Chapter 17 Lost and Found
Two Days Later. . . .
November: Early Wednesday Morning 12:45AM Mt. Horizon Peter & Sophie's home
Peter and Sophie are sitting up in their bed. Neither of them has slept very well these past two days. Sophie lays her head on Peter's chest.
"It's not fair." She says. "How come people like him can reproduce when he obviously doesn't want children and I can't have children."
"I was thinking." Peter says as he holds his wife tightly, he pauses unsure of himself.
"What are you thinking?" Sophie asks.
"Nah, it's a crazy idea."
"What is a crazy idea?" Sophie sits up interested now.
"I was thinking of asking for custody of Taylor." The look on Sophie's face makes him continue. "You said it yourself, the 'good' Senator doesn't want her and we can't let her go with this Grant character. She'll be safer here."
"Peter, she maybe safer here, but what about everyone else? We've got six other kids to worry about, two of whom she's already fought. Other counselors have been taking care of my kids. They tell me that Juliette isn't eating again. Ezra is freaking out over Taylor threats. Daisy's back to being indifferent. Auggie's nervous about going home and was found tagging the side of a cabin with paint that they have no idea where he got it. Shelby and Taylor are like mortal enemies. Plus are you forgetting that we've got Parent's day in three days?"
"Shelby and Taylor have been getting along great, it's like they're kindred spirits. They've actually really helped each other. They may not act sometimes like they like each other but they do. Ever notice how much they act alike? They have that same disdainful look when you ask them to do something they don't want to do." Peter laughs and looks at Sophie, who remains all serious and thinking. "What are you thinking?"
"I'm still thinking it's not a good idea. We can't even take care of the kids we've got here. Need I remind you that Scott has charges pending that could send him to Juvenal Hall and Shelby is still out there on the streets. I do hope Roger and Jeff find her. Let the social workers take care of Taylor. Taylor hasn't given us an inch. She's still very closed lipped about what's going. She hasn't done any school work or group assignments. She won't even turn in her 'conversational journal'."
"Where ever they put her, she'll run and end up out on the streets. God knows what'll happen to her out there. If she runs, they will never find her again."
"How do you know she won't run from here?" Sophie challenges.
The telephone rings. Peter looks at the clock, 1AM. He picks it up.
"Hello? This is he." Peter listens to the person on the other line. He grabs a piece of paper and pen from the table next to the bed. "Okay, I'll be right there." Peter jumps out of bed and starts to get dressed.
"What's going on?" Sophie asks now alarmed.
"The police have found Shelby. She's at the hospital now."
"Is she okay?"
"I don't know."
Sophie gets up and starts to get dressed as well. The two run out and get into Peter's SUV.
General Hospital
Shelby's hospital room 1:30AM
Peter and Sophie come running into the hospital. When they arrive on the pediatric unit, they find two police officers standing by Shelby's room.
"I'm Peter Scarbrow. How is she?" Peter looks in and sees Shelby lying on the hospital bed staring up at the ceiling. A doctor is standing over her going through some charts and asking her some questions.
"Who are you to her?" The officer inquires.
"I'm the headmaster at the school she attends. Mt. Horizon."
"I've heard of that place, you helped out a kid in my home town. You performed a miracle, he's now going to college." The other officer puts in with a smile, he then continues. "A local hotel manager saw her and an older man enter a hotel room. He recognized her from a description we put out earlier. An hour later the man came out. She didn't come out with him. So the manager went to check on her and found her passed out on the bed. He then called 911. Looks like she got hold of some bad ecstasy. It's a good thing that he called 911 because she'd probably be dead right now."
"Was there sexual intercourse?"
"We don't know. That's about all we got on the way over. The doctor is checking her out now."
"Thank you." Peter thanks the officers and they leave. Peter and Sophie stand watching through the door as the doctor finishes up.
The doctor exists the hospital room.
"Doctor, I'm Peter Scarbrow, Headmaster at Horizon." They exchange hands. "How is Shelby?"
"She'll make a full physical recovery. The EMT's got there in time to prevent any major trauma's happening."
"Were there any signs of sexual intercourse?"
"I'm sorry, I can not tell you anymore. Even teenagers have the right to confidentiality."
"Thank you. May we see her?"
"For a little while, she needs to get her rest."
The doctor takes off towards his office. Peter and Sophie enter the hospital room. Shelby avoids looking at both of them.
"I'll call Roger and Jeff, let them know they can go back to school. Why don't you try and talk to her." Peter whispers into Sophie's ear.
Peter leaves and goes out. He makes a phone call to Roger and lets him know that they've found Shelby. As soon as he hangs up the phone, it rings.
"Hello?" Peter answers the phone. "Mrs. Merrick. . .yes, she's here at the hospital." Peter listens a little. "Let's not be irrational now, I don't think it is necessary to pull Shelby out of school." He listens some more. "Okay, we'll see you when you get here."
Peter hangs up the phone and goes back into Shelby's room.
"What's wrong?" Sophie asks getting alarmed.
"Shelby, your mother is on her way. She wants to pull you out of school."
