"Eric, where are you?"
"I… hum…"
Calleigh looked at him mortified and they both jumped off which other and off the bed retrieving their clothes and getting dressed.
"Eric?"
"I'm in the bathroom, what are you doing here?"
"I need to talk to you, your friend Timothy said you were here."
"Speed." He cursed.
"Just get dressed." Calleigh spat in a whisper throwing him his jeans as she dressed her shirt.
"Eric, what takes you so long in the bathroom? And where's Calleigh?"
"She's just…"
"I'm just changing my clothes Mrs. Delko, I'm really sorry but we just came for a bit of jogging so…"
"Oh, I see, you making exercise to stay healthy."
"Exactly."
"o.k. sweetie, I'll wait."
"I'll be right there, you can sit and eat if you want, pretend this is your place."
Eric got out of the room followed by Calleigh and sat on the couch next to his mother pulling Calleigh o his lap, who muffled a laugh when she felt him hard against her back.
"Sorry for the smell, we didn't had time for a bath."
"Oh, don't mind sweetie, I should've said I would come."
"No, you're welcome to come here whenever you want."
"Oh, thank you, you're welcome in our place whenever you want too sweetie."
"Thanks Carmen."
"Hum, mum, what did you wanted to tell me?"
"Oh right. We're having family lunch April eight."
"Yeah, you said it already."
"Listen to me please."
"Sorry."
"So, as I was saying, we are having dinner, and you are both invited."
"Mum I already told you-"
"Don't interrupt me please."
"o.k o.k. gees."
"And Calleigh, I know that your parents and grandparents are coming to visit you, so they are also invited to come, and I want no excuses, you southern may be stubborn, but I'm more."
"Actually, hum, you got it wrong, my parents aren't coming, jut my grandparents."
"What? Why aren't your parents coming, I mean, they're your parents."
"I know, it's just, they're really busy and…"
"Sweetheart, as much busy as they might be, you're their daughter, ask them to come, I'm sure they'll say yes."
"I really appreciate it, but my aunt is really sick, and they have to stay at home taking care of her, she's alone and very ill, so traveling to Miami…"
"Oh I see. Sure they can't come in those circumstances."
"Thank you for understanding."
"Is she very hill?"
"Yeah, pneumonia, the doctors said that with treatment she probably won't make it to summer."
"Oh sweetheart, I'm terribly sorry, I had no idea."
"No, it's o.k., I'm sorry that they can't come too, but my aunt is sick, and I'm alive and well, so she has priority."
"That's very sweet of you."
"She's family."
"Yes I suppose."
"Hum, mum, we already spoke, so… Cal and I were about to leave..."
"Where to?"
"Hospital, she got hurt in the game yesterday, so we were going to check if she broke some ribs."
"Oh, I told you that it was dangerous, but you never listen to me. Look at her Eric, she's small and she's thin, she's fragile and you let her play against those boys."
"Mum…"
"Well, at least let me take you there, no way you are going to ride in that doomed motorcycle of yours."
"o.k."
"And Calleigh sweetheart, please be more careful next time o.k.?"
"Sure."
"You're saying that, but she got a guy in the hospital."
"He felt the wrong way, I didn't do a thing."
"Sure you didn't, it wasn't even your shoulder I saw hitting is broken harm and making him collapse rolling in pain." Eric teased with a chuckle.
"Why would he even go to the game with a broken harm?"
"Still talking about the game?" Eric's father asked with a smile and Russian accent.
"Yes, Calleigh got hurt, so we're taking them to the hospital."
"Why aren't they going in their own?"
"Because mum insists that that motorcycle will get us killed."
"I think that that's a great motorcycle."
"Yes Egor sweetheart, we all know you do."
"Admit it, she's pretty."
"Why do you say that a motorcycle is a she?"
"Yeah, I never understand that either."
"Calleigh, we call it a she because it sounded horrible to say that I was riding a "he"."
Eric's father burst out in laughs as his wife scolded Eric.
"Don't say that!"
"Yes, do you have any problem against homosexuality?"
"No, just that I'm not gay, so I feel like it's weird."
"Will you stop it already?"
"o.k."
"so Calleigh, tell me, is your aunt your mother's sister, or your father's sister?"
"Mother."
"Oh, she a southern too?"
"All the way throw."
"Does she has more accent then you then?"
"I ain't got an accent."
"When you say that, you're saying it with an accent."
"I may have a bit."
