Chapter 6

Timmy instead of following ran towards daddy trying to tackle him like the players on TV. It worked slowing daddy down for a few seconds, knocking the gun from his hands. Before Timmy felt a blinding pain to his head and his ribs as he was punched several times and then thrown to the floor. He tried to get up, to protect Zona but was stopped by dizziness and the pain in his ribs. He had failed again, he thought before he lost consciousness.

Zona ran as fast as she could, her whole body hurting, she could hear Timmy scream and paused, turning to watch daddy punching him, drop him, then kick him hard several times. She Timmy said to run but she couldn't leave him. She started running back to him ready to fight daddy to save Timmy. From behind the parked car 2 men in uniform ran over one grabbing Zona the other tackling daddy taking him to the floor. Zona screamed trying to fight the man holding her.

"We have them Sir" the one man said. The other was fighting with daddy, who was trying to reach the gun. The solider holding Zona let go to help his colleague keep daddy down. Zona didn't care as she ran to Timmy's side.

"Timmy" she cried, he groaned waking up slightly. "The soldiers have come to take us away" she sobbed hysterically. Timmy sat up clutching his ribs, she was right more and more soldiers were running down the road. The 2 nearest were fighting daddy, with another 6 running towards them.

"We need to hide" Timmy decided, fear taking over, Zona helped him to his feet. 2 police cars pulled up the lights flashing. Panic overtook both children as they backed away from the scene. They both knew it was soldiers and the police that kidnapped children for foster care and neither wanted that to happen, whatever happened they wanted to be together.

"Kids stay still" the nearest solider ordered, from his position on top of daddy. Timmy ignored him, dragging Zona away from the scene as they made their way back into the house running upstairs and into their cupboard using the wood to block the door so it couldn't open.

"It's okay Zona, we are safe here" Tim wheezed, out of breath from the exertion his chest really hurting his lungs burning. His sister carefully covered them up with the blanket and stroked his hair as they waited to see who would take them away, daddy, the police, or the soldiers. They heard heavy footsteps enter the house, people talking, radios, then footsteps coming up the stairs. Zona put her non casted arm over the mouth so they couldn't hear her breathing. Timmy was just concentrating on breathing.

"Room is clear" one of the voices said,

"Check the cupboard" another ordered.

"It's locked, there is no keyhole" a loud knock on the door startled them.

"Timmy, Zona are you there" a deep male voice asked,

"No" Zona shouted,

"Zona that doesn't work, they know we are here now" Timmy groaned.

"I said no" Zona defended; Timmy sighed unable to get angry at his little sister. She had meant well.

"Were not coming out," Timmy shouted through the door, he could hear the voices muttering but not what they were saying. He held Zona's hand tightly, not wanting to admit how scared he felt.

"Timmy, I'm hungry" Zona moaned, her tummy grumbling. She hadn't eaten for nearly 2 days, having missed out on food on the hospital.

"I know Zona, I'll get us out of here, I promise, we just have to wait for them to go to sleep" Timmy decided. Zona slipped her good hand into his.

Outside Daniel and Barbara had pulled up Daniel's men had alerted them to finding the kids. They had arrived to see the police clearing the scene, a man in handcuffs his face bleeding sat in a police car. Daniel immediately went over to his solider,

"Report" he ordered.

"We were patrolling the block as ordered, we heard a child scream and saw the girl, Zona run and made our way over. On route we saw the male, kick the boy several times, I intervened while Private Scott checked on the girl before helping me restrain him. We asked the kids to stay stationary, but they ran inside. We handed the male over to the police and sent back up units to secure the house make sure the kids couldn't leave. The police have just gone inside" Private Travers reported.

"Good work solider" Daniel praised.

"Captain, Mrs" A police officer walked over, "I'm Detective Nixon, we have found the children they have locked themselves in an upstairs cupboard, I believe you know them, and was wondering if you could try coax them out" She asked.

"Of course," Barbara replied instantly, she had become really attached to those kids and had just hung up from her friend in social service, there foster career papers were still valid and they had provisional approval to take the kids home, as soon as they were found and discharged from the hospital.

