Chapter 6 Separated by the glass…

After a little while, the guys are standing on the fifth floor, staring sadly through a glass window. Kendall and Logan watch the form strapped to a hospital bed. More restraints had to be used than last time and two security guards have taken guard outside the door.

"He looks so thin… Didn't they give them any food?" Logan questions.

"I'm more worried about what they did do." Kendall replies. Logan looks at him, but doesn't respond.

It's the same thought that's been running through his own mind ever since they watched Carlos nearly choke James. Speaking of which, Logan suddenly notices James standing a small distance behind them. Logan walks towards him and winces when he sees James jump a little.

"It's okay, it's just me." James nods and shows a small smile. Logan smiles back, but he also notices his friend is trembling slightly. And he tries his best to ignore the slowly forming bruise on his neck. "Jay?" he asks quietly.

"I'm okay, Logan." He replies with another smile. This one feels more real and Logan feels more reassured. "I guess I just hoped everything would magically be fine, you know? I should've known it wouldn't be so easy. I'm so stupid sometimes."

"James, this isn't your fault."

"Yes, it is. Of course it's my fault. I shouldn't have reached out to him like that. He wasn't ready."

"James…"

"No, Logan. If it's not my fault, then whose is it? It sure as hell isn't Carlos' fault and you know that."

"No, it's not. And it's not your either. You couldn't have known how he would react, none of us did."

"I know whose fault it is. It's those guys that took him and locked him up in that creepy building. They're the ones who turned him into this." Kendall's voice suddenly sounds beside them. "When I get my hands on them…"

"Kendall, they're already gone, remember? They found four bodies in that building. The men who did this are all dead."

"Oh, right. Well, it's a good thing they are, cause I would have killed them myself."

"I know how you feel." James says in agreement. "How did they die anyway?"

"Apparently they were all shot. I heard some officers talking and for some reason they think Carlos did it." Logan explains. The other two stare at him with mouths agape.

"You can't be serious.." Kendall starts. Logan shakes his head. "Wow…"

"You guys can't really believe that." James says all of a sudden. His friends don't reply. "I can't believe you. How could you think that for even a second?"

"James… As much as I hate to think it myself, look at what he did to you. And you didn't even do anything. These guys... well, who knows what they did to him and those kids."

"No, I won't believe it. He wouldn't do that…"

"James, listen. I didn't want to tell you guys this, but when I overheard those officers talking, they said something else. When they got to that building, they found those four dead guys and Carlos standing in front of them. He was holding a gun."

"No, I am not listening to this…" James replies as he starts to walk away.

"James, as much as it hurts, you need to hear this." Logan says as he pulls James's arm. "Carlos tried to shoot the officers who came in and he may have killed those guys."

"No, no, no…"

"James, listen to me. Carlos is not the same guy we grew up with. We can't treat him the way we always did."

"Yes, thank you, Mr. obvious. I think I already got that when he tried to choke the life out of me!" He screams, before he lets himself slide down the wall to the floor and starts to sob. Logan and Kendall exchange looks and then sit down next to him, enveloping him in a tight hug. "I just wanted to help him…"

"We know, James.. It's okay."

"No, it's not… Did you see him? He was gone for two years and I barely even recognize him. He used to be full of life, always trying to find the good in people and trying to make everyone laugh. Now he's so lost… I'm pretty sure he didn't even know who I was…"

"Maybe not at first, but I think he was starting to remember, right before they sedated him again…" Kendall grumbles.

"Hey, are you Carlos Garcia's friends?" The guys look up from the floor at the blond haired woman standing in front of them. "I'm detective Lucy Crimson, I'm one the of the officers who found him." She says, before showing her badge. The guys exchange looks.

Some time later they are all sitting down in a separate waiting room. James has calmed down and Lucy hands him a cup of coffee. He quietly thanks her, before she sits down herself.

"So, you were in a boy band?" The guys share a smile. "It must be difficult to see your friend like this." Their smiles are wiped off in a second. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. This case is noting like I've ever experienced. I don't really deal with people that well." They exchange looks.

"Do you know what happened to him?" James quietly asks.

Lucy sighs. "Well, from the evidence we gathered, it seems likely that your friend was locked up in a separate room in the building we found him in, together with a group of children. The men that took them used a lot of mental and physical abuse on them, although some kids seem to be worse off than others." The guys look hurt, but not shocked to hear this. "We're not sure of any details, because the doctor's can't examine anyone without a parental consent."

"Why would he need that? He's 18, can't he make his own decisions?" Logan suggests.

"Well, even though it's news to me that he is 18, he's not mentally stable enough to make a decision like this. And next to that, he hasn't said a word since we found him."

"Not one word?" Kendall asks.

"I'm afraid not. According to some of the children, he stopped talking a while ago. In fact, his whole personality seemed to have changed over night. The only thing that didn't change was his overprotectiveness of the other kids." The guys smile at hearing that.

"I'm sorry, not that we're not extremely grateful that you're telling us all of this, but why are you telling us all this? Are we even allowed to know? Shouldn't you be telling his family instead of us?" Lucy smiles at Logan. He must be the smart one.

"That would be the normal thing to do. But honestly, I don't do normal. I never have. I saw you boys come in and I can see how much you care about him. As far as I know, you are his family. So, you should be informed. But there is one thing I would like to ask you. We've been trying to get a hold of his parents, but we can't seem to reach them. Do you by any chance know how we can get in touch with them?"

"We honestly don't know. We didn't stay in touch with them after they gave up the search. And then after the 'funeral', they moved away. We don't know were they went." Lucy sighs and nods, before standing up.

