Callie POV
"Go. I'll be okay," I assured Jude, after I asked him to leave the room before I give my statement to the cops. I didn't want him in here, while I let the police officers known, how I got attacked. Jude doesn't need to know the details. This is hard enough on him as it is.
"Fine, but if you need me, I'll be right outside," Jude said letting me know, he won't go far. I appreciated it – that he was staying close. Just the thought of him being near, calmed me down.
Even thought Jude agreed to leave, he was still reluctant to leave. He looked at me like he wanted to ask me again, if I was sure that I don't want him to stay, but he never voiced his thoughts. I saw the worry in his eyes.
I wasn't the only one, who must have noticed, how reluctant he was to leave. His other foster mom, the cop, put a hand on his back and assured him "Don't worry. It won't take long. We are only asking her few questions," Jude looked at his foster mom as she spoke to him
What I hadn't expected was for Jude to be so accepting of her reassurance. I noticed that he didn't even flinch away from the foster moms touch. Not even a little bit. He looked comfortable, like it was my hand on his back.
Jude nodded his head as he turned back to me and informed me "I'll be outside if you need me,"
Before he left, the cop placed a kiss to my brothers temple. Once Jude had walked away from the cop, his other foster mom, put a hand on his shoulder blade as they walked out of my room.
What the hell was happening? - I thought to myself as I looked at the doors, where Jude had walked out
These woman, were treating Jude like they knew him for years, like he was their own flesh and blood by kissing him, touching him, comforting him. And Jude seemed more than okay with the affection, but it got me feeling uneasy and nervous. Paranoid even. They only have known him for what...2 days. What happens after a week or two weeks? I started to fear that, while I'm spending my days here in hospital recovering, these two woman are going to steal him away from me. I can see it happening right in front of my eyes. Jude comes visit me less and less, but these woman are getting more and more friendlier with Jude and turning him against me. Telling him, how bad of a guardian I am, how he will have no future with living with me, how I treat him badly. Before I know it, Jude will want to live with them, not me. He always did want to find a forever family.
I felt a bit of anger towards Jude's foster moms for the most ridiculous thing ever – for treating Jude good. If we had met these two foster parents, when we both were in foster care, I wouldn't feel this way. But right now, as crazy as it seems, I see them as my opponents. Someone, who could take Jude away from me for good by simply being better at everything. I have always felt an obligation to Jude, to taking care of him. I'm responsible for my brother. Now that someone can take that away from me by simply replacing me - makes me feel threatened. I don't like this feeling. Not at all. I have never felt this insecure before.
I'm not saying that I don't appreciate the fact that Jude's taken care of and treated good. I'm glad that he's not in another abusive home and that I don't have to worry about his safety. To be honest, I would much rather him being placed with someone, who doesn't really care and ignore him and only took him in for the money, rather than someone, who cares too much and could fall in love with him and end up taking him away from me.
"Callie! Did you hear me?"
I looked away from the closed hospital doors to the female cop, who had spoken up. She was standing by the end of the bed along with her partner, looking at concerned.
"Sorry...what?" I asked quietly, because I felt headache coming back. I had a feeling that the pain medication was slowly wearing off.
"I asked, how are you feeling?" Jude's foster mom asked
"Peachy!" I retorted sarcastically. The female officer looked like she had been expecting that sort of answer.
"Can we just get this over with?" I asked wanting to put this behind me already. The two officers at the end of the bed shared a look with one another and then got started.
"Okay, then," Officer Diaz mumbled as he took out a small notepad from somewhere on the belt "Lets get to it," he said putting his pen to the notepad. Officer Diaz started with telling me what they know so far. After that they turned to me to fill in the gaps and tell them how I remember it.
I recalled the day, when I was attacked.
It was a late afternoon. I had just taken money out from the ATM for Jude. The streets were pretty empty. Cars were driving down the street, but there weren't a lot of people walking. Never has been. This block has always been quiet, because it's not the city center. Usually people drive to the mall, not walk. I was walking down the street, thinking in my head, what I needed to buy for the visit to make the CPS worker happy.
Cereal
2 packs of milk
Orange juice
1 pack of eggs
Flour...hmm, I guess one pack will be enough. Maybe I will take two, just in case.
Rice
Pasta…wait, no, we had two packs at home already. I don't have to buy pasta.
I will have to get some meat for pork chop and meatballs I wanted to make.