They entered the house noticing its run-down state, the lack of carpet in the hall, the peeling wallpaper and smell of damp. Walking up the stairs they could see multiple blood trails and bullet holes in the walls. Upstairs was 3 bedrooms and a bathroom, the bedroom immediately opposite, its once pink wallpaper was a brown and was barely on the walls, there was no bed instead it had a thin worn mattress on the floor, they could see the wires poking through. There was no pillows or blanket, no toys to play with either.

"In there" Nixon pointed, gesturing to the room next to it. They entered the bedroom painted blue, the paint flaking off, again another mattress was on the floor looking just as disgusting, a brown colour with no sheets, no blanket, no pillow, no toys in the room, only a pile of neatly folded clothes in the corner, both boys and girls, the walls were damp with mould growing down the wall from the window. It was heart breaking, to think of the 2 sweet kids living in this house. Still, they weren't there for that. Barbara knelt by the wooden door of the cupboard. Daniel right by her side. He took her hand squeezing it in support.

"Hey Zona and Timmy, I don't know if you remember me its Barbara, and I have Daniel with me" Barbara started, there was no reply from behind the door. "We were pretty worried when we found out you'd left the hospital, can you tell us if you're okay?" Barbara asked,

"We are okay, we don't want to go to foster care, and you can't make us" a female voice spoke, Barbara recognised it instantly as Zona's.

"Is Timmy, okay?" Daniel asked,

"He is sleeping" Zona told them, increasing their worry.

"Get me a chocolate bar and make sure we have ambulance on standby" Barbara ordered Nixon. Nixon nodded sending one of her men out, he returned 2 minutes later having swiped one from his colleague's lunch box. "Thanks, give us the room" Barbara ordered, knowing if she did persuade Zona to open up, she'd panic seeing half of Columbia's police department in the house.

Nixon nodded ordering her men out. Daniel shut the door.

"Zona it's just Daniel and I out here, nobody else, can you open the door. I have chocolate for you" Barbara bribed. She could imagine the debate the little girl was having with herself. She must be hungry, Barbara doubted she had eaten anything in days. "Nobody will take you away, you can stay with Timmy the whole time" She promised praying to God, nobody would make her a liar. Just because they had been granted the emergency foster placement didn't mean they'd be approved long term.

"Promise" Zona said,

"I promise" Barbara replied,

"Pinkie promise"

"Well, I need your pinkie out to do that" Barbara replied, she could hear noise from inside the cupboard and the door open slightly, a small, bandaged hand emerged, with its pinkie sticking out. "I pinkie promise" she confirmed the door opened all the way.

"No Zona it's a trap, don't be stupid" they heard as they saw the 2 children. Both had tear-stained faces. Timmy was lying at the back of the small wardrobe, curled up in front was Zona.

"Hey Timmy, that's not very nice," Daniel corrected, "We just want to make sure you both have medicine" he promised,

"Zona, I got you some water and some chocolate" Barbara leant in passing both items. She watched as Zona struggled to open the chocolate with her cast, Timmy sitting up clearly in pain taking it off her and passing the whole bar back, Zona broke it into 2 equal pieces handing him back the chocolate. Timmy bit into it first Zona watching carefully, his whole face lit up as the chocolate melted on his tongue.

"It's good" he smiled, Zona hesitated sniffing it, it smelt different. She took the smallest bite possible, her eyes widening at the flavour exploded in her mouth. Soon all the chocolate was gone, as was the bottle of water. Both children were still sitting in the wardrobe through, 2 brown pillows that had previously been white and a ripped blanket covering them.

"I bet your still hungry, I can hear your stomach grumbling from here" Barbara said, it was true, Zona's stomach was growling nonstop.

"We don't want to go to foster care" Zona replied folding her arms across her chest. "We don't want to be separated or made to go to work, we don't want to sleep outside"

"I promise that would never happen, in fact initially you both will spend a few nights in hospital and then foster care but you both know the foster careers quite well" Daniel said. Both children looked confused,

"It's us, we'd take you home with us" Barbara explained. "We have inside beds, and we would let you go to school, and you'd be together."

"I don't like sandwiches" Zona said her arms folded, with the cast it looked comical. Everyone hide their smiles this wasn't the time.

"That's okay we have other foods, have you ever tried pizza?" Barbara replied patiently. Zona shook her head no, all she could remember eating was sandwiches and fruit picked off trees and bushes in summer and autumn.

