Chapter 35: Home Again with a Struggle
Kevin's PoV:
The police officer that was at the front desk, Officer Jolie Davidson, carries me outside to Officer Johnathan James' police car. She has me wrapped up in blankets. She says, "We'll let you ride in the back of the police car, sweetie. Wouldn't that be cool?" I nod. I'm still half-asleep... "You just relax and sleep in the back, OK? You're safe now, and your family will be here soon," Officer James opens the backdoor, and Officer Davidson lays me down in the back. "I'll sit in the back with him." she says. I see Officer James nod, and he closes the door.
I say, in a weak voice, "Thank you, Officer Davidson..."
"Please, call me Jolie, Kevin," She smiles .
I give her a weak smile and say, "OK..." I then say, "I'm hungry..."
"We'll get you some food as soon as we get to the hospital, OK?"
I nod and then ask, worried, "What... What if Harry comes for me in the hospital?..."
"We'll be there, just in case that happens, sweetheart. Don't worry, that man won't come after you again..."
"I'm scared, Jolie... He tortured me..." I start to cry a little bit.
"It's OK, sweetheart. It's all over now," She makes sure I'm perfectly warm by pulling up the blankets on me further. "We'll make sure he's caught, OK? He won't ever come after you again."
I bring up my left hand to my face again and continue to cry into it. "He... broke my arm... and stabbed me in the shoulder... He shot me in the ankle... and gave me a concussion..."
"It's OK. Don't worry, you're safe now..." She brushes my hair out of my eyes. Even though I have my hat on again, my hair still gets in my face...
"I shouldn't have run away from home..." I cry harder. "None of this would've happened..."
"Hey," Jolie says. "It's not your fault that there's some sick people out there, honey..."
"Yes, it is... Harry and Marv wouldn't have even known me, if I didn't set my house full of traps..."
"You did what?" Jolie asks, in a calm voice.
"Last year... I was accidentally left home, when my family went on vacation... Marv and Harry... tried to break into my house to rob it... I set traps to make sure they didn't..."
"That's not your fault, sweetheart. You were only trying to protect you and your house,"
"Harry hates me so much... Marv grew a soft spot for me, but Harry... Harry just got scarier and scarier every day..."
"We're almost to the hospital to make it all better, hon..." I continue to cry, and she continues to pet my head and wipe away my tears...
...
We eventually make it to the hospital. I'm afraid of hospitals... I always hear about bad stories that happen in the hospital, like how the doctors are evil or how people die, that could've lived... What if I die? That's the very thing I've been trying to avoid for the past five and a half days... "Come on, sweetheart, we're here," She gets out of the back of the police cruiser and takes me out. She carries me into Emergency, with Officer James, following.
We're in the Emergency Room, and Jolie carries me up to the receptionist's desk. "This is Kevin McCallister. He needs to get help right away,"
Officer James holds up his police badge, and the receptionist asks, "What's wrong with him?"
"A man saved him no more than an hour ago. He's been kidnapped for nearly a week. He's been severely injured,"
"We'll get a doctor right away, Officer..."
"Davidson. Officer Jolie Davidson."
"OK. We'll get a doctor right away, Officer Davidson,"
"Thank you," Not that much longer later, after the receptionist calls for two doctors and a stretcher, two doctors bring out a stretcher, and Jolie lays me down on it. "Make sure he stays warm. He's been out in the cold for far too long. Make sure he gets something to eat, too."
"We'll take care of him," the one doctor says.
"Thank you," Jolie says. "Bye, Kevin. You'll be safe here. We'll make sure of that, OK?" I nod, and they wheel me away...
Jolie's PoV:
I talk to the receptionist about how Harold Lime could come to the hospital to get Kevin again. I tell her that we'll stick around to make sure that doesn't happen. "We'll make sure that kid stays safe," I say. "He's very much hurt—physically and mentally."
"The doctors will make sure Kevin's well taken care of," the receptionist says.
"Thank you," I say, and Officer James nods. We head back outside, to keep watch from Officer James' police cruiser, until Kevin's family arrives. Officer James radios for some of the other officers at the station to hunt down Harold Lime. Whatever it takes, Harold Lime cannot and will not reach Kevin again...
A Few Hours Later...
