"Burden"
So Mr. Wayne takes me back to the manor, and as soon as I sit down, Dr. Creed starts talking.
"Terry, I'm going to make you a proposal. I run a trauma center in the Yampa Valley. I have dealt with many cases like this, and I think we can help you."
"We?" What does she mean by we?
"I'm pronouncing you terminally insane if you think I can take care of all those kids by myself. I'm one of a team of psychologists. There are lots of kids your age there, and I think it would be a good idea." She's crazy. She must be.
"Look, I appreciate your offer, and you seem really nice and all, but my rep's bad enough. I'm not going to make it worse by going to some mental care center."
"It's not what you think." Man, she's patient. I almost feel sorry for her. She's got to deal with all sorts of weird kids every day. "I actually have yet to see a weird kid, Terry." Okay, how did she know that? She's giving me this really odd smile.
"Terry, I've already arranged with your mother and the school to have you sent to the Yampa Valley Trauma Center." What?! Is he crazy? Did he actually think he could send me without my permission?
"Now wait just one minute there, buster." Dr. Creed is ticked. She's lost patience. She's mad at me. "You can't just go and sign Terry up without his permission! This is his life, and his choice. Not until there is a legal problem can he be forced." She's mad at Mr. Wayne. She stands up. Man, she's really tiny. "I deal with parents and teachers who do this all the time, and I'll have you know, I have no patience for it." Even though she's short, she's pretty intimidating. I wonder if she took lessons from Mr. Wayne. He's even cowering under her.
"I'm sorry, you're right. I had no right to do that. Terry if you don't want to-"
"No, that's okay. I'll go." Did I just say that? Dr. Creed looks surprised.
"Well, then, Terry, I guess I can welcome you to the Center." She says.
~~
So now I'm on this plane to Colorado, which just happens to be about on the other side of the country, and I'm regretting my decision. Mr. Wayne said he would come along. Mom can't. She has to take care of Matt, and go to work. The plane touches down in a small tourist town called Steamboat Springs. Dr. Creed is waiting for us at the airport.
"Did you have a nice flight?" She asks, pleasantly. I shrug. We follow her to a waiting van. She's not driving. A tall guy with a rugged look and black hair is driving.
"Hi, I'm Garret." He holds out his hand. Mr. Wayne and I both shake it. We drive off, and Dr. Creed starts talking again.
"You're lucky. That airport is rather new. When I first came here, I had a three hour drive from Denver." That's a long drive. After about twenty minutes, we arrive at this big ranch. There are kids everywhere. All ages, all races, both male and female. I can't help but be amazed. There are some little kids running around a baseball diamond, where some older kids have organized a game of kickball. I haven't played kickball in years. As we approach the big, log house, I notice some kids in wheelchairs, some on crutches, and a stable full of horses. This place is huge.
"So, what do you think?" Mr. Wayne asks me. I shrug again. I don't feel like talking. We go inside, and enter an office. There are four others inside, sitting in chairs. They all stand when we enter.
"This is not the military. Sit down." Dr. Creed orders. One laughs and dips her as if dancing. "Todd!" She squeals like a very young teenager. "This is Dr. Tolskin, who is also my husband. Warning, he's incurably nuts. Dr. Lee, our physical therapist," She gestures to an Asian woman, "Scott, one of our teachers," A very tall man with straight brown hair that just happens to be falling in his face smiles "and Dr. Hernandez." Dr. Hernandez is a Latino man with a big smile. I smile as best I can back. "Sit down, please." I sit in a chair, and so do Mr. Wayne and Garret.
"Now, Terry, we hear you have something burdening you." Dr. Tolskin says. So we're going right into the interrogation, huh. All I can think of to do is shrug. Scott whispers something to Dr. Creed. She nods.
"Terry, why don't we get you settled, first." Yes. Good. I like that idea. "You'll be staying in dormitory seven. There are nine other boys there. All about your age, actually." Well, at least I won't be alone. I hate being alone now. He could come get me.
"Dr. Creed!" two boys come running up. Both my age. One has shaggy, unkempt brown hair, and the other has red hair. The red haired boy speeds over in a wheelchair. "Who's the new guy?" he asks, innocently. Yeah, I've lived in the city. I see your motives. Well both of you can just leave me alone.
"Jimmy, Andrew, how nice to see you. This is Terry. He'll be in your dorm with you." So Jimmy is the brown haired boy, and Andrew is the other.
"Do you want us to take him?" Jimmy asks.
"That would be lovely. Terry, go with these two." Oh, great. She's leaving me with two strange boys. They so can't be happy to be here. I wait for their comments to come as soon as Dr. Creed is out of earshot.
"So, where're you from?" Andrew asks. He seems innocent enough.
"Gotham." I really don't want to talk.
"Oh, so you're from the city, too. I'm from New York." Well, so what?
"You don't look happy." Jimmy says. "Don't you want to be here?"
"No. I don't, as a matter of fact. How can anyone be happy in a place like this?" Jimmy raises his eyebrows.
"Well, I'm happier here than I was at home." Andrew says, flatly.
"Why? Wouldn't you rather be going to school with your friends?" He smiles.
"The truth is, I didn't go to school. I was working to pay for the bills, along with feeding my father's alcoholism. That's how I got like this." He gestures to his lifeless legs. He's crippled. Well, that certainly puts things into perspective. Abuse happens in Gotham too. I've rescued some of the kids. I wonder if some are here. Then it hits me. Who will be batman while I'm gone?