Veggies...lots and lots of veggies. Also fruit. CPS loves to see veggies in the fridge-
I was pulled out of my thoughts, when I heard a small, quiet female voice calling out "H-help me. Please...help!" I took a step backwards and looked down the alleyway that I had just passed on my way to Vons
Down the alleyway, just a step or two away from the dumpsters, I saw a small figure coming my way. The persons left hand was pressed to the side of stomach, but the right hand was used to press up against the wall to help them keep more steady on feet. When I squinted my eyes I noticed that the left hand and the stomach was covered in something red – blood.
"Hold on!" I called out to give the person a sign that someone is coming for help. I took running down the alleyway, wanting to get to the person as fast as I could.
When the woman saw that I was running towards her, she stopped staggering forward and fell to her knees helplessly "Help," she panted out. The closer I got, the better look I got on the person. It was a young girl, a kid, maybe a year or two younger than Jude.
Once I was up to the girl, I crouched down to her and assured her "I got you. You will be okay!"
The kid had dirty blond hair that was taken up in a messy bun. By the looks, she seemed shorter than me. She had a small tunnel in her left earlobe. Green eyes. The girl was wearing jeans that were ripped on the knees and a white shirt, that had some cartoon character on. I noticed a small necklace around her neck. It had a pendant with a name - Hailey.
"Help me," She breathed out again
I reached for my phone in back pocket and I started to dial the number "I'm calling the-" I had typed 9-1, when my eye caught on to something. The blood on her shirt – it didn't look right. It didn't look real. There was no blood new blood soaking her shirt. And the blood on her hand, that she was keeping over her stomach – it was red color. And the girl herself, her face - she did not look like she was in real pain. She was faking it!
"Wha-" she suddenly snatched the phone out of my hands and jumped up to her feet, leaving me stunned for a moment
"Hey!" I called out and jumped up to my feet as well. The girl took two steps back. Right after I was up to my feet, I felt something hard and cold colliding with the back of my head. The hit was so strong that it landed me on the ground, face down. My head was now pounding in pain and for a moment my vision got a bit blurry, thankfully it cleared few seconds later. I felt how blood was dripping down the back of my head.
"Quick!" A low man's voice said. It was only then, when I realized that I was being mugged. I felt someone pull on my backpack trying to get it off my shoulders. That was when the adrenaline kicked in and I forgot about the pounding headache I had and started to fight back, as hard as I could.
"No! Ahhh!" I held on to my bag as hard as I could. I felt the person pulling on my bag. My wallet with all of my cards, credit card, bank code card and my money was in there. Keys. I couldn't lose it.
"Let...go! Let go!" the person, who was trying to take on my bag snarled at me "Stop fighting!"
I manged to roll on my back, that way making sure, that my bag will stay put. Looking up, I saw two guys standing over me, but only one of them was trying to get the bag off of me.
One was tall and buff, with dark black, short hair. He looked to be around mid 20. Black jeans, dark blue t-shirt with Adidas sign on. He had mean looking eyes, even his eyebrows looked evil. I saw a small part of a tattoo on his upper right arm. Looked like tattoo of a wolf.
The other guy looked shorter and much more skinnier. He had dirty blond hair, just like the girl. His was greasy, like he hadn't washed it in days. Same eye color, same looking features. He could be the girls older brother. Seemed to be around 18 or 20. Dark blue jeans, brown belt, black shirt with no drawing and no words on.
The skinny one was trying to reach for my backpack straps to get it off, while the more buff looking one, for now was only standing next and looking down to me. I was doing my best not to allow him to touch my bag, pushing and hitting his hands away. I think I scratched him a couple of times as well.
I managed to kick my leg out, hitting the skinny one right in his knee, sending him to the ground as well.
"He-" I had just opened my mouth to call out for help, when I felt a foot collide with my ribs making me lose my breath for a moment. The buff guy didn't stop at one kick. I felt multiple more hard kick to my stomach. After the fourth kick, I heard my own ribs crack. It was getting harder and harder to get air in my lungs. Not to mention move.
"Aarhh!" I cried out in pain after he kicked me again "...please..." I begged them to stop as I tried to roll on my side and cover my head. Thankfully the kicks stopped.
I saw a hand reach for my bag again, so instinctively I tried to push it away. The adrenaline I was helping me fight back even through the pain I was in. When the guy managed to grip my shirt by my collar, I knew this wasn't going to end good for me. Effortlessly, with one hand gripping my shirt, he lifted my upper body up from the ground a bit. Next thing I know, I saw a fist coming my way. It landed right to my left side of the face, making my vision go blurry. The guy pummeled me in the face 5 more times and then let my shirt go, that way letting my upper body fall down to the ground as well. My head bounced on the ground.
