Disclaimer: I don't own these characters (except Ben and his mom) so don't sue me.
Previously: Dave had a child abuse case come in, he's thinking of adopting the kid, the mother takes Ben from children custody...and now...chapter 3...
"There's no way in hell his mother could have taken him, she was arrested and she's the own you're supposed to be protecting Ben from!" Dave raged.
"Sir, please calm down, I'm only the desk clerk." she replied, visibly frightened.
Dave looked around for some sort of sign that Ben was still here and it was all just a mistake. He looked down the hall and saw Renee.
"Renee!" He shouted down the hall, trying to catch up with her.
"Dave? What can I help you with?" Renee replied in a coy-dumb-little-blonde-voice.
"Ben's gone! Desk clerk said his mother took him home! How could you let this happen?"
"Ben retracted all of his statements of child abuse. The mother also took a polygraph and she passed with flying colors. Dr. Malucci, she isn't abusing her son."
"How the hell do you know? Were you with him 24/7? Polygraphs aren't 100% accurate!"
Thoughts raced through his mind at 100 mph, how could this happen? Ben was being abused and now he's with his abuser? I thought the system was supposed to protect him! Dave though to himself. In fear of beating the hell out of Renee and everyone else who was now staring at him, he went back to the ER lounge to pick up his stuff since his shift was now over. But before he went home, Dave decided to do a little research on Ben. Once in records, he found Ben's chart.
"...January 14, multiple bruises on back, broken arm...February 1st, 4 cm laceration above eyebrow..." Dave mumbled to himself.
The dates went on and on, how could no one have seen this? Slamming the folder shut, he took the file under his black leather coat. If the system wasn't going to work for Ben, he was. Flagging a taxi down by the ambulance bay, he went to Ben's apartment.
"Wait for me, okay?" Dave asked the taxi driver, slipping him $20.
After what felt like a mile of staircase, he was finally at apartment 5C. After hesitation, Dave finally knocked on the door. Light footsteps were heard, which he assumed to be Ben's. Then, the squeaky wooden door opened and Ben peered out from a small crack.
"Dave!" Ben shouted as he jumped into his muscular arms.
"Hey, Buddy, what's up?" Dave replied while embracing him in a bear hug.
"Ben, who's at the door?" A faint voice was heard in the apartment.
"You have to save me, Dave! Look..." Ben said as he lifted his shirt to reveal large, deep purple and black bruises covering the majority of his chest.
"Okay, let's go." Dave replied as he scooped Ben up into his arms and started to run to the stairs.
"Hey! What are you doing with my child!? Ben!" Dave heard behind him but didn't look back but started to run faster. Finally he was down the stairs, luckily, the taxi was still there. Dave practically threw Ben into the backseat.
"Go!" Dave demanded as he locked the door. He could see the mother running out of the building and after the taxi.
"Where to, sir?" Asked the cab driver.
"Family Services Building on 38th street."
Dave looked over to Ben. Ben was starting to cry again. And again, Dave pulled Ben into his lap and held him tight (I wish I were Ben right now! Sorry, I had to say it!), trying to comfort him. As Ben started to calm down, he fell asleep.
"We're here." The cabby announced.
Dave slipped him some money and carried Ben in his arms into the building.
"Can I help you?" A social worker asked.
"Ah...yeah...I'm Dr. Dave Malucci over at County General Hospital and he came in today with multiple bruises and injuries. He told us it was child abuse, the police took the mother into custody, right? I come up to check on him and she took him home. Now, he has bruising on his chest that wasn't there this afternoon." Dave reported.
Dave set Ben down on a couch and lifted his shirt to show the bruises. The social worker obviously grimaced.
"I don't want to give him to family services and have this happen again."
"It won't." she said with a smirk on her face.
Ooh...left ya on a clif-hanger...gotta read to find out! Please, please, please r/r! As cheesy as it sounds, I love to hear it! When you review, if you have an idea for the story...write it in the review! I'll be happy to consider it! :) Thanks!