Kate's PoV:
We eventually make it to Washington. We're carpooled to the hospital, via the airport transportation. As soon as we get there, we see a police car in front of the hospital. A female and a male officer exit the car and stroll over to us. The female asks, "Are you the McCallister Family?" I nod. "I'm Officer Jolie Davidson, and this is Officer Johnathan James. Your son, Kevin, was brought to the Police Station, here in Albion,"
"We're here to make sure Mr. Lime doesn't step foot in this hospital," Officer James says.
"How is he?" I ask.
"He's as good as to be expected, considering... He's very afraid of Mr. Lime, I have to say,"
"Your son is mentally not well, Mrs. McCallister," Officer James says.
I hold my hand up to my face, wanting to cry. "May we go see him now?" I ask.
"Of course. Just let them know who you are at the front desk," Officer Davidson says.
"Thank you. Come on, kids," We all head inside the hospital's Emergency Room. We head up to the front desk and say to the receptionist, "I'm Katelyn McCallister, and this is my husband, Peter. Our son, Kevin McCallister, was brought in by two police officers, Jolie Davidson and Johnathan James."
"Yes. Your son is undergoing some medical care. You'll have to wait awhile to see him, ma'am,"
"I'm not waiting to see him! I've gone for almost a week not seeing him! And, you're saying that I'm this close, and I can't see him?!"
"I'm sorry, ma'am, but after the procedure is finished, you and your family may go in and see him,"
"I'm not waiting any longer!"
"Come on, Kate, let's just sit down and relax in the waiting room. We'll be able to see him in a bit," Peter says.
"No, Peter! I wanna see my son! I came all this way to see him, and I expect to see him now!"
"Excuse me, are you Mister and Misses McCallister?" a doctor asks, interrupting my ranting.
"Yes... Yes, we are," I answer.
The doctor walks up closer to us. He says, "I'm Dr. Albert Smith. Your son will be fine. He'll need a few weeks to recover, but after that, he'll be fine. Though, that won't be the hard part. The hard part will be to get him back in the right state of mind. He's quite scared of his kidnapper. I'm afraid he's quite scarred..."
"We'll get him to a therapist as soon as we get home," I say.
"That's good, because he needs it. Your son's right arm has been broken. By the looks of the X-Rays, it was forcibly broken by being twisted, like what your son said. He also has a stab wound in his shoulder—the same shoulder as the broken arm,"
"Oh, god..." I hold my hand up to my mouth and start to cry. Peter places his arm around me.
"He also has a concussion from being hit over the head. Kevin said that he was hit over the head with a tire iron and hit over the head with a gun. The least of your worries is his black eye. He's been shot in his left ankle, though. Thank goodness it didn't get infected,"
I cry into Peter. Peter asks, "Can we go see him now?"
The doctor nods and says, "Of course. He's just been super excited to see you,"
"Thank you. What's his room number?" Peter asks.
"Second floor, Room 19,"
"Thank you again," We then head upstairs...
Kevin's PoV:
I lay here in the hospital bed, trying to sleep, when I hear a knock on the door. I open my eyes and have mixed emotions. What if that's Harry?... Then again, it could be my family! I hesitantly say, "C-Come in!"
The door opens, and my eyes water, when I see Mom, Dad, Buzz, Linnie, Megan, and Jeff walk in. Mom has the same reaction, when she sees me. "Hiya, baby..." She cries. She rushes over to me and squeezes me. She begins sobbing. I hug her as tight as I can back.
"Hi, Mommy..." She lets go of me and holds my head, kissing me unconditionally. Usually, I'd be embarrassed, but not this time... I don't want her to ever let go of me...
"Hey, sport," Dad hugs me, and I hug him back. "Thank God, you're OK..." He lets go of me, and I see my older brothers and sisters. Usually, when I saw them, I'd become afraid, because they'd always bully me, especially Buzz... But, now, this is the moment I've been waiting for all along—to see my older brothers and sisters...
"Buzz, Megan, Linnie, Jeff..." They all hug me at the same time.
When they let go of me, Buzz gives me a noogie. "Hey, tough guy," he says.
"Hiya, Buzz,"
"You're quite strong, being able to get away from Harold," he says.
I become scared again, when I hear that name, but I have to take this as a compliment, since Buzz barely ever compliments me... "Yeah, I tried to be brave, to get away..." I say, trying to smile. I turn to Mom and say, "I'm hungry. They haven't fed me yet,"
"I'm sure they'll bring you some food soon, honey," Mom says.
"When do I get to go home?" I ask.
