Sorry this is a tad late from my usual schedule! My hotel just had to choose last night to rewire everything!
Fin's POV
Hope had been talking to Wyatt for a while now, poor kid seems to be terrified. She finally comes out of the counselor's office and sighs, I smile at her, "Well?"
"He's been completely brainwashed!" She says, looking frustrated.
"Brainwashed? How?" I ask, I don't see how he could be brainwashed, though it's not uncommon in abused kids.
"He just said his parents are normal" she says, still sounding frustrated.
"That doesn't always mean he's brainwashed" I reply, sometimes things are just normal.
"He doesn't understand what cops do either. He was told if he talked to me he's bad" She explains, now that's something that concerns me. He's old enough to understand a little bit about cops.
I sigh, "What else did he say?"
"All he said is that his mommy and daddy love him. He wouldn't even tell me his name at first" She says, he's obviously scared, he probably wasn't expecting to be pulled from class to talk to cops today.
"He's scared of something. Teacher said he's just this quiet little kid who never causes any trouble" I tell her.
"His parents probably told him not to tell anyone what really happens. I told you they brainwashed him. I just don't know what they said would happen if he told"She says, she sounds really concerned about him, but we can't really do anything if he doesn't admit to something happening.
"Well the teacher said shed keep an eye on him. We have to talk to the parents since they were accused of neglect..." I tell her. Maybe they'll give us some insight to what's really happening here.
"I know. Did you get the address?" She asks, sighing.
"Yeah. Principal gave it to me. Nice lady, gave me their work addresses too" I reply, at least we have this information so we can find them if they aren't home. She's just quiet and nods.
"You okay? You seem frustrated" I ask, this case already seems to be getting to her.
"I'm fine" she replies, not really looking at me.
"You can talk to me, don't hold stuff in, even though that's really easy to do" I remind her.
She just sighs, I hope she's really okay, I just don't want her getting too attached.
Wyatt's POV
I have no idea what just happened, I talked to that cop lady at school and she said I shouldn't get hurt for talking to her, but guess what, I did. So now I'm hiding behind the couch, where they told me to, and my tummy hurts, my arm hurts, and my cheek hurts. I don't know what to do anymore, so I'm just gonna sit here, until either that cop lady finds me, or they come back.
A few minutes later I hear my name, but I don't say anything. I'm too scared, but I remember this voice, I think it's the cop lady. I guess I must have made a noise, because I hear her again.
"It's Hope hon. Can ya come out?" she asks, no, I can't come out. I'll get in even more trouble if I do. So I just make a noise again.
She comes and sits pretty close to me, how she found me, I dunno "Come on out sweetie. I won't hurt you"
I shake my head no, "have to stay here"
"Why?" she asks me, I don't know why. it's what I always do after they hurt me.
"I just do..." I reply, and make that noise again.
"Please come out Wyatt… I just wanna see if you're okay" she asks, I think I'm okay, but I must not be if she's here and things
"where are you taking me?" I sounded like I'm scared, I can't be scared. They said I wasn't supposed to be scared.
"It depends on if you're hurt or not" she says, I don't know what that means, but I'm kinda afraid to ask,because she'll think I'm stupid or something.
I make this noise again, it kinda sounds like I'm crying, but I'm not. "what does that mean?"
"If you're really hurt we're gonna take you to a doctor but if you're not we won't" she tells me, I can't go see a doctor, I can't pay, and they'd find out I left this spot.
I shake my head no, "no doctor"
"Alright. I won't make you go..." she says, good. I haven't really been to the doctor so I don't know what it's supposed to be like.
"let me stay here, I can't leave this spot..." I tell her, I'll get in big trouble if I leave here, I just can't. She sounds really nice though, and my tummy is making this growly noise and it hurts.
"Just come out so I can see ya hon…" she says, she doesn't sound mean at all so I crawl over to her because my tummy hurts too much to stand up.
"What happened hon?" she asks, I don't get why she's calling me hon and sweetie, they never call me those things.
"I... I was bad..." I tell her, that's the only thing I can think of to say. I'm not supposed to say the words hit, or slapped, or some other word that starts with an A.
"You're not bad" she tells me, how is this true? Everything I do is bad, it's what they say all the time.
"I am. That's what happened. Talking to cops is bad" I tell her again, she must not get what I'm trying to say.
She puts her hand on my back and starts rubbing it, I've never had anyone do this before, "Talking to me isn't bad hon. I just wanna make sure you're okay"
I shrug my shoulders "I dunno what to do..."
"It's okay if you come with me" she says, I remember her showing me her badge at school, so she's a real cop, I guess I should go with her.
I scoot a little closer to her, she doesn't really scare me, "and do what?"
"Just get ya some food and probably some ice for those bruises" she says, I don't need ice. And I dunnoif my tummy hurts because of not having food or being hit.
"not hungry" I tell her when I remember that I'm supposed to say I've had something to eat.
"You sure?" she asks, I don't think she believes me.
I nod, "they gave me food"
"Okay…" she says, maybe she does believe me.
I make that crying sound again, "I'm okay... just go"
"You sure you don't want any food? I can hear your stomach growlin" she asks, I hang my head, she doesn't believe me.
I just nod, I can't say anything more because I don't know what to say.
"I'm still gonna stay with you a little longer" she says, I've noticed other cops are walking around the house looking at things, but I'm not sure why.
"why are there other cops here?" I ask, I probably sound scared.
"They just came with me because we heard someonehurt you" she tells me, I don't want them finding out, they can't. I'll be in trouble, and I don't know what I should do anymore.
I don't know why I keep making this crying sound but I say something that I don't really understand because I'm trying not to cry, "scared"
"It's okay to be scared…" she says, did I really just tell her that? I've always been scared here, but that's another word I'm not allowed to use.
"they'll know I told if I'm not here when they come back" I tell her, she can't take me, I'll get hit again.
"They can't hurt you if you're not here" she says, how? They'll find me and do it.
"but where will I go?" I ask, I don't want to go to a new place, that scares me too.
"You can probably stay with me. I'd have to check but I think you can" she says, if I could stay with her I think I'd like it, but I dunno.
"really?" I ask, I just don't believe her.
"Yeah" she says, smiling.
I hang my head, "I... lied about somethin" lying to cops is bad. Daddy told me so, now I'm in really big trouble.
"What?" she asks, she doesn't look mad, she hasn't looked mad at all, I just don't get this.
"I'm... uhm... I want food..." I'm not allowed to say hungry either, I just don't get why I can't say all these words.
"Okay" she says, smiling. I don't get this, why does she say okay the first time, I usually have to beg.
"so I have to come with you?" I ask, there isn't really anything here for me to eat, so I guess she will have to take me somewhere.
"You can" she says, smiling.
"mmk..."
She stands up and gives me her hand, I take it and she helps me walk out of the house and to her car. I'm really scared but it's a nice looking car and it has a police light on it. But police lights actually look kinda cool, so maybe she'll let me look at it.
SO this one feels a little shorter than the usual chapters but we were having issues with how to cut it up and this is what we arrived at… so yeah.
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