Baz awoke the next morning feeling nervous and jumpy. His throat felt dry and raspy, and his bones were aching from the position he had slept on the hospital chair all night. He checked on Lucas before heading to the hospital cafeteria, to sort out a few things. First of all he purchased a coffee from the machine, before heading over to the vid link and making a phone call to check on Matt.
"Hello, this is Chris speaking." The man on the other end of the phone answered.
"Hi Chris, can I speak to Matt, please?" Baz said, sipping on his coffee.
"Yeah sure," Chris anxiously asked. "Baz, is everything all right with Lucas? I mean Matt turned up here yesterday in a flood of tears, saying something about Lucas being attacked. Is it really true?"
"Yeah, I'm afraid so. Thanks for looking after Matt. How is he?" Baz quizzed the man.
"He's fine, but full of questions," Chris cautioned him. "I'll go and get him."
Baz only waited a short while, until Matt suddenly appeared at the other end. Baz carefully explained to Matt about the attack on Lucas, and updated him on his brother's condition. Matt had tears in his eyes by the time he had finished.
"Why?" Was the only response from Matt, before he burst into a flood of tears. Baz listened to the innocent ramblings of the child, almost breaking down himself. "Why Lucas? He's only a kid. Six years old, who would… No, could do such a thing?"
At last Chris, who disconnected the call, comforted Matt. Baz rested his head against the phone, before quickly turning around and almost crashing into the two policemen that had questioned Matt before.
"Baz Sunderland, I presume?" Jimson asked. Baz just nodded. "I have a few questions to ask you, about Master Wolenczak."
Baz found himself led to the Relatives Room accompanied by the two officers.
"Now, I understand that the boy was released into your care…" One officer began.
"Actually, he was released into his father's care. He requested for Lucas to stay with him. I couldn't do anything about it." Baz answered, with a faraway look in his eyes.
The questioning officer just nodded, while the other officer, Houston scribbled into a notebook.
"OK. What about Matt? Lucas' brother?"
"He's staying with my next-door neighbour at the moment." Baz stated
"And before?" Jimson coaxed.
"He was staying with me, in my apartment." Baz's eyes were still unfocused, which worried the officers.
"Now, I really need you to come down to the station to give a statement about the attack…" Houston started.
"Why? I wasn't there. I was at home." Baz calmly stated.
"But we still need a statement to that effect. What was your relationship with Lawrence Wolenczak?"
"We got on OK, I guess. But… I don't know… There was something about him that made me, almost, well… afraid of him. It's hard to describe." Baz's eyes grew puzzled and he suddenly snapped out of his trance-like state. "Why all the sudden interest in him?"
The two policemen exchanged looks, before replying,
"We have reason to believe that Lucas was being severely abused at his home, over the last few months before he was attacked yesterday."
At this news, Baz slowly closed his eyes and tried to absorb the information. Though the information didn't come as a shock to Baz, he still couldn't believe what was happening. Baz suddenly felt light headed and, after saying goodbye to the officers, he found his way back to Lucas's room. He took up his position by the bed and sank into a fitful sleep.
*********************************************************************
Three days later and Lucas woke up. Baz had sat watching over Lucas for the past three days, only occasionally taking breaks and constantly worrying the doctors about his health. The doctors eventually managed to coax him into getting some sleep and something to eat and drink. That was a couple of hours ago and now, as Baz stood by the window, Lucas's gentle stirring alerted Baz that he was waking up. Immediately Baz rushed to the waking boy.
"Hey Lucas, it's OK!" Baz reassured the struggling youth. Lucas soon stopped struggling and focused on Baz and the room he was in. "You're at the hospital, can you remember why?" Baz quizzed him.
Lucas just nodded, not saying a word. He looked tired so, Baz let him go to sleep, before alerting the doctor that he'd woken up.
*********************************************************************
In a few weeks, Lucas began to wake up for more frequent and longer periods of time and during this time, Baz noticed that Lucas didn't talk much; in fact, he never seemed to talk at all, but as the waking periods had been so short, he had always put his lack of speech due to tiredness. Baz tested out his theory, one day when Matt and a doctor were present.
"Hey Lucas, which do you prefer? Wine gums or Munchies?" Baz knew the answer anyway, but was just testing Lucas.
Lucas just shrugged his shoulders in reply.
"Come on, you must have a favourite, everyone does!" Baz asked in a friendly, non-threatening voice. Lucas just shrugged his shoulders again and looked down at the bed.
The doctor also noticed this and quickly did some tests on Lucas. Doctor Colin frowned. There was no reason for the boy not to be speaking though he had been through an incredible amount of trauma recently. Dr Colin asked if he could speak with Baz outside the room. Baz agreed.
"I don't think Lucas can speak." Dr Colin began. "I mean, he can speak, but his mind's so traumatised that I don't think he wants to speak. It's not uncommon for someone like Lucas who has been under a lot of psychological and physical trauma… And I'm sure Lucas can be cured, but he just needs some help from a psychiatrist."
Baz nodded as the doctor ranted on about a friend of his who worked as a psychiatrist, but Baz's mind was still on Lucas's emotionless face.
To be continued…
Sorry this part took so long. I'm determined not to let this fic become an unfinished one! The next part should focus more on Lucas, and should be longer, but I'm not sure when I can post it, as I'm going on holiday soon.