"Sometimes more noticeable than others yes."
"How's school son?"
"Great, we have this chemistry project thing to do."
"Oh."
"Yes. Everything else is normal."
"o.k., and swimming, you ready for the competition?"
"Yes, I have to get faster to represent the team, but besides that I'm ready."
"Speaking of team, don't forget next Saturday at 11 at our place to watch the game."
"How could I, the dolphins are going to kill the saints."
"Don't rely on that."
"Cal, you do realize that you're gonna be the only one cheering for the saints in a house of 20 people?"
"Yes, and I'll do it proudly."
"Whatever you say."
"We're here, so get out and drop the football please."
"Sure."
"You coming too?"
"Yes, we're not just gonna be drivers."
o.k."
"good morning, what's wrong?"
"These young girl played football against boys five times her size, so she obviously got hurt, we're thinking of broken rib."
"I see. Are you her father?"
"Oh, no."
"o.k., how old are you…"
"Calleigh."
"Right. How old?"
"16."
"Hum… I need you to fill these forms then. The nurse said handing Eric's parents the papers."
"o.k."
"You have to wait in those chairs until your name is called."
"o.k."
…
"So, what's the verdict?" Eric's father asked as his son putted a harm around Calleigh.
"A cracked rib."
"Yes, the doctor said she wanted more people that handle pain as good as she does."
Eric laughed softly.
"And he wants to talk to us."
"Oh?"
"Yes, something about the x-rays."
Calleigh shifted uncomfortable in her place looking down.
"I'll go. Eric said noticing Calleigh's reaction."
"he requested all of us."
"o.k. then."
"Hello." A doctor in his thirtys greeted when they entered the doctor's office.
"Hi."
"I assume you are Calleigh's boyfriend."
"Yes."
"How long have you two been together?"
"Why does it matters?"
"Eric just answer." His mum scolded.
"Four months, we know which other for five."
"o.k. for what I understood, these are your parents and not Calleigh's right?"
"Yes."
"All right then. I have a very important matter to discuss with you."
"Don't I have to decide if you can release that kind of information? You know, doctor-patient confidentiality."
"Not in this case."
"Mum, dad, could you wait outside please?"
"Eric, please tell me that the doctor isn't going to say that she's pregnant."
"She isn't!"
"o.k. then what is it?"
"On Calleigh's x-rays I've seen an unusually large number of fractures and other traumas."
"o.k. what does that mean?"
"I've checked for hr bone density, and it's normal."
"Yes."
"A large number of fractures can be cause by an accident, for example, a car crash, but in those cases all the fractures occur at the same time."
"And that isn't the case right?"
"Yes, I've seen fractures that come from when she was about 5 to her age of five teen."
"I play football, I used to go rock-climbing when I was a kid, climbed trees and-"
"Stop right there. Some of these fractures can be explained by those activities, but some only occur in very specific situations."
"Such as?"
"Such as the one on her harm, from when she was six. That kind of fracture only happens when the harm is twisted so hard that the bone kind of twists too, but it's not so flexible as the muscle, so it breaks."
"So someone twisted her harm really hard?"
"Yes."
"Or something."
"What?"
"How could I remember I was six, I probably got my hand caught on something and then felt, I used to stand in the swing and then spin, if I felt but my hand got caught it would have that fracture wouldn't I?"
"No. and if I were you, I would stop making excuses, because from what I know, you suffered child abuse."
"I didn't."
"I'm a doctor, I see these fractures way more often than people think."
"Calleigh?"
"He's lying."
"I'm not and you know it."
"Yes you are, because all those fractures can be explained by the simple fact that I'm clumsy! Eric can tell you the same because he has seen me fall for the most stupid things!"
"Eric?"
The boy looked down scratching the back of his head.
"Sorry Cal."
"It seems like he can't verify a thing."
"Why can't you just shut up?!"
"Because is my duty as a doc-"
"As long as you got your paycheck is all the same so leave me alone!"
"I should report the situation to the police immediately so feel grateful that I listened to you first."
"You didn't listened to me! If you did we wouldn't be having this conversation!"
"Calm down please."
"I will calm down if you drop it!"
"Calleigh sweetheart…" Carmen started.
"He's lying." The girl repeated.
"Are you trying to convince them or yourself?"
"Shut the fuck up!" Eric spat with a shout.
"Eric!"
"If believe she suffered child abuse then report it and just leave her alone!"