"Hopefully, by the middle of the week," Mom answers.
"I have to wait that long?!" I whine.
"I'm afraid so. You're not well enough to go home yet, sweetheart. You've been hurt badly,"
"I don't care... I'll heal at home..." I pout.
"I'm sorry, baby, but the doctors won't allow you to go home any sooner than they say, unless things change,"
I grumble. I then perk up and ask, worried, "You guys will be staying with me in the hospital, right?! I don't wanna be left alone!"
"Of course we will be. There won't be a minute, where one of us isn't with you,"
"Mommy, I'm scared..."
"I know you are, honey, but as soon as we get back to Chicago, we'll get you someone to talk to, alright?"
"Someone? Like who?" I ask.
"Have you ever heard of a therapist?" I nod. "Do you know what therapists do?" I nod again. "We'll get you one, OK?"
"I'm afraid of one..."
"Hey. They'll help you with your fear, OK? You're in a hospital now, and you're afraid of hospitals, aren't you?" I nod. "Well then, everything will be OK,"
"Besides, if you survived someone, like Harold, you'll survive a therapist, Kev," Buzz says.
I don't say anything to that. I want to feel that everything that has happened to me was just a terrible nightmare... "Hey, Kev, I didn't notice, your hair's a different colour..." Linnie says. I slide down in my bed a little bit. I hold my hands to my head, self-consciously. "Hey, it's nothing to be ashamed of, bud. I like it,"
"You... You do?" I ask.
"Yes. It suits you,"
"I don't like it..." I let go of my head and look down. "Harry dyed it shortly after we got to the motel in Kearney, Nebraska... He wanted to take away one of my main features, so that there'd be less of a chance of anyone recognizing me..."
"You're safe now, bud. Like your new hair. It suits you," Linnie tries to assure me. She hugs me.
Dad then says, "How would you like to go on a family trip in a couple weeks?"
"Like where?" I ask.
"I don't know. Anywhere. It's your choice, dude,"
"I just wanna go home... That's the family trip I want..."
"If that's what you want, it shall be granted," Dad says.
"I also wanna say something to you guys..."
"What is it, honey? Go on," Mom encourages.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry that I back-talked you... I bet you know about what I did to Marv and Harry last year, don't you?" Mom and Dad nod. "If I hadn't of run away, I wouldn't have run into them again..."
"It was my fault, honey. I told you that I wouldn't care if you ran away..."
"No, it was my fault. I caused the argument," Buzz says.
"It was none of your faults," I reassure them. "I was being a little brat, and I shouldn't have been..."
"Oh, honey," Mom hugs me. "It's all right... It's all right... I think this experience has taught us to all get along better with each other."
"It's weird how it takes an experience, like this, to change the way our family gets along..." I say.
"It's the way things are sometimes..." Mom lets go of me. "I'll make sure the doctors bring you some food, OK?" I nod. She gets up and leaves the room...
A Few Days Later...
It's the middle of the week, Wednesday, when the doctors finally allow my family to take me home. I'm finally out of that dreaded hospital, even though they took care of me for the past few days... My head's no longer wrapped with a bandage, but my arm's in a sling and a cast. My ankle's still wrapped up, though. I'm finally in a change of clothes, too. We're finally on our way to the airport, via the airport vans. I'm so relieved that I'm finally able to go home... Though, one thing concerns me... Harry... What if he comes back for me?! He'll torture me again! He'll tie me up again, and beat me... I really hope that therapist can do something, when we get back home...
A Few Hours Later...
We finally make it back to the Chicago Airport. Via the airport transportation, we are driven from the airport to home. When I get out of the van, I look up at my big beautiful house. I never thought I'd be so happy to be home... Sure, I'm always happy to be home after a long day, or even a long week of school, but being gone for over a week, kidnapped, it brings me more joy than you know it to be back home...
"Let's go inside, honey," Mom brings me inside, while the others unpack the van. As soon as we enter the house, I cherish everything inside. I never thought I'd see it again...
My eyes water, when I say, "I'm home..."
"Yes, you are, darling..."
