Once the kids were gone Tom walked to the admissions desk and asked for Noah's file. He showed his ID and the guardianship papers to the clerk. She told him that he could view the folder in the small cubicle just inside the trauma room doors, but she could not let him take it out of that area.

He told her that was fine and motioned Abby to follow him. Once they were inside the cubicle the clerk handed the file to Tom and walked back to her desk.

Tom opens the folder and takes out the pictures, he turns to Abby and says in quiet voice, "I want you to understand and to see why I was so freaked out when I called you. Noah collapsed after I arrived at the house. Its his blood that is all over me and the kids."

Abby really doesn't want to see the pictures, she is terrified of what she will see. Her eyes are pleading as she tells Tom, "I am sorry that I went off on you. You don't have to show me his file."

"I want you to understand about Noah when you are sitting with him while I am gone. Some of the injuries date back over a month ago and some are longer than that." Toms starts laying out the pictures on the white table top.

He almost loses his empty stomach at the sight of them. The different shades, colors, some small and some large enough to be a shoe print.

So many bruises, so many different parts of his upper body.

Abby is staring at the pictures, the horror show that is on display taking her breath away.

The pictures show various colors of bruises on his ribs, his abdomen, his back and the area around his kidneys. The colors are varied from black to blue to an angry green yellow

She picks up one that shows his lower back, the anger drips off her words, "Oh my God. Tom what the hell? Who could do that?"

Tom shakes his head, staring at the picture of Noah's chest. He picks up the Polaroid, without looking at Abby, "Some are from his mother and some are from Juvenile Hall. I didn't realize there were so many bruises."

Tom doesn't realize that he is crying until a tear hit's the surface of the table. How could Noah survive this without anyone noticing his pain?

.

Abby feels her own tears slip silent down her cheeks. What kind of human could do this to someone?

A bruise mars his left cheek, but the sight of the swollen lip makes Abby gasp. It is split open almost reaching his nose.

Abby hands Tom back the picture, "Please put the pictures up, I cant look at them anymore." She wipes at the wet streaks on her cheeks.

"Abby this isn't the worst part, the doctor thinks something else happened in that place," Tom's voice is barely a whisper.

Abby starts shaking her head not wanting to hear the next words. She sees the fear in Tom's eyes.

"The doctor thinks that someone attempted to rape Noah or used the threat of rape against him while he was in there. There is no physical evidence that shows he was raped, but his reaction to being touched indicates that something did happen," his voice cracks just a little bit.

He wasn't raped physically, but psychologically? She thinks of the terror this kid must have gone through. She reaches for the trash can and throws up. Tom holds her hair back until she stops retching and hands her some tissues.

"Abby do you need to go outside and get some air?" Tom asks putting the file back together.

"Yeah, I think I do," her whole body is shaking.

Tom takes the file back to the clerk.

They both walk outside and breath in the crisp, night air. Neither one saying anything.

Fugitive by Mark Salling

But life will be better

isnt that what you said?

He's haunting her still

She just wanted glory

But not every story is told on the page

I know what you did

You can't say, "nevermind" forever.