"I better go speak to the doctors again, maybe we can find out what happened from the other children."

"I'm sorry we couldn't help you." Logan offers.

"It's okay, boys. I think it's a good thing you came here. I'm sure your friend appreciates it, even if it doesn't seem that way right now." She tells them with a smile. They smile back, before Kendall suddenly jumps up from his chair.

"Wait! Maybe there is a way we can help." Lucy walks back towards them, while Logan and James share a confused look.

"What do you mean?"

"Do you really need permission from his parents or would a legal guardian be able to decide?"

"I suppose that might help, but I don't see why he would need a legal guardian if his parents are still alive."

"When we moved to LA, my mom was the only parent that came with us. The other parents all gave their permission that she would take care of us. So while we were in LA, she was the other guys' legal guardian. And because Carlos went missing, we never changed that arrangement. So officially, while we're still here, my mom is still his legal guardian." Logan and James stare in shock at their friend, who just figured all of this out.

"Hm… And do you by any chance know how I might be able to get in touch with her?" Lucy asks him.

"I have her cell phone number right here." He says with a smile.

3 hours later…

"Boys? Is it true? Did they really find him?" Jennifer Knight's voice suddenly rings through the hospital floor. The guys stand up and run over to her.

"Mom!" Kendall yells and pulls her into a tight hug. She hugs him back and then looks concerned at the other boys who quickly go back to staring through the glass window. She goes to stand beside them and her hand flies to her mouth with a gasp.

"Oh, my god… What did they do to him?" She says in a near whisper.

"Carlos? It doesn't even look like him…" Another voice suddenly mentions.

"Katie? You came too?" But before she has a chance to respond, Kendall pulls her into a big hug as well.

"Of course. Carlos is my brother, too." The guys smile at that statement. But then they all sadly turn back towards the glass.

Carlos is still under sedation, but he slowly starts to stir again. Panic sets in once again when he finds himself back in the restraints.

"Mrs. Knight?" Lucy's voice sounds from next to them. They all force themselves away from the window. "I'm sorry to disturb you. I'm Detective Lucy Crimson. I was one of the officers who found Carlos and the other children."

"I'm Jennifer Knight. Thank you so much…" She says and hugs Lucy, who awkwardly pats her on the back.

"Yes, well. I was wondering if I could talk to you about the reason we asked you to come here."

A little while later…

"So, what do you say, Mrs. Knight?"

"I say you have my permission to do whatever is necessary to help him."

"Thank you very much, I'll go inform the doctors." Lucy says and shakes hands with Jennifer as they walk back to the boys and Katie.

"Well?" Kendall asks her straight away.

"I've given them my full permission, so they're about to examine him for any physical injuries." James looks up quickly.

"So they'll be touching him?"

"Well, they'll have to if they want to found out what those bad men did to him."

"But I couldn't even touch him."

"James, this needs to be done in order for him to get better."

"I know, Kendall… it's just that…" He pauses.

"What, James? It's just what?"

"Have you guys even stopped to think why he doesn't want anyone to touch him? Do you remember what that detective lady told us? He hasn't always been like this. He didn't change until a while ago. In just one night his entire personality changed, heck, he stopped talking!"

"What are you getting at?" Kendall asks.

"Oh god.. I think I know what James means…" Logan suddenly says, his face losing color.

"What? What is going on?" Kendall asks them.

"Nobody else changed like he did, but nearly all of them were physically abused. What if he was… you know…" James starts, not able to say it out loud. Suddenly, Kendall realizes as well.

"…so, could you take a blood sample as well? That way we can figure out if they used any toxins on him. They probably sedated him more than once; we'd like to know what kind they used. Oh, and could you also check if he was… well… abused in other ways?" they suddenly hear Lucy discussing with a doctor quietly.

"You want me to run a rape kit?" The female doctor replies.

"Uhm, yes. We just need to know for sure."

"Of course. I'll have a nurse inform you of the results once we're done."

"Thank you doctor."

The guys have all turned pale and shoot a look towards Mrs. Knight.

"Mom, you can't let them do this." Kendall pleads with her.

"Sweetie, I know this is hard, but isn't this why you called me to come down here so fast?"

"Yes, but that was before I knew what they were going to do.."

"Honey, what did you expect? They need to know what happened to him. I don't like this anymore than you do, but this is the only way we can help him. When we know what happened, we can start to help him go through it. The only thing we can do now is wait and just be there for him."

"We should be in there with him." James announces, before standing up. Logan quickly puts his hand on his arm to stop him.

"We can't. We would only make things worse. James, I know you want to help him, but remember what happened the last time you tried to reach out to him? And he was just sitting on the floor then. He needs to go through this, we'll be right here when it's over." Logan tries to assure him, but there are unshed tears in his own eyes.

"What if he was really… you know.."

"Then we'll be right there to help him through it. He'll be okay, James. He's got us to support him and we're not giving up on him." Kendall says, going straight back into leader-mode as he pulls both his friends in a big hug. Soon, two other sets of hands wrap around them as well.

Everything was going to be just fine. They would check Carlos' injuries and he would be okay. He was just in shock. That was the reason for his behavior. He was fine, soon things would go right back to normal. That's the way it always happened. Fine, everything will be fine…

A/N: Hi! Yes, more drama. Maybe a little much repetition in this chapter, but it was needed. A long process will be needed, indeed.

I hope more people will review this time, but as long as you're enjoying it, that's already great Reviews just really help keep me motivated as a writer. So if you have any comments, suggestions, let me know, I love lengthy reviews most of all ;)

Thank you and I really hope you're enjoying reading my stories so far. Until next time!

Love, Baxxie