"My wife is being modest; she makes amazing food. Her Sunday roast is to die for and her pies, they've won awards" Daniel bragged.

"Is it hot?" Timmy asked, he had hot food once and he had liked it, the thought of going back to cold dry stale bread wasn't nice. They saw Zona tug on Timmy's t-shirt and whisper in his ear, "yeah its warm in your mouth" he explained. She whispered again, "No it didn't taste like chocolate, or sandwiches" more whispering, "I don't know ask them" he said, both adults waited patiently. As Zona looked between Timmy and them,

"Can I have hot food?" she asked timidly

"Of course, baby?" Barbara answered. Zona smiled getting up walking out the cupboard, the draw of hot food was enough. Barbara held her hand out Zona taking it. Timmy on the other hand stayed inside, not as trusting as his sister.

"Son," Daniel edged closer, "I know you want to protect Zona, I can tell. You've been doing it really well, but it's really hard alone. You've been feeding her, bringing her up, but she keeps getting hurt and now needs medicine and you have no idea how to do that. I want to help Zona too and you, I see you both hurting, and I want to help. Can you let me help you son, can you let me help keep Zona safe and keep you safe too?" Daniel asked, he could tell as he spoke about protecting Zona, Timmy was listening. Timmy paused trying to decide. This was a big step, but Daniel was right, he couldn't protect Zona on his own, he needed help and they seemed nice. Zona certainly seemed to trust them. Realising he couldn't stay in the cupboard and that he didn't have much of a choice Timmy carefully got to his feet, placing his hand into Daniels.

"Thank you for trusting me" Daniel told Timmy, "We are going to head to the hospital now, but there are a lot of people outside, it might look scary, but I promise nobody is going to hurt you" he said, both kids looked scared Zona clinging to Barbara's hand.

"I can carry you hun if you'd prefer" Barbara offered to Zona who hesitated, but then decided to keep trusting the nice lady and allowed her to lift her up. Daniel nodded at Timmy,

"I can carry you too or you can hold my hand" he offered, Timmy visibly steeled himself.

"I can walk Sir," Timmy replied. He let go of Daniel's hand going back to their cupboard lifting one of the floorboards, taking out a box before walking back to Daniel and taking his hand. Both adults wanted desperately to know what was in the box but knew if they tried to look it would undo all their progress.

They opened the door lots of police lined the corridor. Both kids shrunk back, under the attention, attention meant pain.

"Give them some room" Nixon ordered. Some of the police officers excused themselves into other rooms as the siblings were lead downstairs. Outside there was an ambulance waiting, Dr Mabel was waiting with a paramedic.

"Hello Timmy, hello Zona" Mabel greeted, "Do you want to come for a ride?" she offered, Timmy's eyes lit up, he'd always wanted to ride in an ambulance.

"Can we put the lights on?" he asked, the EMT nodded,
"Sure, and the siren, you want to press the buttons?" he offered. Timmy nodded excitedly, pulling Daniel to the front of the truck, pressing all the buttons. Zona meanwhile was cuddled on Barbara's lap inside the ambulance. It felt nice to be held but someone, and Barbara was soft, warm and smelt like flowers. Mabel joined them,

"Hey Zona, how is your tummy feeling?" she asked.

"It's really hungry" Zona pouted rubbing her tummy,

"I bet" Mabel sympathized, "Can I have a look?" she asked, Zona nodded lifting her t-shirt up showing Mabel the nice clean dressing and mess of bruises across her stomach, that had darkened since they last saw them.

"Did you bring the magic?" she asked remembering last time how she had felt better after Dr Mabel's magic medicine.

"You betcha. That looks sore" Mabel said gently palpating it. Zona nodded it did hurt but pain was normal. Mabel got out the morphine and paracetamol giving small amounts of both to Zona.

Timmy and Daniel joined them the sirens now blaring loudly. "Let's go to the hospital" Mabel suggested quickly listening to Timmy's chest. Again, she could see a multitude of bruises much worse than when she had last saw him. Both kids had really been through hell.

I have no idea why the formatting keeps breaking, sorry,

Extra long update though,

Let me know what you think!