Chapter 4
Arriving Janet sat on the small sofa patting the empty space next to it Lizzy hesitantly sat next to her looking at her hands
"So what's up?" Janet asked, Lizzy stayed silent
"Is it school? Are you feeling ok?" Janet tried to guess, Lizzy shook her head
"Daddy said it's wrong to hit people" Lizzy said quietly, Janet nodded her mind running through a million possibilities of what could be wrong as she planned her answer carefully,
"Most of the time it is why did someone hit you?" She asked half dreading the answer but knowing she needed to know and obviously Lizzy needed to tell someone and had picked her to be the one she told.
"No" Lizzy answered, Janet relaxed slightly
"Did you hit somebody else?" Janet asked desperately running out of ideas
"No" Lizzy responded indignantly, Janet hugged her as way of an apology, thinking of other things that could be wrong.
"Jake's dad hit his mum" Lizzy whispered quietly, Janet nodded wondering what to say her mind running through the possible situations in which that would happen in front of the kids.
"Why?" She asked thinking everything fitted his quiet behaviour the fear of his father how quiet he was,
"Dunno Jake said he always does it but he doesn't know why," Lizzy said, now she had plucked up the courage to talk she couldn't stop.
"He punched her in the ribs she was on the floor gasping for breath do you think she was ok?" Lizzy asked. Janet smiled reassuringly guessing this is why Lizzy had chosen to talk to her as a doctor someone who would know if she was ok. Lying only slightly since she hadn't seen the injury Janet gave all the reassurance she could.
"I'm sure she was fine" Janet said then hesitantly continued
"Has Jake's dad ever hit him?"
"Jake said it was only the once cus he tried to stop his dad hitting his mum" Lizzy said, Janet knew she would have to take action if Jakes dad had hit him.
"Sometime Lizzy people are just bullies by hitting others it makes them feel better like the Gould on your planet remember, its not right and it shouldn't happen and I think I need to go and have a word with Jake's mum about it" Janet told her,
"But Jake said his dad is really powerful which is why he can't be stopped"
"Liz, do you know what Jake's daddy does?" Janet asked
"Policeman" Lizzy said, inwardly Janet groaned knowing it had just got a lot harder,
"Jake said he was in charge of all the policemen" Lizzy said sounding proud boasting on behalf of her friend, internally Janet screamed knowing things were stacking against her helping Jake's mum,
"Well honey I will try to sort it but sometimes even though you want to help someone they aren't ready to be helped, but I will defiantly try my best" Janet promised moving to stand up
"You won't tell daddy will you" Lizzy asked grabbing her sleeve, Janet sat back down
"Why Liz?" She asked both worried and curious
"Cus he'd be mad" Lizzy inform her, Janet hid her look of confusion schooling it into concern
"Why?"
"Cus he said I should stand up to bullies but I didn't I hid" Lizzy said now crying, Janet hugged her
"Lizzy your dad loves you so much that nothing, nothing could change that. You did the right thing coming to tell me"
"I know" Lizzy said her eyes dropping to the floor,
"So you'll tell him" Janet said, Lizzy nodded slowly.
"Tell you what lets go downstairs and have some cake and feed Sha're and don't worry about Jake I will sort it" Janet promised as Lizzy shyly nodded taking Janet's hand as they went downstairs. Jack and Daniel were quietly talking as they appeared.
"Everything ok?" Jack asked standing up making eye contact with Janet to reassure himself it was, noticing she didn't seem to worried he relaxed slightly, Lizzy came over hugging him Jack responded by hugging her back.
"Jan, Liz" he asked noticing Janet was looking at Lizzy to explain, Lizzy climbed on his knee automatically he reached round and hugged her.
"Promise you won't get mad" Lizzy said catching Janet's slight nod he went with it guessing from that he wouldn't be mad at her for it.
"Ok I promise" he said cuddling her closer,
"When I was at Jake's house his dad came home and started yelling at his mum then he hit her hard" Lizzy practically whispered, Jack took a deep breath in as he formulated his response.
"Liz why would I get mad?" he asked
"Cus I didn't stand up to him" Liz said getting quieter, Jack looked puzzled so Janet jumped in to explain it to him.
"She thinks you'll be angry because she didn't stand up to a bully" Jack's mouth opened in surprised that Lizzy would even think that.
"Liz I would never be angry not facing an adult, but I am very proud of you for telling me about it" he said emphasising every word, he wanted her to know he wasn't angry.
"Auntie Janet said Jake's mum will be ok" Liz said sounding happier now, Jack nodded.
"I'm sure she will, hey Liz why don't you go and check on Sha're she should be waking up soon" Jack asked, Lizzy jumped up running out of the room a lot happier now, Jack looked at Janet and Daniel silently asking for suggestions,
"It gets worse apparently Jake's dad is a policeman, the Captain to be precise" she said raising both eyebrows, Jack swore under his breath.
"I think I should go over and talk to her tomorrow when he is out" Janet offered, Jack shook his head no
"What if 'daddy' is there, you might get hurt" Jack said, Daniel nodding his agreement, but Janet shook her head,
"I can drive past and when I knock if he is there I can pretend Liz has lost her jumper of something, and if it's a woman she is more likely to confide in me than you 2" Janet pointed out, both conceded the point.
"Ok but I'm coming to" Jack insisted when Janet began to argue he held up his hand
"I'll wait in the car" he promised
"I'll come too" Daniel said seeing Janet was going to relent as she opened her mouth to protest he jumped in
"Ah I'll wait with Jack and the only reason he'll be needed is if something goes wrong" Janet sighed
"Well one of you needs to stay to look after Sha're" Janet pointed out, but Daniel was already reaching for the phone
"Cassie hi, I have a big favour to ask you are you free for about an hour tomorrow to watch Sha're…yes 10am will be fine…no Lizzy will be in school…..ok see you then…love you too…bye" Daniel hung up grinning
"See all sorted" he said looking innocent, Janet rolled her eyes
"Fine but you park down the street" she bargained they both nodded as Lizzy ran in, Jack caught her lifting her up
"Daddy Sha're pooped" Lizzy told him scrunching up her dace in disgust, Janet and Daniel exchanged glances hopefully waiting for the other to volunteer, Janet sighed
"Fine I'll go" she said leaving the room, Jack put Lizzy down
"We should go too after all it is a school night" Lizzy put up her token fight but willingly went, Jack waved bye to Daniel and yelled it up the stairs to Janet who yelled her goodbye back. Then walked back to Jacks house where he bathed Lizzy and put her to bed then sat outside with the small window open so as he looked up at the stars, he sat pondering on what tomorrow would bring hoping Janet would be able to help Jakes mum. As it started to rain he went inside to bed.