"We have to stop the bleeding," Matt said.
Harriet nodded in agreement as Sarah and Patrick stood back, watching.
"I hope he'll be alright," Sarah whispered to Patrick.
"He will Sarah, he will. I know it," Patrick replied quietly.
Harriet moved the cloth from around the wound only to see the blood spilling freely from it.
"Oh my Nick. Things only had to get worse for you," she whispered to herself.
Nick didn't hear her or anybody else as he fell into a deep sleep and they continued to stop the blood.
"Sarah, Patrick, get out for now. We'll let you know how he's doing later," Jules told them.
The two nodded and left the room.
"We have to see if we can get that bullet out of his shoulder," Harriet said.
"We will but first we have to get the bleeding under control. It coming out like an I don't know what," Matt muttered.
00000
A little while later, Nick slept a painful sleep as Jules and Letty walked into the room.
"Wish I could make the pain go away," Letty said with a sigh.
"So do I but we both know we can't. He'll be off his feet until he's all better which we both know will be several weeks with that leg in the condition it's in," Jules replied. "Now let's let him sleep. He deserves it."
Letty stayed behind for one moment more as Jules walked out of the room.
Nick woke up to seeing Rae hovering above him. He blinked his eyes as he put his hand up to his face.
"Good, you're awake. How're you feeling?" she asked him.
"I've been better. How're those two doing?" he wondered, his voice sounding quiet.
"Still a bit shaken up from last night but fine," she replied. "Right now, he's in bed and she's with him. I think they're a bit worried about what's going to happen now."
Nick stared at her, seeming a bit confused.
"Nick, their parents are in jail and they're probably going to stay there for a long time. We're not sure yet. The trial's not for a few days. They can't take care of themselves very well. Sure, he's 18 but where are they going to go? They have no home to go to and they've got no other family around here to stay with so unless someone they know takes them in, she, at least, is going to be taken a foster home until she's old enough to take care of herself," Rae explained to him. "We don't evrn know where he's going yet."
"Wish there was something we could do for them," sighed Nick.
"I agree 100 percent," replied Rae.
00000
"Pat, where are we going to go?" asked Sarah.
"I'm not sure Sarah. The only thing I really hope is that we're not separated. I know we will be though. These types of stories never have good endings. You'll be carted off somewhere miles away from here to a family who you will hate and I don't even know where I'll end up," Patrick told her.
Sarah nodded, her face filled with sadness.
"I don't doubt it bro. I don't know how much longer we'll be together so we'd better enjoy it," Sarah replied.
00000
Several days later, Henry and Hannah Smith stood before the judge. He quietly looked at his papers before his stare came to them.
"Henry Smith, the charges against you are serious. Attempted murder on two different occasions, child abuse and drug dealing. How do you plead?" he asked.
"Not guilty," replied Henry.
"And Hannah Smith, the charges against you are just as bad. Also, child abuse, drug dealing. Then there's aiding a more known felon. How do you plead?" he asked her.
"Not guilty," she replied.
"Of course, there's the witnesses at the hospital from the other night. I cannot say you are innocent in any way when they say otherwise. Besides, then there's the children. I can't go against them either when their story's the same as the other. Sentencing will be a few days," the judge told them as he lifted his gavel and slammed it down.
The two were led out of the courtroom.
Rae, Letty and Jules sat at the back of the room, watching the entire thing. They glanced at the two as they went by them.
"That's the understatement of the century," said Letty. "I mean them not being guilty. Imagine them not thinking they're guilty of forcing a child to do something against their will and teaching them to do criminal acts. Besides the physical abuse, of course."
"You got that right," agreed Jules. "I just can't wait until we see what the judge decides what to do with them."
The other two nodded in agreement.
00000
A few days later, the same three were in the back with Sarah and Patrick, who managed to make it there on his own two feet. They begged and pleaded to go watched the trial and see what happened to their abusive parents.
Sarah sat quietly, her fingers interlocked with each other as Patrick sat next to her, trying to sit comfortably.
"When will it start?" she whined.
"Soon, Sarah, soon," Patrick told her.
Soon enough, everybody there climbed to their feet as the two were brought into the courtroom.
"Henry Smith, you have been found guilty of attempted murder, child abuse and drug dealing. Your sentence is 25 years in jail without the possibility of parole. Hannah Smith, you have been found guilty of aiding a known felon, child abuse and drug dealing. Your sentence is 20 years in jail without the possibility of parole, case dismissed," the judge told the crowd.
The three doctors in the back smiled with joy as it was said as was the brother and sister.
"They won't be bothering us for a while," smiled Patrick. "But we all know that'll you be taken away from me now Sarah. I don't want that."
He hugged his sister as a man and a woman walked up to them.
"Patrick and Sarah Smith?" the man asked them
The two looked at them and cautiously nodded their heads.
"Could you come with us please?" the woman asked them.
The two looked at each other before following them. The doctors stayed where they were and watched them with smiles on their faces.
In the hallway, the two were getting more confused by the second.
"Where are you taking us?" demanded Patrick.
"To the one place where both of you need to go. Your new home," he replied.
"Great. Just great. Off to some family who we're going to hate and wish for someplace else," mumbled Patrick.
The man and woman smiled at each other, the teens not seeing it.
Both Patrick and Sarah followed the two towards the lobby. There, they saw Nick, sitting patiently in a wheelchair with Matt behind him.
"What's this all about?" wondered Sarah, sounding a bit confused.
"What's going on is that Doctor Nicholas Kokoris here has decided to become your legal guardian. He's adopted you," the woman told them as she faced them. "Both of you."
TBC...
