Before I get on with the chapter there are quite a few author's notes I have to get through and I suggest you read them too. But I promise you that there is an actual chapter coming after it all.
Thanks to Kit, Kitty, Jenna and all anonymous reviewers for reviewing.
There is no point with asking me to do one or another character next. I do the characters in the order they came into the series. And if there comes in several at once I put up a poll on my profile where people can vote about which character they want to see next.
Chloe and Ryan's parents are portrayed by Hannah Taylor Gordon and David Tennant. Their names are Constantine and Karen Reeves. Ray Evans is from the series, but I decided on the portrayer which is Bill Nighy. Myra is portrayed by Claire Holt. Peter the police is portrayed by Grant Gustin.
The clothes that are described in this chapter for Ryan and Chloe will be posted pictures of on my Instagram account "Linneagbfanfiction" And so will the present Ray gives to Ryan for his birthday.
I'm sorry I haven't been updating this story as much as you guys would like to see. I'm currently working on fourteen different stories (the fourteenth. Which will have two chapters when it's finished will be put up August the tenth) and that's a bit too many. Anyway, I am close to finish several of them and those are the ones listed.
-How far I'll go
-Stranger defended
-Dancing in the rain
-The one where rawr means I love you in dinosaur
-The little girl
-Unpretty hurts
So those are almost finished and then I'll have more time to concentrate on the stories left.
And also, a bit ago it looked like I had updated this story again. Which I hadn't. I'm sorry for that. But the reason it did was that I deleted the note I had put up. I hope it wasn't too confusing.
And then some answers to review. Please everybody, remember if you review anonymously I'kk have no chance to answer them before I'm updating the story.
Kitty: This chapter will be only Ryan's. Chloe will be in it but she will have her own chapter later in the story. Of course we do know a bit of Ryan's story from the series. I'll just be using what we know and then hopefully I'll get it right. Thank you for reading this story and I hope you like it.
Guest: No, I didn't do the girl at the end of the series. Neither have I done Samantha from one episode, Sufia the silent, Wilson etc. After your comment I was thinking maybe someday I will put up a story with those characters who have only been in an episode or two. But if I decide to do that it probably won't be until the series are finished. Or maybe someone else would like to write that. Only the future can tell.
Guest: Don't worry about the language. Anyway, I certainly hope I can get the story finished before 2048 but I've already explained why I don't update this story as often as you might want. And I hope people won't give up on it. Thank you for your kind words, I hope you like this chapter and the rest of the story.
Guest: You have written one word in your comment. The word is "rubbish" it would be kind of you to explain why you think the story is rubbish. And I'm sorry it cannot please everybody. Thank you for reading and reviewing.
Jenna: Aw, thank you. You're so kind. I'm so happy you're liking what I've written and I hope someday I'll have my own book published. After all, that has been my dream since I was six years old and wrote a story about when Santa's workshop burned to the ground. Thank you for reading and reviewing.
Guest: Aw. Thank you. If you write another review though, please don't call me babe. Where I come from, Sweden the "rule" is like we don't call each other names like that unless we're really close. So people on the Internet doing it makes me uncomfortable. Anyway. Thank you for that. I'm ignoring them and every once in a while I go through this and delete anonymous reviews like those. Some people just have lives so boring they have nothing better to do than to go on the Internet and leave reviews like those. I'm glad you're liking my story and I hope you like this chapter.
For the police in this chapter- I probably didn't write them right. How they're acting are probably not the way it would happen in real life. But I write it to go with the storylines and hopefully I'm somewhere near realistic.
Justice237 helped a lot with this chapter as he had details about Ryan's story. So thanks to him. I've also gotten a bit inspired by a scene in his story A spine tingling tale for the scene where Chloe wakes Ryan up for his birthday. And also decided that Chloe and Ryan's dad is dead instead of having left as I planned as first. Now go read that story- it's awesome.
He was also the one who reminded me of a ring that Kazima's mother had and she sold before she came to England. So I changed the chapter a bit, but wanted to get through it. I added that but added only a few sentences to the whole chapter hahaha.
Ryan Reeves
"Ryan. Ryan. Ryan come on. Wake up. It's your birthday and I've got a present for you."
Three year old Chloe Reeves stood by her big brother Ryan's bed and shook his shoulders while talking to him to wake him up. Unknowingly for her, Ryan was in fact awake. But decided to keep his eyes closed just a few moments longer.
"Ryan come on. Come on wake up."