I tasted blood in my mouth. That was it. That's all I felt. There was no longer pain. It felt like, my left eye was slowly swelling up. My sight was becoming more and more narrow My breathes were short and shallow. I was laying on my back on the cold, dirty asphalt and I kept looking up to the clear blue sky that I saw up above the buildings I was between.
I felt how they took the bag off my shoulder, but I no longer could fight back. I didn't have the energy in me anymore.
"Harry!" I heard the girl say
"We need to go!" one of the man insisted
"Look how pretty. I want that!" the girl said. I saw a blurry version of her standing over me, looking down at me. The little I saw of her, it seemed like she felt nothing – no guilt, no sympathy – for what they had done.
"What?" I think the other guy spoke up, the brother, the skinny one
"That necklace!" The girl pointed at me. She wanted my moms necklace. That's the only thing I have left of her. I can't give it away without a fight.
"...okay!" the skinny one dragged and I saw him bent down
"Hurry up you two! We need to go before someone sees us!" The first guy spoke up
"...No...n-noo!" I raised my right hand up and tried to stop him, by pushing his hand away or trying to grip it in my "..don't...please!" I managed to push his hand away once, but it was a weak effort from my part
"Sorry, my sister likes it," he told me looking down at me. It sounded like he was excusing his action. I wasn't sure what he was about to do, but I knew that it won't be anything nice. The guy gripped my right hand, which I was using to fight him away and then he stomped his right foot down hard on my right shoulder. Bones cracked. I cried out in pain. It felt like someone had dropped a damn boulder on it, crushing my shoulder. A tear rolled down my right temple.
Once he let go of my right hand, it fell down to the asphalt as I was unable to move it, to hold it up. He bent down and easily pulled the necklace off my neck.
"Here!" He handed it to his sister
"...ple-please..." I begged them to not leave me here, I had to get back home. Jude was waiting me. I had to get back home. The CPS was coming for an inspection. I had to get home.
The other guy walked up to me and gripped my shirt again, raising my upper body up "Thank you for your generosity! Have a nice day!" he smirked down at me, before his fist once again collided with my face making me welcome the darkness and unconsciousness
I looked at the two cops at the end of my hospital bed "That's it. Next thing I know, I woke up in the hospital,"
"Alright," Officer Diaz said finishing writing in his notepad something "Thank you Callie. It was very helpful,"
"One question," Officer Adams Foster spoke up "If we brought in a sketch artist, do you think you would be able work with him to get the sketches of the three suspects?"
"Probably," I shrugged my left shoulder a little
"I'm gonna go call him. Get well soon," Officer Diaz said putting away his notepad and pen, then walked out of the room
"Thanks," I mumbled and watched him leave the room, closing the doors behind him
"Anything else you want to add?" Officer Adams Foster asked clicking her pen
I started back at her "...no," I replied quietly as I started to feel my headache come back. My pain medication was starting to wear off few minutes ago. The pain was becoming stronger and stronger by each minute that passed.
"Callie, we are trying to catch the people who hurt you. Even the smallest detail can help," She added trying to persuade me, giving up the last bit of information I was holding on to
I raised my left hand up to my face slowly. The movement caused pain to my ribs. I closed my eyes as I started to massage my temple, trying to take the pounding headache away. With my eye still close, my fingers gently massaging my temple, I added "Foster kids. I'm pretty sure the siblings were foster kids,"
"What makes you say that?" she asked curiously as I heard her write it down
"A feeling," I replied quietly keeping eye closed "Their eyes...the looks. I know my kind," I paused, because I felt a bit out of breath "Are we done? I'm not feeling so great," I now had a splitting headache, the incisions the doctors made were pulsing, but my ribs were hurting with every breath and move that I take. I was overall tiered.
"Yes, we are done. You did good!" The officer replied praising me "I will go get the nurse and tell Jude he can come back in," I heard her footsteps, she was walking towards the doors
I opened my eye, took my hand off my head and turned to look at her "Hey!" I called, getting her attention. Jude's foster mom stopped walking and turned to look at me, her right forearm resting over the gun, but right clenching the front of her belt.
"Jude is my brother. He is my family. You won't take him from me! I will get him back!" I stated as firmly as I could, trying to show her, that she can't just march in here and take him away from me. I will fight to get him back. I wanted to let her know that.
The blond cop gazed back at me, holding the eye contact with me. Ever so slightly she nodded her head as she pursed her lips together, like acknowledging, but not necessary agreeing or liking what I told her. The corner of her lips move upright, forming a small, sad smile, maybe a smirk. Without saying anything, she turned and left the room.
I lowered my head back down to the pillow and closed my eye, wondering if I had just made it worse for myself.