************
Two Days Later. . . .
November: Early Wednesday Morning 12:45AM Mt. Horizon Peter & Sophie's home
Peter and Sophie are sitting up in their bed. Neither of them has slept very well these past two days. Sophie lays her head on Peter's chest.
"It's not fair." She says. "How come people like him can reproduce when he obviously doesn't want children and I can't have children."
"I was thinking." Peter says as he holds his wife tightly, he pauses unsure of himself.
"What are you thinking?" Sophie asks.
"Nah, it's a crazy idea."
"What is a crazy idea?" Sophie sits up interested now.
"I was thinking of asking for custody of Taylor." The look on Sophie's face makes him continue. "You said it yourself, the 'good' Senator doesn't want her and we can't let her go with this Grant character. She'll be safer here."
"Peter, she maybe safer here, but what about everyone else? We've got six other kids to worry about, two of whom she's already fought. Other counselors have been taking care of my kids. They tell me that Juliette isn't eating again. Ezra is freaking out over Taylor threats. Daisy's back to being indifferent. Auggie's nervous about going home and was found tagging the side of a cabin with paint that they have no idea where he got it. Shelby and Taylor are like mortal enemies. Plus are you forgetting that we've got Parent's day in three days?"
"Shelby and Taylor have been getting along great, it's like they're kindred spirits. They've actually really helped each other. They may not act sometimes like they like each other but they do. Ever notice how much they act alike? They have that same disdainful look when you ask them to do something they don't want to do." Peter laughs and looks at Sophie, who remains all serious and thinking. "What are you thinking?"
"I'm still thinking it's not a good idea. We can't even take care of the kids we've got here. Need I remind you that Scott has charges pending that could send him to Juvenal Hall and Shelby is still out there on the streets. I do hope Roger and Jeff find her. Let the social workers take care of Taylor. Taylor hasn't given us an inch. She's still very closed lipped about what's going. She hasn't done any school work or group assignments. She won't even turn in her 'conversational journal'."
"Where ever they put her, she'll run and end up out on the streets. God knows what'll happen to her out there. If she runs, they will never find her again."
"How do you know she won't run from here?" Sophie challenges.
The telephone rings. Peter looks at the clock, 1AM. He picks it up.
"Hello? This is he." Peter listens to the person on the other line. He grabs a piece of paper and pen from the table next to the bed. "Okay, I'll be right there." Peter jumps out of bed and starts to get dressed.
"What's going on?" Sophie asks now alarmed.
"The police have found Shelby. She's at the hospital now."
"Is she okay?"
"I don't know."
Sophie gets up and starts to get dressed as well. The two run out and get into Peter's SUV.
General Hospital
Shelby's hospital room 1:30AM
Peter and Sophie come running into the hospital. When they arrive on the pediatric unit, they find two police officers standing by Shelby's room.
"I'm Peter Scarbrow. How is she?" Peter looks in and sees Shelby lying on the hospital bed staring up at the ceiling. A doctor is standing over her going through some charts and asking her some questions.
"Who are you to her?" The officer inquires.
"I'm the headmaster at the school she attends. Mt. Horizon."
"I've heard of that place, you helped out a kid in my home town. You performed a miracle, he's now going to college." The other officer puts in with a smile, he then continues. "A local hotel manager saw her and an older man enter a hotel room. He recognized her from a description we put out earlier. An hour later the man came out. She didn't come out with him. So the manager went to check on her and found her passed out on the bed. He then called 911. Looks like she got hold of some bad ecstasy. It's a good thing that he called 911 because she'd probably be dead right now."
"Was there sexual intercourse?"
"We don't know. That's about all we got on the way over. The doctor is checking her out now."
"Thank you." Peter thanks the officers and they leave. Peter and Sophie stand watching through the door as the doctor finishes up.
The doctor exists the hospital room.
"Doctor, I'm Peter Scarbrow, Headmaster at Horizon." They exchange hands. "How is Shelby?"
"She'll make a full physical recovery. The EMT's got there in time to prevent any major trauma's happening."
"Were there any signs of sexual intercourse?"
"I'm sorry, I can not tell you anymore. Even teenagers have the right to confidentiality."
"Thank you. May we see her?"
"For a little while, she needs to get her rest."
The doctor takes off towards his office. Peter and Sophie enter the hospital room. Shelby avoids looking at both of them.
"I'll call Roger and Jeff, let them know they can go back to school. Why don't you try and talk to her." Peter whispers into Sophie's ear.
Peter leaves and goes out. He makes a phone call to Roger and lets him know that they've found Shelby. As soon as he hangs up the phone, it rings.
"Hello?" Peter answers the phone. "Mrs. Merrick. . .yes, she's here at the hospital." Peter listens a little. "Let's not be irrational now, I don't think it is necessary to pull Shelby out of school." He listens some more. "Okay, we'll see you when you get here."
Peter hangs up the phone and goes back into Shelby's room.
"What's wrong?" Sophie asks getting alarmed.
"Shelby, your mother is on her way. She wants to pull you out of school."
************