A Dragon's Crimson Cry
By: Tippi
Ch 35 Lee + Katie = A Lot
~Present~
Now Jake remembered it all he couldn't figure why he had forgotten. Maybe repressed memory or the shock hindered on his mental state. Before Jake could ponder his thoughts further a familiar face from the past entered the room.
Lee opened the office door to find Jake and a dog sitting in chairs opposite each other.
The dog looked indifferent to Lee's appearance while Jake's eyes seemed to light up and a small smile graced his lips when they fell on Lee.
Jake remembered him as the man who carried him from the house the night his family died and the first one he confided in about his families' murderer.
"Hey Jake" Lee said not thinking of anything intelligent to say.
"Detective" Jake replied.
Lee got over his momentary shock of Jake speaking and replied "It's just officer now."
Lee took the chair next to Fu to sit across from Jake.
"You know since I'm now an officer I'm no longer assigned to your case" Lee admitted.
Jake gave him a look that said that's not why he wanted him here. He just wanted someone he trusted and familiar.
Lee seemed to understand Jake.
They were silent for a few minutes when the door was opened by a lady dressed for success.
The lady was maybe in her 30's with straight blonde hair, and blue eyes. She wore a pair of rectangle glasses and a skirt business suit that was a uniform black.
She saw the police officer and Jake (basically ignoring the dog) and asked in a polite voice "Sorry am I interrupting?"
Lee not enjoying the awkward silence they were engaged in just seconds ago answered "No not really."
At that answer she proceeded to walk into the office her flat, black shoes were almost silent on the tile floor.
"I'm Miss. Summers but you can call me Katie" she said addressing Jake.
Jake lifted an eyebrow not seeing why her name was any concern to him. Lee also had a similar expression.
"I'm Long's new social worker" she continued noticing the expression on the two.
She wasn't like the social worker Jake knew. For starters she had a sunny disposition not the serious, snake like person like Miss. McCain. He hated McCain she was almost like some calculating villainess. He also noticed that unlike McCain she didn't have a briefcase but had a gray and silver bag on her shoulder. It was like one of those bags used for carrying around a laptop.
"McCain" Jake asked.
"She retired just days ago and the boss just drop all the cases on me at once and I haven't gotten to notify all of them about the change yet" Katie explained.
'Retired, thank fate I won't have to see her again, her visits were so unpleasant' Jake thought.
Katie proceeded to drop her bag onto Jay's desk; she pulled the Velcro flap back, and then unzipped it. Her fingers walked across the many colored tabs inside the bag till they came to one labeled 'Long, Jake'.
She pulled a folder, pen and a writing pad out from the bag and placed it on the table separating the two sets of chairs then took the chair next to Jake's.
Katie began to flip through the many papers in the file before speaking again.
"I'm sorry to say I'm going to have to place Jake in a group home till a foster home can be arranged" Katie said as she took the pen and began to write something down.
"What, why" Lee asked.
"Jake's guardian and only living relative is currently unconscious in a hospital," Katie stated. "Until his grandfather is awake and released from the hospital with a clean bill of health we can't put Jake into his custody again. Jake's currently in the custody of the state of New York."
As one could guess Jake wasn't happy about the situation but he had no say in the matter. The best way Jake could think to describe today would be 'when it rains it pours.'
"I'll take it from here, I'll drive…" Katie was saying but never got to finish.
Jake in a flash jumped from his seat, hopped over the table and grabbed Lee's sleeve and demanded "I want go to hospital now."
Jake wasn't going anywhere till he saw his grandfather first.
"Let me finish that sentence for you," Lee said to Katie then continued. "I'll drive you two to the hospital."
"Two" Katie asked.
"I'm off the clock so no cut in my pay check to come along" Lee said standing up and leaving followed by Jake and Fu.
~On the road~
Katie was in the driver's seat while Lee took the front passenger's seat. Jake was in the back seat with Fu who had his head sticking out the window like a typical dog.
"You know I just thought of something," Lee said out of the blue.
"And what would that be" Katie asked currently unpleased that Lee had just took control of the whole situation.
"I'm sure the home doesn't allow dogs so where the mutt going to go" Lee asked.
Fu growled turning his head to look at the officer muttering under his breath 'mutt I'm a pure breed.'
"I don't know, I work at social services that places kids, I'm not the ASPCA" Katie answered to Lee.
Finally they got to the hospital. As the three humans were getting out of the car when Fu grabbed the back of Jake's shirt holding him back for the moment.
"I don't want to leave you in your time of need but I can't stay" Fu whispered to Jake so the two adults wouldn't hear. "But I better go stay with some friends before I end up in the pound."
"What" Jake exclaimed causing the two adults to look at him as they were closing the car doors.
Fu just shrugged his shoulders at the boy.
"Okay Jake time to go so stop taking to the dog" Lee said.
"No loyalty" Jake said slamming the car door.
As the three were walking away Jake looked over his shoulder to give Fu one last angry glare before they were out of sight.
~inside the hospital~
Jake was sitting at his grandfather's bed side. He pulled a chair right up to the bed and was resting his crossed arms on the bed's side with his head atop them. He kept his eyes on his grandfather quite figure listening to the heart monitor beep.
"So how bad is it" Lee asked the doctor just outside the room with Katie.
"The worst is the burn to the chest and the knock to the head," the doctor started "other then that he's fine."
"Then why hasn't he woken up yet" Lee asked.
"Well, you got to bring into account his age" the doctor answered then left.
Katie and Lee looked in at Jake feeling sorry for the kid.
Lee came up to the boy putting a hand on his shoulder and said "come on Jake let's go to your place you pack some clothes and other things you'll need and maybe on the way we'll get ice cream, would you like that?"
"Hey I'm driving I'd like to be consulted first" Katie said.
They got the reluctant Jake to finally leave the hospital.
When they got to the car the two adults were surprised to see the dog gone.
"Where's the dog' Lee asked seeing the empty car.
"He's staying with friends" Jake answered a little monotone as he waited for Katie to unlock the car.
While Jake was packing his things in his room he was thinking that this day came in a close second to the day two years ago as his worst day. Tomorrow was the first day of May from now on May was going to be Jake's least favorite month.
The drive was pretty quiet till Lee decided to break it.
"So what flavor of ice cream you want," Lee asked.
"Are you one of those guys who believes sugar make's everything better" Katie asked.
"Yes, there are few things sugar can't fix" Lee said.
"Chocolate" Jake answered.
"That's the best one of all" Lee said.
A few minutes later Jake was a bit happier licking a the chocolate ice cram from it's cone in the back seat of the car. But like all good things it must come to an end and Jake's end just happened to be St. Laurence's group home.
A/N I wasn't going to put Katie in here for the full chapter but what do you think do like her should she appear again like Lee will continue to show up. This may get confusing later on if it isn't already so any questions just ask. Review