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Chapter 19

Mikey's POV

UHH… My head! Where am I? Where's J.D? And Patrick? What's that annoying beeping sound? OW! Don't touch my head!

"Uhh….stop!" I groan. Someone takes my hand gently, rubbing my thumb.

"M.J? Come on baby brother, time to wake up. Come on Mikey, your safe."

J.D? I carefully open my eyes, squinting at the light. J.D was sitting there, and so were Uncle Soda, Patrick, and Eric. They were all fuzzy, the colors blending together.

"Sissy? My head hurts!" I say quietly. J.D kisses my forehead softly, rubbing my arm.

"I know, you have a concussion. It's going to hurt for a while. Just try not to move around too much. The nurses said that they'll give you more meds later. Do you remember what happened?"

I close my eyes and try to remember. The man, he grabbed me, and then he hit me, then threw me down. I hit my head. I tried to walk to Aunt Rosie's. Oh…my head.

"Mikey?" Patrick asks softly.

"Some guy tried to grab me; he hit me, and threw me down on the ground. I tried to walk to Aunt Rosie's, but when I got there, she wasn't home. I'm sorry J.D, I didn't mean to cause trouble."

"Oh, Mikey, don't apologize, you didn't mean anything. It's not your fault" J.D sooths me. "Do you want anything?"

"No, I'm fine." I look up at Patrick. He was looking at his feet, with his hands jammed into his pockets.

"Shouldn't you be in school?" I ask him. He scoffs.

"Yeah, I'm going Tuesday. I'm really sorry M.J. I should have been looking out for you." He says sitting on the bed.

"It's okay Patty. I'm not mad." I say.

"You should be, I would be." He says.

"Well I'm not, so don't…..AHH!" I grab at my head as a wave of pain goes through my skull.

"Mikey!" J.D goes over to me, holding me as best she can with the stuff I'm hooked too.

"I'm okay." I say scared.

"Eric, go ask the doctor if he can have his pain meds yet."

Eric leaves, and Soda goes with him. I look at my siblings. J.D was trying to look like the mature adult, while Patrick looked sad and angry at the same time. Then I remember something.

"Has the state been here? What did they say?" I ask. J.D takes a deep breath, and pats my hand.

"We have to go to a hearing soon, and then we'll see what happens afterward. You just focus on getting better and out of here. Let me worry about everything else."

"What happens if we lose?" I ask sitting up more.

"Then either Uncle Darry or Uncle Soda will take care of you guys. But don't worry, we'll win." J.D says.

"Maybe it would be easier if one of them did have custody of us. Then you could go back to school and marry Eric like you were going too." Pat says. I look up at him in shock. J.D takes his hand.

"Patrick Darrell Curtis. I don't care if giving you guys up was the 'easier' thing to do. Getting custody of you guys was probably one of the best things I will ever do in this life. Daddy wanted it this way, and so do I. So unless you want to live with Darry or Soda, I am never going to give you two up. Not for anything." She says seriously, looking at both of us.

"Even for Eric? And for college?" I ask timidly. She hugs us both.

"Yes, even for Eric and for college. You two are the most important people to me in this entire world. And I wouldn't trade you guys for anything." She says gently.

"Really?" I ask again.

J.D tickles me softly, making me laugh. She grabs Pat's arm so he's lying on his back, and she starts tickling him too.

"Really, Really."

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