Chapter 12

John listened to his partner actually encourage his daughter to violence and was very concerned about his mental status. John was glad he was doing the driving as he looked at the distant angry stare in Roy's eyes.

Once they were behind the doors of the DeSoto home John encouraged Roy to take Jenny upstairs and help her pack an overnight bag and John headed straight for the phone and dialed Captain Stanley. He had just finished giving his superior a run down on what was happening in the DeSoto house hold along with a whisper of his fears concerning Roy's mental state.

After he finished on the phone John slipped into the kitchen to see what was available to fix a meal with and was just putting together some ham sandwiches and soup, planning to pack some to take to the hospital for JoAnne to eat, when he heard a knock on the door and went to answer it.

Checking threw the window John was first reluctant to open the door when he saw two boys a couple years older than Chris but when two adults stepped on the porch behind the boys and John recognized a couple of Roy's trusted neighbors, John called to Roy that he had visitors and carefully opened the door.

At John's call Roy came from the back bedroom carrying his daughter defensively but let out a sigh as he recognize his neighbors the Connors standing in his door way.

"Grayson, Jean, Boy's come on in," Roy welcomed his guests as he sat Jenny on the floor next to him but kept her close by holding a hand in the middle of her back.

"We heard about Chris," Grayson took the lead, "Is he going to be alright?"

"He's in the hospital at least for the night, their watching him for internal bleeding." Roy listed carefully, "He's hurting a lot but if all goes well tonight he'll probably come home tomorrow or the next day."

Cautious sighs of relief were shared among their guests, then after a look between the visiting parents the father spoke again. "We've has a little of the same trouble with our boys, not as severe as Chris but we're not sure what to do about it. We've talked to Mr. Bunker a few times about the boys in his class. He claims that our boys are always starting it, we know better by it's just our sons' word against his and the rest of the teachers have nothing but praise for the way that man works with the troubled boys in the school, They don't seem to believe us or out children. The boy's claim Mr. Bunker actually encourages fighting to a point as part of his method of control in his class room. "

"We heard you managed to get some rules put through the principal's office so that Mr. Bunker didn't have any right to discipline your children and that you pressed charges against the boys," Mrs. Connor spoke up feeling her husband was taking too long to get to the point of their visit. "We were hoping you could help us do the same."

Roy thought for a moment then nod his head, "Let me call the person that helped us, she needs to talk to other kids that have had troubles before she goes to the school board to demand several changes that will help."

"You need to stay together in large groups and stay away from him," Jenny spoke up still being kept close to her father's side.

Roy then pulled his wallet out and found the business card for Miss Marlow and gave her a call. It just so happened she was close by conducting her investigation so she swung by the DeSoto home to meet their friends.

After talking with Miss Marlow and trusting in Roy's advice the Connors told about other families that were having problems with Mr. Bunker and after borrowing Roy's phone a meeting of six different families was quickly pulled together in Roy's back yard. Several police officers were called in to help take statements and stepping in with the last of the officers were Hank and Emily Stanley.

While the police and Miss Marlow conducted the investigation, Emily entertained Jenny while Hank and John managed to get Roy alone in the back yard, where he could see his daughter and know that she was safe but also know that she couldn't hear all that was being said.

With the support of his Captain and partner, Roy explained that the Chris's beating was meant to be a message to Jenny to keep her mouth shut. He also explained that several of the witnesses were afraid to come forward because attacks have been made at home, and that it was going to take some time yet to gather the evidence they needed to make the school safe again. When Roy told his friends about the social worker telling him to keep his children out of school until further notice, everyone got the picture.

In the security of friendship Roy was able to admit that he was scared for himself and his family and nobody thought the less of him.

As the gathering began to break up Hank and Emily offered to take Jenny home with them but Jenny was to frightened to be anywhere but with her parents so her overnight bag and sleep sac were loaded in Johnny's Rover and Roy picked his daughter up in his protective arms and they went back to the hospital.

Roy replaced JoAnne at their son's bed side while Johnny and Jenny made sure she ate the sandwiches and grapes they brought for her. Then the three of them stepped in the room again to check on Chris before Johnny coaxed young Jenny out of the room so that Jo and Roy could talk freely. After a couple of stories Johnny was able to get Jenny to sleep on the floor in a corner of the waiting room. Through out the night all three adults took turns sitting at Chris's bed side with the other two slept on the couches in the waiting room. When morning test results were back Johnny was invited to watch the two children while Roy and JoAnne were guided to Dr. Brackett's office, where they were told that there was some evidence of internal bleeding but that he was confident it should take care of it's self with rest. The end translation, hospital bed rest and monitoring for another twenty four hours, and to answer Roy's question it was doubtful there would be any complications for grandchildren but that would have to be evaluated at a much later date.