"I'm gonna go upstairs and see my room!" I run upstairs and run into my room. I run over to my bed and pounce on it. I lay down on it and hug my pillows, tightly. This is the comfiest I've ever been in a week... I took my bed for granted before... I never realized how lucky I was to have it... When I was with Harry, I was always put in an uncomfortable bed... Either that, or somewhere in the van... I think the most comfortable bed I was in was in the motel... Tears form in my eyes, as I think about what happened last week... I cling to my pillow, scared that Harry's going to come get me again... He knows where I live, since it was my house he wanted last year... He won't ever forget that... I hear a knock on my door. For a quick second, I think it's Harry... Oh, god... I really need that therapist... I realize that it's probably Mom, and I answer, "Come in..."
She opens the door slowly and says, "Honey," I look to her direction, with a tear-streaked face, and she asks, "What's wrong? Are you OK?"
She struts over to my bed and sits down on it. I sit up and explain to her, "I'm scared... Harry knows where I live... What if he comes back for me?"
Mom hugs me. I can tell she's worried about me. "We'll get you that appointment first thing in the morning, OK?" I nod. "For now, you just relax, OK? Harry's not coming here."
"He knows where I am, Mom!" I cling to her tighter. "He could come after me at any time!" I cry out.
"Shh. Baby, just relax, OK?"
"He could be watching us, as we speak!"
"He hates me... He made sure I suffered..."
"Shh. It's OK," Mom kisses my head and continues to say, "It's OK... It's OK..."
Kate's PoV:
I close Kevin's bedroom door behind me. He just fell asleep. The poor baby's scared to death... I run into Peter, who just arrived upstairs. "Is everything OK?" he asks.
"Peter, we need to get him into that therapist first thing in the morning. He's not doing well at all..."
"Alright. We'll call," And we head back down the stairs...
Later...
Kevin's PoV:
I wake up, and I notice out my window that it's dark outside. Just then, there's a knock on my door, and I hear, "Kevin? Kevin, do you want something to eat?" I don't answer, because I'm debating whether I want something to eat, or not. "Kevin? Are you awake?"
"Yes, Mom..."
She opens the door and says, "We're having cheese pizza. I know it's your favourite,"
"I think I'll come down for a slice..."
"Good. You need to eat something, honey," I get out of bed and head downstairs with Mom. She leads me into the kitchen, and everyone's eating.
I sit at my spot, where there's already a slice of pizza. I remember last year, the night before I was left home alone, Buzz ate my pizza on purpose, which got me in trouble for lashing out. I would never have met Harry, if that didn't happen... "Hey, I got you a slice, already, bud," Buzz says to me.
That surprised me, making me widen my eyes. "Thanks, Buzz," I start eating. It's the best thing I've eaten, since my last slice of pizza... It's even better than the hospital food.
Mom starts off the dinner conversation with, "So, Kevin, your Father and I called to get you an appointment for the therapist tomorrow. You'll get in at nine A.M.," All I can do is nod.
"Are you OK, buddy?" Dad asks. I nod again.
"Maybe after we have supper, we can all go to the movies, or something," Mom suggests.
"That sounds great! What movie sounds good to you guys?"
"What sounds good to you, Kevin?" Dad asks.
"It doesn't really matter to me..." I say, not very loudly.
"We can postpone the movies, honey, if that's what you want,"
"No, it's OK. We can go. It'll be something fun to do," I say.
"OK. What movie do you want to see, bud? It's your choice," Dad asks me.
"Back to the Future II looks as good as part one! Can we go see that?"
"Of course!" Mom and Dad answer, at the same time.
"It sounds like a plan, then! After supper, we'll go to the movies!" Mom says, excited about our night out...
A Little While Later...
"Kevin, are you coming?!" I hear Mom holler up the stairs.
"I'm coming!" I'm just getting changed, because I was wearing kind of a grubby outfit. Of course, I have to take my time getting changed, because of my arm. I feel better going out with my family. I feel safer going out with my family.
I head down the stairs, and Mom asks, "You ready to go?" I nod. "Here," She hands me my green coat. It's not as heavy or warm as my grey coat, but it's all I've got right now. Plus, it looks better for a night out. I put on my hat and mitts, the same ones I was wearing during my kidnapping... "You OK?" Mom asks me. I nod. "OK, let's go. Everyone's already out in the car." Mom takes my hand, and we leave the house for a fun night out...
In the Car...
"What do you guys want at the theatre?" Mom asks, from the passenger seat.
"Popcorn!" I say, excitedly. I love popcorn...
"Popcorn!" the rest of them say.
"Sounds good. Does soda sound good, too?" Mom asks.
"Yes!" we all answer.
