Disclaimer: See Part One
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Kristin had tears in her eyes as she listened to the latest story of how one of Lucas' what he called "regular beatings". Both she and Nathan had always assumed it was always Lucas' parents that beat him but come to find out it was a servant of the Wolenczak's. His mother, Cynthia, had found out about it and just tolerated it because she thought Lucas was worthless anyway, she just didn't have the guts to do her own dirty work. Finally his dad, Lawrence, found out about what was going on fired the servant but at that point Cynthia had lived with it for so long that it became second nature to her. Lucas was now relating one of her beatings.
"I lay on the floor with my stomach hurting me really bad. I had my eyes shut trying to block out the pain and suddenly I felt her again standing over me. I curled a little tighter trying to make myself invisible so she wouldn't hit me anymore, when suddenly I felt her foot hit my side. She just kept kicking me over and over again. I was afraid to cry out because when I did she only hit me harder. Finally she stopped and looked down at me. I remember her spitting on me before telling me I shouldn't have made her do that." He stopped for a minute as he used his arm to wipe the tears from his eyes before continuing, "I lay on the floor for several minutes, I don't know how long exactly, before a servant came in to tell me dinner was ready and found me. She called the hospital and I got a severe concussion and 3 broken ribs and a broken arm out of my mom that time. My dad never even came to see me or said anything. The same servant that called the hospital brought me home." The teen slowly got up and went to look out the window. Kristin remained on the bed a moment trying to figure out what to say to the teen, he had been talking pretty well non-stop for almost an hour. He had been crying so furiously at times and then at others he seemed to show no emotion at all. Slowly she rose and walked over to him and stood off to the side of him for a moment. After another moment she gently reached for the young man's shoulder. As she placed her hand on him she could feel the emotion and the tension in him. She heard him softly speak but she couldn't hear what he had said, "What did you say dear?"
He spun around and looked at the older woman with more anger than she could recall ever having seen in Lucas. "I said why would they do that? What did I do to make my own mother hate me so much? What did I do to make my own father know about it and not do a thing to help me? He just stood over and over and watched as it happened." Lucas was getting madder the more he talked and Kristin couldn't really blame him, he had a lot to get mad about. Before she could answer him Lucas walked over to the nightstand and picked up a glass of water that was sitting there and took a drink.
"Lucas there is no reason that I can give you why either of them would do what they did. Your mother must be a sick person to want to hurt a child like she did."
Before she could say anymore she saw Lucas slam his hand down on the table, with the glass still in it. The glass smashed into a million pieces and Lucas' hand came to rest right on top of the shards. He never flinched and said, "You're right there, my mom is a sick woman but I was no child. I knew exactly what she was doing and put up with it like a nice strong man. I was no child." He picked his hand up and sat on the bed and lowered his face into his hands and again fell into quiet sobs. Kristin came over and sat down beside him and looked over at his hand, although covering his face she could see blood seeping through his fingers. "Lucas give me your hand," she silently commanded.
The teen sat still for a moment and didn't seem to hear her. She was about ready to tell him again when said, "It's fine, don't worry about it." Kristin stood up and moved and knelt down in front of the boy and placed her hands on his knees. "Lucas listen I know you're upset but I'm not going to have you hurting yourself because of those terrible things in your past. Give me your hand so I can see how bad you're hurt."
Lucas sighed and gently brought his hand down to her. Kristin gripped his hand and looked at it for several minutes. "Well young man, you're going to need stitches in this one cut, but the others should be okay with some butterfly bandages. You do have some glass fragments in your hand that I'm going to have to remove though. Come into the bathroom and I'll get you fixed up in no time."
She grabbed her bag and headed into the bathroom and Lucas rose and slowly followed her. He stood in the doorway as the doctor thing ready to clean and stitch his hand. After she was ready he came over and sat down on a stool beside the sink as Kristin picked up a small bottle of antiseptic. "This might sting a little Lucas." He only lowered his head as she sprayed the cut, to his credit he never moved as the doctor probed and stitched up his hand. After she was finished she wrapped his hand loosely in a bandage and began putting her things away when she heard a soft "I'm sorry" come from the teen. Kristin turned from the sink and looked at the young man. He had his head down and looked so forlorn and lost.
"Lucas I know you're sorry but you can't hurt yourself because of what happened. Your parents were terrible because of what they did to you but they doesn't give you the excuse to act like a child today and try to hurt yourself to hurt them. You know it isn't going to work; the only one you're going to hurt is yourself Lucas. You've risen above the background and the beatings Lucas and I'm so proud of you for that."
Kristin was afraid she might have been a little hard on the teen but he slowly nodded rose and came over and gave Kristin a hug. She embraced hugged him back and watched as he pulled away and walked out of the bathroom and back into the bedroom. After he was gone she turned her attention back to cleaning up the equipment she had used and silently told herself, "I hope the rest of the week isn't going to go like this."