"No can do. If I report it, the police will question you, the four of you, plus a few more witnesses and child protective services will take care of her until further developments."
"I'm sixteen, I don't need child protective services."
"You're a minor."
Then don't report it.
"Why? So you can pretend it never happened? So you can lie to everyone and say your family is normal?"
"Shut. up!"
"If you want to report it then do it, if you don't want then don't, either way we're leaving." Eric spat putting a harm over Calleigh's shoulder and pulling her out.
"I won't report it if you go by yourself to the police and explain everything to them."
Calleigh stopped at the door looking back.
"If I didn't do it 'till now what makes you think I will?"
"Because you're not a kid anymore, you can decide for yourself."
"Yes, I decide that I won't say a thing."
"Then I'll report it right away."
"Go for it, see if we give a damn."
"Eric Delko, respect!"
Eric shrugged as he and Calleigh walked back to the car.
"Will you really report her?" Eric's father questioned when the teens had left.
"Let's do it this way, if in two weeks, when she comes check her rib again she hasn't told the police everything herself I'll do it."
"But she'll go to a foster home." The Russian concluded.
"Not if she has someone willing to be her legal tutor."
"So, if, for example, we asked to be her legal tutors then she wouldn't go to the foster house right?"
"Yes, but protective child cervices would have to keep her the whole trial against her parents and until you were verified and accepted as legal guardians."
"How long would that be?"
"Months."
"Please don't report her."
"I keep my word, she has two weeks."
"She won't do it."
"Then someone has to."
It's something that she should do whenever she's ready, don't you think that?
"I used too, but then I saw the same people I had let go with that promise of letting them tell the police appear here over and over again, so now I report it if they don't."
"Two weeks is not enough time. Calleigh's stubborn, she's too proud to admit that in front of cops." Carmen said.
"Then she has to let go of that pride."
"Did you ever thought that maybe the reason she doesn't say a thing is because she loves her parents? If she tells the police it will be registered for everyone to know." Pavel said coldly.
….
"Cal are you o.k.?"
"I'm fine."
"Cal please, don't lie to me."
"If you know I'm not fine then why do you ask?"
"o.k., point taken."
"I won't tell the cops."
"I know, but could you please just think about it?"
"No."
"Cal, why won't you tell the cops?"
"Because then everyone will know."
"No they won't Cal."
"They will. Calleigh insisted stubbornly."
"Assuming they do, what's the problem with that?"
"I don't want everyone to be pity."
"Cal, why would they be pity?
"Because it's human nature.
"Human nature Cal?
"Yes. i… I can't explain, I guess it's the same thing you feel for a dying dog."
"Good thing you're not a dog then." Eric joked.
"Erric, stop joking, just stop o.k.?"
"Then let it all out Cal. Stop making excuses and lying, stop hiding your tears because they don't show weakness, they show your human side."
"I'm not lying."
"Yes you are, because won't tell the cops everything because you love your parents and you don't want them to hate you."
"No, that's not… you think so?" Calleigh asked clearly confused.
"Yes, I do, but let me tell you something Cal, that isn't love. Love isn't to beat someone. Love isn't see those who you love passed out and bleeding to death and do nothing to help."
"You really believe they don't love me."
"In a way. They are your parents, but still, they don't treat you like their daughter. You love them, and I understand and respect that, but it's for their own good."
"I won't tell the cops Eric, no matter how much you ask me to."
"All right Cal, I won't force you to do it."
"Thank you."
"Do you want me to talk to my parents about it, tell them not to touch the subject?"
"No it's o.k., don't worry."
"You know, for a second there I thought you were going to puch that doctor." – Eric teased smiling.
"I felt tempted." Calleigh said with a fade smile.
"I bet he would call security."
"I would've punched him too."
"They have tasers."
"I know."
"You're still furious. And confused, very confused."
"I know."
"Want to get in the car?"
"No. I'll walk home"
"Cal, it's miles away."
"I need to clear my mind, and besides, your parents…"
"Don't even start it. They'll see you as they always did."
….
"Hey, ready to go?" Eric's father asked with a smile.
"Yes."
"Your rib o.k.?"
"Yeah, they injected me some pain killer thing."
"Bet you hated it." Eric teased.
"I did, I mean, can't they just give a pill?"
"Injection starts working quicker."
"You're saying that, but you make a fit every time you get a shot." Carmen teased.
"Could you please not embarrass me in front of them?"
"I'm just saying the truth."
"Whatever you want."