Not wanting to annoy his sister Ryan opened his eyes. To act like he was just waking up his eyelids fluttered and blinked while he stretched and half moaned half yawned before he sat up to face Chloe who was jumping with excitement with a green bundle of fabric in her hands.
"Here." Chloe reached Ryan the bundle of fabric. "I and mum got it for you. But I couldn't wrap it so I hope you don't mind."
Ryan took the T-shirt from Chloe's hands and unfolded it to a green T-shirt with blue text that read "Five whole years of being awesome." It took a while for a five-year-old named Ryan Reeves to get all the letters and put them together to read. But when he finally did he even had to force a smile.
Chloe, in her curious- George T-shirt and fleece pyjama- pants with print of bears wearing Christmas hats and scarves on only stayed by her brother's bed and waited for Ryan to say what he thought of the T-shirt she had gotten for him.
Ryan tried to think of anything but that it was his birthday and first thought it was weird that Chloe was wearing Christmas-themed pants in the beginning of August. And then noticed how very much too short they were in the slacks. And then of course remembered that none of them had gotten any new clothes since their mum Karen had taken them out shopping a few days before Ryan's last birthday.
That would be a whole year ago, and toddlers and small children grew a lot during a whole year. Then of course, during the last day when she was heartbroken from her husband not being here. Karen hadn't come out of the flat much more than for going to the grocery store across the road. Or to the store with beer and wine right next to it. Ryan didn't know what that one was called, despite how much he'd been standing there, holding Chloe's hand and looked to the floor while waiting for their mum to finish her shopping.
"Thanks Chloe. It's really nice."
At only three years old, Chloe couldn't hear the dry and bored tone in Ryan's voice. She only heard the words and skipped out of their shared bedroom happily while singing to herself.
"He liked it, he liked the shirt I got him. Mummy, Ryan liked the shirt I got him."
From his room Ryan could hear Karen Reeves answering with only a tired grumble as she was on her way out. He didn't have to guess, he already knew she was on her way to the beverage store across the road. And he already knew she was going to be gone for a while to come back, then lay back on her bed where she would lay the rest of the day drinking from the bottles she had gotten and would as good as never let go of.
At least Ryan couldn't remember she had ever let go of them. But his earliest memories of those came from coming home from the hospital on his last birthday. From before then he only had a few, faint memories of his dad. Maybe Karen had been drinking then too even if Ryan wasn't able to remember.
"Mummy. I'm hungry." Ryan could hear Chloe say just as Karen had opened the door and was on her way out. "You didn't give me any breakfast."
"Well, make your own damn breakfast."
Karen swore on Chloe, and Ryan could hear her slam the door. Not caring if Chloe got her hand stuck in between the door and the door frame or not. She hadn't the last five times Chloe actually did get hurt.
"But I'm hungry."
The latest was only slightly more than a whimper from Chloe's voice. Ryan saw that he didn't have a choice, he didn't want Chloe to start crying. If she did it would always take ages for her to stop. And then of course, he did care for his sister. And he was hungry too.
"I'll be there in a minute Chloe. I can make breakfast for you."
As Ryan sat up on his bed and reached for his favorite pants for the day. A pair of denim joggers, he as usual looked up towards his wall and the big, framed photo on his wall. A photo of Ryan with his dad, Ryan wearing the police hat Constantine Reeves had borrowed his son for a moment. Both of them wearing big smiles, in the front seat of a police car.
The photo had been shot only a few days before Ryan turned four. And if they had known Constantine Reeves would not be there to see the day the smiles had faded quicker than anyone could pronounce "police"
It was seconds after the photo had been shot the alarm had went off around the station. Constantine had unwillingly lifted Ryan down from his lap and when Ryan turned around he barely had time to see that the big smile his face had just been wearing had turned into a concentrated frown and a wave before his colleague jumped into the shotgun seat and took the walkie talkie to find out what had happened.
And with one last nod towards his children and wife Constantine had hit the gas pedal hard and gone away. Out of the building and later on, out of their life.
Walking home that day Ryan was happily skipping down the road with a birthday present from his dad's colleagues in his hands. And as he could remember it he didn't shut up about all the fun he'd have with his dad when he came home…
He never came home.
Only an hour or two later the phone had called in the kitchen. And when Karen went to get it Ryan could see his mother turning pale and with her back against the fridge, sunk down onto the floor still holding little Chloe towards her chest, deeply asleep and nowhere near what was going on right around her.