So Mr. Wayne takes me back to the manor, and as soon as I sit down, Dr. Creed starts talking.
"Terry, I'm going to make you a proposal. I run a trauma center in the Yampa Valley. I have dealt with many cases like this, and I think we can help you."
"We?" What does she mean by we?
"I'm pronouncing you terminally insane if you think I can take care of all those kids by myself. I'm one of a team of psychologists. There are lots of kids your age there, and I think it would be a good idea." She's crazy. She must be.
"Look, I appreciate your offer, and you seem really nice and all, but my rep's bad enough. I'm not going to make it worse by going to some mental care center."
"It's not what you think." Man, she's patient. I almost feel sorry for her. She's got to deal with all sorts of weird kids every day. "I actually have yet to see a weird kid, Terry." Okay, how did she know that? She's giving me this really odd smile.
"Terry, I've already arranged with your mother and the school to have you sent to the Yampa Valley Trauma Center." What?! Is he crazy? Did he actually think he could send me without my permission?
"Now wait just one minute there, buster." Dr. Creed is ticked. She's lost patience. She's mad at me. "You can't just go and sign Terry up without his permission! This is his life, and his choice. Not until there is a legal problem can he be forced." She's mad at Mr. Wayne. She stands up. Man, she's really tiny. "I deal with parents and teachers who do this all the time, and I'll have you know, I have no patience for it." Even though she's short, she's pretty intimidating. I wonder if she took lessons from Mr. Wayne. He's even cowering under her.
"I'm sorry, you're right. I had no right to do that. Terry if you don't want to-"
"No, that's okay. I'll go." Did I just say that? Dr. Creed looks surprised.
"Well, then, Terry, I guess I can welcome you to the Center." She says.
~~
So now I'm on this plane to Colorado, which just happens to be about on the other side of the country, and I'm regretting my decision. Mr. Wayne said he would come along. Mom can't. She has to take care of Matt, and go to work. The plane touches down in a small tourist town called Steamboat Springs. Dr. Creed is waiting for us at the airport.
"Did you have a nice flight?" She asks, pleasantly. I shrug. We follow her to a waiting van. She's not driving. A tall guy with a rugged look and black hair is driving.
"Hi, I'm Garret." He holds out his hand. Mr. Wayne and I both shake it. We drive off, and Dr. Creed starts talking again.
"You're lucky. That airport is rather new. When I first came here, I had a three hour drive from Denver." That's a long drive. After about twenty minutes, we arrive at this big ranch. There are kids everywhere. All ages, all races, both male and female. I can't help but be amazed. There are some little kids running around a baseball diamond, where some older kids have organized a game of kickball. I haven't played kickball in years. As we approach the big, log house, I notice some kids in wheelchairs, some on crutches, and a stable full of horses. This place is huge.
"So, what do you think?" Mr. Wayne asks me. I shrug again. I don't feel like talking. We go inside, and enter an office. There are four others inside, sitting in chairs. They all stand when we enter.
"This is not the military. Sit down." Dr. Creed orders. One laughs and dips her as if dancing. "Todd!" She squeals like a very young teenager. "This is Dr. Tolskin, who is also my husband. Warning, he's incurably nuts. Dr. Lee, our physical therapist," She gestures to an Asian woman, "Scott, one of our teachers," A very tall man with straight brown hair that just happens to be falling in his face smiles "and Dr. Hernandez." Dr. Hernandez is a Latino man with a big smile. I smile as best I can back. "Sit down, please." I sit in a chair, and so do Mr. Wayne and Garret.
"Now, Terry, we hear you have something burdening you." Dr. Tolskin says. So we're going right into the interrogation, huh. All I can think of to do is shrug. Scott whispers something to Dr. Creed. She nods.
"Terry, why don't we get you settled, first." Yes. Good. I like that idea. "You'll be staying in dormitory seven. There are nine other boys there. All about your age, actually." Well, at least I won't be alone. I hate being alone now. He could come get me.
"Dr. Creed!" two boys come running up. Both my age. One has shaggy, unkempt brown hair, and the other has red hair. The red haired boy speeds over in a wheelchair. "Who's the new guy?" he asks, innocently. Yeah, I've lived in the city. I see your motives. Well both of you can just leave me alone.
"Jimmy, Andrew, how nice to see you. This is Terry. He'll be in your dorm with you." So Jimmy is the brown haired boy, and Andrew is the other.
"Do you want us to take him?" Jimmy asks.
"That would be lovely. Terry, go with these two." Oh, great. She's leaving me with two strange boys. They so can't be happy to be here. I wait for their comments to come as soon as Dr. Creed is out of earshot.
"So, where're you from?" Andrew asks. He seems innocent enough.
"Gotham." I really don't want to talk.
"Oh, so you're from the city, too. I'm from New York." Well, so what?
"You don't look happy." Jimmy says. "Don't you want to be here?"
"No. I don't, as a matter of fact. How can anyone be happy in a place like this?" Jimmy raises his eyebrows.
"Well, I'm happier here than I was at home." Andrew says, flatly.
"Why? Wouldn't you rather be going to school with your friends?" He smiles.
"The truth is, I didn't go to school. I was working to pay for the bills, along with feeding my father's alcoholism. That's how I got like this." He gestures to his lifeless legs. He's crippled. Well, that certainly puts things into perspective. Abuse happens in Gotham too. I've rescued some of the kids. I wonder if some are here. Then it hits me. Who will be batman while I'm gone?