Previously: Dave had a child abuse case come in, he's thinking of adopting the kid, the mother takes Ben from children custody...and now...chapter 3...
"There's no way in hell his mother could have taken him, she was arrested and she's the own you're supposed to be protecting Ben from!" Dave raged.
"Sir, please calm down, I'm only the desk clerk." she replied, visibly frightened.
Dave looked around for some sort of sign that Ben was still here and it was all just a mistake. He looked down the hall and saw Renee.
"Renee!" He shouted down the hall, trying to catch up with her.
"Dave? What can I help you with?" Renee replied in a coy-dumb-little-blonde-voice.
"Ben's gone! Desk clerk said his mother took him home! How could you let this happen?"
"Ben retracted all of his statements of child abuse. The mother also took a polygraph and she passed with flying colors. Dr. Malucci, she isn't abusing her son."
"How the hell do you know? Were you with him 24/7? Polygraphs aren't 100% accurate!"
Thoughts raced through his mind at 100 mph, how could this happen? Ben was being abused and now he's with his abuser? I thought the system was supposed to protect him! Dave though to himself. In fear of beating the hell out of Renee and everyone else who was now staring at him, he went back to the ER lounge to pick up his stuff since his shift was now over. But before he went home, Dave decided to do a little research on Ben. Once in records, he found Ben's chart.
"...January 14, multiple bruises on back, broken arm...February 1st, 4 cm laceration above eyebrow..." Dave mumbled to himself.
The dates went on and on, how could no one have seen this? Slamming the folder shut, he took the file under his black leather coat. If the system wasn't going to work for Ben, he was. Flagging a taxi down by the ambulance bay, he went to Ben's apartment.
"Wait for me, okay?" Dave asked the taxi driver, slipping him $20.
After what felt like a mile of staircase, he was finally at apartment 5C. After hesitation, Dave finally knocked on the door. Light footsteps were heard, which he assumed to be Ben's. Then, the squeaky wooden door opened and Ben peered out from a small crack.
"Dave!" Ben shouted as he jumped into his muscular arms.
"Hey, Buddy, what's up?" Dave replied while embracing him in a bear hug.
"Ben, who's at the door?" A faint voice was heard in the apartment.
"You have to save me, Dave! Look..." Ben said as he lifted his shirt to reveal large, deep purple and black bruises covering the majority of his chest.
"Okay, let's go." Dave replied as he scooped Ben up into his arms and started to run to the stairs.
"Hey! What are you doing with my child!? Ben!" Dave heard behind him but didn't look back but started to run faster. Finally he was down the stairs, luckily, the taxi was still there. Dave practically threw Ben into the backseat.
"Go!" Dave demanded as he locked the door. He could see the mother running out of the building and after the taxi.
"Where to, sir?" Asked the cab driver.
"Family Services Building on 38th street."
Dave looked over to Ben. Ben was starting to cry again. And again, Dave pulled Ben into his lap and held him tight (I wish I were Ben right now! Sorry, I had to say it!), trying to comfort him. As Ben started to calm down, he fell asleep.
"We're here." The cabby announced.
Dave slipped him some money and carried Ben in his arms into the building.
"Can I help you?" A social worker asked.
"Ah...yeah...I'm Dr. Dave Malucci over at County General Hospital and he came in today with multiple bruises and injuries. He told us it was child abuse, the police took the mother into custody, right? I come up to check on him and she took him home. Now, he has bruising on his chest that wasn't there this afternoon." Dave reported.
Dave set Ben down on a couch and lifted his shirt to show the bruises. The social worker obviously grimaced.
"I don't want to give him to family services and have this happen again."
"It won't." she said with a smirk on her face.
Ooh...left ya on a clif-hanger...gotta read to find out! Please, please, please r/r! As cheesy as it sounds, I love to hear it! When you review, if you have an idea for the story...write it in the review! I'll be happy to consider it! :) Thanks!