her jaw. The woman was wearing too much make-up and her damn smile was unnerving.

Scout waited for the woman to say something else, but Pria seemed content to stare at her. Seconds passed before Pria asked, "So, tell me about your drug of choice."

"Why?" Scout asked.

Pria's over plucked eyebrows lifted and dropped. "Because it landed you here and I want to help you get home."

"Essence." Scout signed and Devon spoke. "I can hear when I take it, and I can sing like a star."

Pria straightened then jotted something down in her folder. "When the Essence wears off how do you feel? What do you think about?"

Scout's eyes narrowed. "Hearing again. Getting more Essence."

"That's the nature of addiction, Scout. That and getting sick like you did when it leaves your system." Pria wrote in her folder more and Scout felt her chin lower. She always thought drug addicts were people who had real problems, like something bad happened to them and they were running from something in the high. But Scout was running to something.

"My home life is good. My parents are married and love each other." Scout shrugged. "Except for not being able to hear my life is good."

Pria's pen moved even faster, then she set it down and looked at Scout, her expression unreadable. "What made you happy before you ever heard a single sound? Think back to before you had a taste of the impossible. You say you were happy. What made you feel that way, to a time when you were satisfied just being you?"

For some reason this summoned fresh tears to Scout's eyes. She didn't like crying in front of strangers and yet she felt safe at the same time, because they didn't know her and she didn't care what they thought. "I was always happy in the dojo, with my dad. He could always make me laugh, made me forget that I couldn't hear because he never treated me different." She smiled though tears slid down her cheeks. "It's hard to miss not hearing when you never have, and you're too busy trying to beat the best ninja you know." She shrugged. "I didn't want to be as good as him, I wanted to be better."

Pria was writing again. "Why is that?"

"Because he's the best person I know and-" she swallowed hard, looked away and signed. "And I wanted to make him proud. I thought he'd be proud that I could hear and talk and sing. But he sent me here instead." She swiped at the steady stream of tears. "He never even got to hear me and I never got to hear him."

Devon waved to get Scout's attention then signed Pria's response.

"Scout, when your parents found you," she glanced at the file, "twice it says they found you. You'd been beaten and were either coming down or had overdosed. No parent wants to see their child hurt. I'd wager to say, from what I know talking to them, that they don't know how to protect you anymore. Not from this. What I think we need to focus on right now is your life without hearing, what makes you happy, then how you're going to say no and cope when someone offers you Essence again. Because, trust me they will."