As we drive by, I see all the city lights. I'm so excited about tonight! This will help block out the memories! I love these family nights we have... And, to be honest, I think this will be the best family night ever...
A Few Hours Later...
We get home, after our fun night out. We're all joking around and laughing again, talking about the events that happened in the movie, like what happened to me never even happened... Though, what sucks is, I'll have to bring those memories back again tomorrow morning... I try to not think about it, so that I can continue to enjoy my night...
"Alright, guys, it is time for bed," Mom says. I can tell this has been one of the best nights of her life, too, relieved that her baby's back home again.
"Aww. Do I have to?" I whine.
"Yes, honey. You've had a long day. It's time to get to bed," I pout, hoping my adorable face makes her change her mind. "It won't work this time, Kevin. Get. We have to get up around 7:30 tomorrow."
I sigh and say, "Oh, alright..." I then head up the stairs. I turn around and ask, "What if I have nightmares?"
"Kevin, if that happens, you can sleep in our room, OK?"
"Can I sleep in your room right now?!" I ask, with excitement.
"No. You're a big boy, you can sleep in your own bed tonight, OK, darling?"
I sigh and say, "Fine..." I head up the stairs to my room, to get ready for bed...
I turn on my light and change into my pyjamas at the speed that I'm able to do, with my arm, of course... I sit on my window sill and look out my window. I see the lights on in the other houses. I lean my head against the window and travel through my thoughts. What's my therapist going to be like? Will he/she be nice? Sympathetic? Scary? Mean? I already had mean and scary last week... I don't want that happening again tomorrow... Well, maybe I should try to get some sleep... Tomorrow's a new day. I want to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed in the morning. I get off the window sill and get into my bed. I pull the covers over my head. I'm worried, but I should try to get some sleep. Shortly after I get in bed, I fall asleep...
Kate's PoV:
I'm reading a magazine, and Peter's watching TV, when there's suddenly a scream. Fear and panic rise in me, and Peter and I rush out of bed. We run into Kevin's room, and we see him sitting up in bed, crying. I turn on his light, and we rush over to his bed. I sit on the bed with him and ask, worriedly, "Honey, what's wrong?"
"I had a... nightmare... I knew I would..."
"What was it about, honey?"
"Well..."
Enter Flashback...
Kevin's PoV:
I'm walking home from school. It's a cold and Wintery day. I'm not in Chicago, though... I don't recognize where I am... All's I see are townhouses... Townhouses... I turn to start up a set of stairs, and then I hear, "Hiya, pal..." I gasp and start to tremble with fear. He wraps his arm around my neck and says, creepily, "Long time, no see, huh?"
"Wha... What are you doing here?..." I ask, holding back the tears.
"What do you think I'm doing here, little boy?"
"How'd you get here?..."
"Veeery easily, little buddy... I followed you and your family here..."
My eyes start to water, as I burst into tears. "What do you want with me?... Why can't you just please leave me alone?..."
"I wasn't finished what I started with you yet..."
"Well, I've already told the cops about you. They know exactly who you are!" I try to pull away from him, but he just tightens his grip around my neck, nearly strangling me... No... No! No! No! I see at the corner of my eye, him pull out a gun... He points it to my head and says, in the same creepy tone, "I should've done this a long time ago, kid... And I'm not afraid to do it now..." Then, before I can protest, I'm shot in the head...
Back in Reality...
Mom holds me close. I refuse to let go of her, as I sob into her... I'm trembling with fear, as I'm afraid that that nightmare will come true... "It's OK, honey... Shh. It's OK..." She's crying, too. Dad has his arm around me. I don't think he knows what to do... "He's not gonna get you, honey... I promise..." Mom combs her fingers through my hair, as I start to calm down. "Would you like to sleep in our bed tonight?" I nod.
"OK. Come on, kiddo," Dad says, as he picks me up from my bed. He carries me out of my room, and Mom turns out the light. My first night in my own bed, and I have a nightmare... Even when I'm home safe and sound, I'm being tortured by Harry... Though, I feel more comfortable, sleeping with Mom and Dad. I used to love doing it when I was little. Of course, Buzz and the others would always tease me about it, calling me a baby and stuff... Though, I don't think Buzz and the others will tease me so bad, anymore, after everything that's happened... I think they appreciate me more now...