Later that day when Chris was tired of his sister taking his blood pressure every ten minutes JoAnne walked her daughter over to visit with the Baldwin children who were visiting with their mom. While the children played together in a supervised play room JoAnne stepped in and introduced herself to the other children's mother. She was stable but still had a long way to go before she was fully back on her feet. As rotten as the women felt she was so grateful for some one her own age to talk to who understood what she was going through. Mrs. Baldwin told how the teacher Mr. Bunker convinced her that her son didn't need to go to the doctor for his arm and how she regretted listening to him. She must have thanked JoAnne a hundred times for having a daughter who took care of her children and her. When she finally drifted off to sleep out of exhaustion JoAnne left the room and vowed to get the neighborhood involved in helping her and her children.

Roy went back to work the day Chris was released from the hospital, but only because JoAnne had accepted a volunteer responsibility at an Emergency Child Shelter where Chris, Allen, Tracy and Jenny were all being cared for and kept caught up with their school work. Both Chris and Allen liked being able to lay in bed while they listened to their school instructions. They also liked taking a nap between Math and English. Jenny quickly finished her school assignments then helped Tracy with her's. The two girls then spent most of their spare time getting to know the people that ran the shelter. One of the great-grandmotherly volunteers was complaining that her arm felt numb and since she was a small lady Jenny thought her blood pressure cuff would work. The blood pressure reading Jenny got was so high she called a squad before talking to any of the adults and when the squad arrived the paramedics started lecturing Jenny on making false alarms. Jenny was persistent and JoAnne suggested that they take their own blood pressure readings and down right giggled at the speed they pulled the bio-phone open and called the ladies vitals in.

After the paramedics took the elderly volunteer to the hospital Jenny and Tracy gave each of the volunteers a quick physical. Well really they just collected and recorded vitals information on little cards someone found in a cupboard at the shelter.

Chris and Allen were still quite stiff and sore but it was amazing how Tracy opened up now that she felt safe. Later when the Baldwin children were taken to visit with their mother, JoAnne took her two and headed home.

While JoAnne and her children were safely behind the doors of the Shelter, Squad 51 was temporarily taken out of service to attend the school board meeting where Roy was expected to testify about how Mr. Bunker tried to convince him not to get medical treatment for his son. The testimony was to be made more powerful by him giving it in uniform.

Roy was the third person to give similar testimony before Miss Marlow stood up to give other information she had gathered pointing out a pattern of children being hurt when ever a complaint was filed against Mr. Bunker.

At the end of the meeting Mr. Bunker was ban from the medical room and informed that the school district was considering moving his class and program to a more secured facility. Information would be studied in detail and a decision would be announced in one month.

Roy and Johnny made their way to the squad feeling some satisfaction about the result of the meeting when they were stopped by a very angry Mr. Bunker.

"You know you're just making things worse, none of this is going to solve your son's problems," the teacher spoke in an authoritative tone.

Roy could feel his blood begin to boil but he could also feel a firm hand take hold of his upper arm from the behind him as he noticed all the right people gathering behind Mr. Bunker.

Roy took a deep breath and then spoke. "The only problem that I see my son having at this moment is you and your little group of enforcers." Roy paused in an effort to remain calm, "I think this is a good start to solving his and several other students problems."

"Just like most parents, you are totally blind to what you children's problems are," Mr. Bunker began to raise his voice, "You aren't around your children as much as I am, you don't see the things I see."

"Just what is it that you see is Chris DeSoto's problem?" Miss Marlow questioned behind him.

The angry Teacher turned to his questioner and the school board members and police officers that had gathered behind him, "His biggest problem is you Miss Marlow, and people like you. You go on telling him how good he is for stepping up and taking charge, He doesn't know how to conform, He doesn't follow the rules."

"And which are those rules," Miss Marlow continued to question, some how Roy knew she had an ulterior motive. "Just what set of rules does he not follow?"

"He's just a child," Mr. Bunker spoke with growing anger, "He needs to act like one and stop trying to take charge of every little situation that comes along, He needs to learn to do as he is told and respect his superiors."

"And just who do you believe those superiors are?" Miss Marlow questioned once again as she pointed with her pen in his direction.

"His teachers to begin with and all the other adults in his life," Mr. Bunker answered.

"Squad 51 are you available?" was heard from the radio and after sharing eye contact and agreeing gestures John pulled the HT to his mouth and declared themselves available.

"Stand by for response," was heard and Roy and John climbed in the cab of the squad and started pulling on their helmets as the police in the area began clearing the people away from the squad and motioning them out of their parking slot.