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Kristin had tears in her eyes as she listened to the latest story of how one of Lucas' what he called "regular beatings". Both she and Nathan had always assumed it was always Lucas' parents that beat him but come to find out it was a servant of the Wolenczak's. His mother, Cynthia, had found out about it and just tolerated it because she thought Lucas was worthless anyway, she just didn't have the guts to do her own dirty work. Finally his dad, Lawrence, found out about what was going on fired the servant but at that point Cynthia had lived with it for so long that it became second nature to her. Lucas was now relating one of her beatings.
"I lay on the floor with my stomach hurting me really bad. I had my eyes shut trying to block out the pain and suddenly I felt her again standing over me. I curled a little tighter trying to make myself invisible so she wouldn't hit me anymore, when suddenly I felt her foot hit my side. She just kept kicking me over and over again. I was afraid to cry out because when I did she only hit me harder. Finally she stopped and looked down at me. I remember her spitting on me before telling me I shouldn't have made her do that." He stopped for a minute as he used his arm to wipe the tears from his eyes before continuing, "I lay on the floor for several minutes, I don't know how long exactly, before a servant came in to tell me dinner was ready and found me. She called the hospital and I got a severe concussion and 3 broken ribs and a broken arm out of my mom that time. My dad never even came to see me or said anything. The same servant that called the hospital brought me home." The teen slowly got up and went to look out the window. Kristin remained on the bed a moment trying to figure out what to say to the teen, he had been talking pretty well non-stop for almost an hour. He had been crying so furiously at times and then at others he seemed to show no emotion at all. Slowly she rose and walked over to him and stood off to the side of him for a moment. After another moment she gently reached for the young man's shoulder. As she placed her hand on him she could feel the emotion and the tension in him. She heard him softly speak but she couldn't hear what he had said, "What did you say dear?"
He spun around and looked at the older woman with more anger than she could recall ever having seen in Lucas. "I said why would they do that? What did I do to make my own mother hate me so much? What did I do to make my own father know about it and not do a thing to help me? He just stood over and over and watched as it happened." Lucas was getting madder the more he talked and Kristin couldn't really blame him, he had a lot to get mad about. Before she could answer him Lucas walked over to the nightstand and picked up a glass of water that was sitting there and took a drink.
"Lucas there is no reason that I can give you why either of them would do what they did. Your mother must be a sick person to want to hurt a child like she did."
Before she could say anymore she saw Lucas slam his hand down on the table, with the glass still in it. The glass smashed into a million pieces and Lucas' hand came to rest right on top of the shards. He never flinched and said, "You're right there, my mom is a sick woman but I was no child. I knew exactly what she was doing and put up with it like a nice strong man. I was no child." He picked his hand up and sat on the bed and lowered his face into his hands and again fell into quiet sobs. Kristin came over and sat down beside him and looked over at his hand, although covering his face she could see blood seeping through his fingers. "Lucas give me your hand," she silently commanded.
The teen sat still for a moment and didn't seem to hear her. She was about ready to tell him again when said, "It's fine, don't worry about it." Kristin stood up and moved and knelt down in front of the boy and placed her hands on his knees. "Lucas listen I know you're upset but I'm not going to have you hurting yourself because of those terrible things in your past. Give me your hand so I can see how bad you're hurt."
Lucas sighed and gently brought his hand down to her. Kristin gripped his hand and looked at it for several minutes. "Well young man, you're going to need stitches in this one cut, but the others should be okay with some butterfly bandages. You do have some glass fragments in your hand that I'm going to have to remove though. Come into the bathroom and I'll get you fixed up in no time."
She grabbed her bag and headed into the bathroom and Lucas rose and slowly followed her. He stood in the doorway as the doctor thing ready to clean and stitch his hand. After she was ready he came over and sat down on a stool beside the sink as Kristin picked up a small bottle of antiseptic. "This might sting a little Lucas." He only lowered his head as she sprayed the cut, to his credit he never moved as the doctor probed and stitched up his hand. After she was finished she wrapped his hand loosely in a bandage and began putting her things away when she heard a soft "I'm sorry" come from the teen. Kristin turned from the sink and looked at the young man. He had his head down and looked so forlorn and lost.
"Lucas I know you're sorry but you can't hurt yourself because of what happened. Your parents were terrible because of what they did to you but they doesn't give you the excuse to act like a child today and try to hurt yourself to hurt them. You know it isn't going to work; the only one you're going to hurt is yourself Lucas. You've risen above the background and the beatings Lucas and I'm so proud of you for that."
Kristin was afraid she might have been a little hard on the teen but he slowly nodded rose and came over and gave Kristin a hug. She embraced hugged him back and watched as he pulled away and walked out of the bathroom and back into the bedroom. After he was gone she turned her attention back to cleaning up the equipment she had used and silently told herself, "I hope the rest of the week isn't going to go like this."