I'm carried into Mom and Dad's Master Bedroom, and Dad lays me down in between their pillows on their opposite sides. Dad pulls the blankets over me, and he gets in on his side. Mom then gets in her side and pulls the blankets over herself and hangs onto me. She holds me close and kisses the side of my head. "You OK, honey?" she asks me. I nod. "Don't worry, we'll get you help tomorrow, OK?" I nod again. That sounds really bad, but I do need help... I'm a mental mess, aren't I?... I hope I don't have another nightmare... Tomorrow, please come soon. After watching TV for a few minutes, I fall asleep...
The Next Morning...
"Wake up, honey. Come on, we have to get ready to get you to your appointment..." Mom slightly shakes me awake. I slightly nod, rubbing my tired eyes. I get out of bed, and we get ready to go.
I'm in my room getting dressed, having to take my time, of course, when I hear Megan holler, "Mom! Dad! Come down here! Quick!" I hear Mom and Dad rush through the hallway and down the stairs. Since I'm curious, I finish putting on my shirt and leave my room. I tiptoe in the hallway and peak down the stairs. I see Mom start to cry, and Dad sigh and hold his hand up to his face. She's holding something... What could it be? Megan looks up at me and she says, "Mom..." Megan continues looking up here, and Mom and Dad look up at me. Mom's not holding what I think they are... is she?...
"Oh, Kevin..."
"Mom... that's not what I think it is... is it?..." I slowly start walking down the stairs.
"What do you think it is?" she asks.
"The pictures... Harry took them in the motel..."
"There should be a note somewhere that says that Harry wanted double the amount of money at the time,"
"But... why these?..." She's clearly upset.
"Harry wanted to get you so worried about me, you'd send the money sooner..."
"Oh, honey..." Mom's over to me and hugs me. She cries, while hugging me.
"It's OK, Mom... That was last week... I'm here with you now..." This is the most sane I've sounded, since I've been reunited with my family...
She lets go of me and says, "Well, I think we should get rid of these..."
"Maybe the therapist should see them, Kate," Dad suggests.
"What? Why?" Mom asks.
"Maybe they'll come in handy,"
"Alright. Whatever," Mom says, handing those dreadful pictures to Dad, and heads back upstairs. "Come on, honey, finish getting ready..." I follow Mom upstairs, trying not to feel too terrified of those pictures Mom, Dad, and Megan discovered this morning...
A While Later, at the Therapist Appointment...
We all arrive at the appointment and stroll up to the receptionist's desk. Mom says, "Hello. We're here for an appointment with Dr. Krista Hilda for Kevin McCallister," Since I'm so short, I can barely see the receptionist search on her computer for my appointment.
The receptionist says, "Yes. Have a seat. Dr. Hilda will be right with you in a few minutes,"
"Thank you," Mom says. "Come on, let's go sit down and wait..." Mom leads me and the others over to the seats in the waiting room. Mom sits down, and I sit down on her lap.
She hangs onto me and kisses the side of my head. I say, "Mom, I'm scared..."
"Don't be, honey. I hear Dr. Hilda's highly respected,"
"Yeah, you heard... What if it's not true?..." She just sighs and smiles, giving my head a little push with her hand.
"Don't worry, she'll help you in the very best way she can, sweetie," Mom says.
"Can you and Dad come in with me?"
Mom looks up at Dad, and he nods. She then answers me, "Of course we can, honey,"
A short brown-haired lady enters the room and asks, "Kevin McCallister?"
"Right here," Mom answers, as she sets me down to the floor. She takes a hold of my hand, and Dad gets up from his seat and takes a hold of my other hand. Mom then turns around and says to the others, "Stay here, OK? I don't know how long we'll be..." I see Buzz nod, and we enter a small room with the lady.
"Have a seat," She gestures her hand. Mom, Dad, and I sit on the couch in the room. Mom sits to my right, while Dad sits on my left. I'm in the middle of this actually quite comfy couch. "So, this must be Kevin. It's nice to meet you." She holds out her left hand, and we shake hands.
"You too," I say.
"So, cutie pie," I blush when she calls me that. "My name's Dr. Krista Hilda. Just call me Krista, though, OK?" She smiles at me. She's awfully nice and pretty, too. I smile back at her and nod. "You can tell me anything, OK? Everything here is confidential, OK?"
"What's that mean?" I ask.
"It means that everything we discuss in here stays in this room, and this room only, OK?" I nod. "Your brothers and sisters don't even have to know,"
"OK," I say.
"Now, Kevin. Tell me a little bit about yourself,"
"Well, I come out as a sarcastic, hyper personality. Sometimes, I act a little too sarcastic, to the point where it gets me into trouble... I like Nintendo, TV, movies, and Christmas,"
"Why do you like Christmas so much, honey?" she asks me.
"I love Christmas trees and the excitement of opening up presents together as a family,"
"Aww. Well, I've been told about an experience that happened to you by something that got you into trouble..." I shrink down into the couch a little bit... I realize now, that I don't want to talk about it, anymore... "It's OK, honey. It helps talking about it, OK?"
"He hasn't been his usual hyped-up self, ever since it happened," Mom states.
"I understand. Tell me what you remember,"
I lean closer to Mom and hide my face in my hand again. "Baby, it's OK," Mom tries to reassure me. I shake my head "no" and start to cry.
"Hey, it's OK," I feel Krista place her hand on my knee. "You're safe now, honey... Nothing's going to happen to you here..."
"He... He always found me... Harry always found me... every time I escaped..."
"What did he do to you, when you escaped, sweetie?"
"He'd beat me... Threaten me..."
"How did he beat you?"
"He broke my arm and stabbed me in my shoulder..."
"How did you feel when that happened?"
"Scared! In pain!" I shout out. "Helpless! Weak!" I continue to bawl. "He tied me up and gagged me all the time!" I cry harder.
"Let it all out, honey..."
"He dyed my hair from blonde to brown... He threatened me with a knife against my throat and a gun to my head... He shot me in the ankle, and threatened to twist it, when I'd misbehave... He hit me over the head, causing a concussion..."
"How'd you "misbehave", honey?"
"If I ran away, talk back, or talk about my family..." I hear Krista pull a Kleenex out of the Kleenex box, and she hands it to me. I dry my face.
"How did you talk about your family? Did you talk about missing them all the time?" I nod. "How did that make you feel, about not being able to talk about your family?"
"It hurt me... I missed them so much, and I wasn't even allowed to talk about them..."
"What else happened?" I hide my face again, because I don't want to say... I'm actually kind of embarrassed by it... "Kevin, I want to help you, OK? But, you want to have to help yourself, too. I can't make it happen all on my own."
"Well, I have a feeling what he's not telling you is this," I peek out from my hand to see Mom pull out the pictures Harry took of me from her purse. She hands them to Krista, and she looks at them, wide-eyed.
I bury my face into Mom, and Krista says, with sympathy, "Oh, honey, I'm so sorry that this happened to you... The man was awfully sick to do this to you..." She hands back the pictures to Mom, and she puts them away.
"That was after he held the knife against my throat..." I say, muffled, because my face is buried in Mom's coat. "He's gonna come after me again... He's gonna slice my throat!"
"What makes you think he'll come back to get you, honey?"
"He always finds me..."
"You're worrying too much, hon. He won't come back after you,"
"Yes, he will... He hates me... He wants me to suffer..."
"Why does he want you to suffer?"
"I hurt him and his partner last year..."
"How did you hurt them?"
"They were trying to break into the house last year... I set traps to make sure they didn't succeed..."
"What kinds of traps?"
I bring my face out of Mom's coat and answer, "I swung paint cans from above the staircase... I set up a blowtorch at the backdoor, so when it opened, it'd blow fire... An iron to fall on one of their faces... Sharp glass to step on... The list goes on..."
"What possessed you to do something like that, honey?" Krista asks.
"Being sadistic, I guess..."
"I can see why Harry wouldn't be too pleased with you, but he had no right to kidnap you. Now, I want you to believe that Harry won't come after you again, OK?"
"How?... I had a nightmare last night that he did and that he shot me in the head..."
"That's because you're scared of that happening, honey. That's why you dreamed about it,"
"What if he does come back after me?" I cry again.
"He won't, honey,"
"How?"
"He's not worried about getting you, anymore, is he?"
"I... I..."
"He can't keep you away from the police, because you were already at the police, weren't you?" I nod. "A quick change of subject: Were these pictures sent to your parents for Harry to get money?"
"Yes... There was supposed to be a note, but I don't see it... Though, how did you know?..."
"Harry and his partner tried to rob your house, didn't they?"
"Yes..."
"Well then... Now, in all honesty, do you think Harry will come back to get you, just to get money?"
"Yes! Yes, I do!"
Krista shakes her head "no" and says, "I'm sure he wouldn't kidnap you again, knowing that people will most likely know it's him again. If he's going to get money, he'll steal it,"
"Then, why did he keep me, if he could easily steal?..."
"To get his revenge on you. I think since Harry's pretty desperate for money, he'll rob houses, like he did before," Krista shifts in her seat and says, "Now, I have something for you to do to help you feel... hmm... more better about all this,"
"What?"
"Pretend Harry's sitting in that chair right there," Krista says, pointing to the chair, opposite of her.
"What?"
"Just... pretend Harry's in that chair across from me,"
"OK," I stare at the chair, and I visualize that Harry's in that chair. I gasp and start shaking with fear. It's like she's facing me with my fear...
"Now, I want you to tell him off. You're able to get away with speaking you're mind to him now. And, Mister and Misses McCallister, if you don't mind excusing your son this time, in case he uses any bad language,"
"It's OK with us. Whatever it takes to help him get back in the right state of mind again," Dad says.
"Good. I was hoping you'd see it that way," Krista turns to me and says, "You may say whatever is on your mind now..."
I stare at the imaginary Harry in the chair across from me and shout, "You bastard! How do you like being called that?! How dare you beat me?! I didn't do anything wrong! I was just protecting my house and I last year! You could've just chosen a different house to rob from, or just not steal at all! Get a job and do something else with your damn life! You could've just passed me on the street and left me alone! Instead, you had to take me away from my family and... beat me... I'm not the prick! You are! You're the brat! The bastard! The shit and the fuck! You're the son of a bitch! How do you like being called those names, huh?! You hurt me! In more ways than one! You broke my arm! You stabbed me in the shoulder! You gave me a concussion! You shot me in the ankle! I'm only nine! I didn't deserve that... I didn't deserve any of it! Just get out of my life and leave me alone! Get out of my life and leave me... alone..." Tears are pouring out of my eyes at this point.
"Now, visualize him walking out that door," Krista tells me. I then visualize the imaginary Harry walking out that door, and he disappears from my conscience... I sigh with relief and I burst into tears. Mom and Dad hug me. "How do you feel now?"
"Better, actually... Better... Like a huge weight's been lifted off me..." Krista smiles her very attractive smile, which makes me blush... She is very pretty... "Thank you... Thank you..."
Outside of the Room...
"Now, if you ever feel like Harry's reentering your conscience again, do the same thing we just did a few minutes ago, OK?" I nod.
I hug her and say, "Thank you. I was a total mess..." She can't help but chuckle.
"Rebook an appointment for next week again. That way, we can catch up on how he's doing,"
"Sounds good. We'll do that for sure. Thank you, Dr. Hilda," Dad says.
"Please, call me Krista," Krista says.
"Alright. Thank you, Krista," Dad then says to me, jokingly, "Come on, lover boy," I blush, when he says that. I think I do have a little crush on her... I let go of her, and she says to me, rubbing my head, "See you next week," When she turns around and walks away, I can't help but smirk a little...
THE
END
(for now)
...
A/N: I'm not saying anything, other than, holy shit! That was a lot of f****** writing! I was on here for hours! I even started working on it two nights ago! This is why you haven't been getting an update for the past couple nights, because this is the update that makes up for both nights! This is the Mother of all updates, I tell ya! And I'm freaking tired! Lol! It's OK, I had a lot of fun writing it! XD You guys know the drill!
Dr. Krista Hilda is based off me. I gave her a similar name and appearance as I. Not only am I interested in writing, I'm interested in counselling, too. A lot of those methods are what my therapist told me, when I had an experience, that I won't get into right now, but I thought I'd mix both my profession and my wannabe profession in with this, too! ^_^ I think it helped Kevin! I also had to make it a cute ending! I don't know what else to say, other than, holy crap, Kevin was traumatized! At least he's reunited with his family, though! ^_^
I'd like to thank all reviewers, favouriters, followers, and idea givers. If it weren't for you, this story wouldn't have been the same! Also, Caroline, I do get every single review! I might have taken one or two of your ideas, but I take what I think will work for this. I'm not ignoring you. It'd help if you had an account! :P Well, this will get posted now, and I'm off to bed! I'm probably going to get mile-long reviews, because of this mile-long chapter (and Author's Note!)! Well, ciao for now, folks! Look forward to the sequel of a sequel next! ^_^ Adios!
- Termina's Hero1234 (Isn't that the Mother of all Author's Notes?)