The man Constantine and his colleague Myra had went to get hadn't exactly planned on being caught by the police. Of course, nobody ever did but he really wasn't going to. So to the point that just at the minute Constantine and Myra had arrived the man held a gun towards them, the two police had pulled their guns too but just half a second too late. And before anything else, the masked man shot two bullets before the gun for some reason gave in- one in Constantine's heart, and one in his head.
Myra had come over and in the police car given Karen, Ryan and Chloe a ride to the hospital where Constantine had been taken to. And all the while Karen sat mumbling to herself.
"He's got to be okay. He's got to be okay. He's got to be okay."
Once there Myra had asked if she should take the children for the night but Karen had only shook her head. And towards the emergency room it went, where a doctor had taken them into a small room where Constantine laid, silent and still on the only bed.
"His body has suffered a lot of trauma." The doctor had told them when Karen still wouldn't let go of her children. "There's nothing we could do. There was nothing we could do when he came in neither. All that is left are the machines keeping his heart beating…"
"And as long as it is, there is hope right."
Constantine had never let anyone know what he wanted. So during the next forty eight hours Karen was in charge. She sat at Constantine's bedside without a break listening to the machines that beeped with Constantine's every heartbeat and breath.
He was still alive. And then there would be hope. Right?
Ryan and Chloe didn't get to leave the hospital neither.
The pile of birthday presents in Ryan's room had been forgotten.
It was a couple of days after being at the police station, on Ryan's birthday that Constantine's body had simply given up despite the respirator and there was nothing left to do than for the doctor's to turn their machines off.
And Karen had taken herself and her children home, and by the time his birthday evening came, when Constantine had originally planned to have the biggest celebration of the day with balloons and cake and everything that a boy turning four years old would like. And then at last, he would wake Ryan up if he fell asleep before and watch the seconds go by on the clock on the wall so they would know exactly when Ryan's first full day of being four year's old began.
Instead, Karen had gone straight into the kitchen and gotten a brown bottle neither Ryan nor Chloe knew what was in it. Then looked around the living room and realized that she wouldn't be able to pay for this whole house when she was on her own. And she might as well sell it right away before all of her money had gone to it.
The evening and night that should have been spent in his bed and on his dad's lap was spent packing as their mother sounded like if he didn't they'd all be homeless before the end of the week.
And all of the memories that should have been good, colorful and beautiful were black and grey, boring and pictures that Ryan would mostly have liked to forget. Instead of the memorable night his dad had originally planned.
A few days afterwards a teary Myra had come over with some framed photos. She liked photographing and had some with Constantine on them. She and Constantine's other colleagues and friends had chosen some of the best, printed and framed them.
As soon as Myra was out the door Karen had thrown them all away. Ryan had barely been able to take the one from just a few days ago out of the trash and tried hiding it from Karen. It wasn't hard nowadays, she didn't care about anything but her drinks and junk food.
Mostly the drinks.
The birthday present from Constantine's and the rest of the police squad Ryan had at last remembered and opened. Only a week before the toy police set had made him jump and squeal with joy.
Right then it was Ryan's turn to, his vision blinded with tears, throw what felt like everything in the trash. He didn't want that birthday present anymore.
And to this day Ryan couldn't let go of the feeling that his birthday was like cursed. As if something was about to go very wrong today too. Maybe something to Chloe or Karen, and despite getting up and pulling the new, soft and colorful shirt over his head the feeling in his stomach wouldn't let him go.
"Oh look." Ryan could hear Chloe's voice from outside his room and went into the hallway. "A butterfly came in here."
It sure did, and while Ryan went into the kitchen to get some breakfast Chloe started chasing the colorful butterfly around the apartment and into the living room in the opposite direction from her brother.
"Come here butterfly. Come here."
No more than toddler Chloe didn't know or understand that a butterfly couldn't be touched. That if one did its wings would be hurt and it would never fly again. Yet of course, she didn't know this yet and kept on chasing the butterfly through the living room.
"Come here. Come here. No. Don't go out the window."
Chloe ran and crawled up on her mother's bed that stood right next to the living room window. And from there she climbed up on the window sill where the butterfly was still flying around right nearby.
Holding tight onto one of the sides of the window seal with one hand Chloe raised her right hand and then, slowly and carefully the butterfly neared her and then stopped right at the tip of Chloe's finger.
"Wow."
It was only a breath while Chloe watched the butterfly on her finger. But for a moment it was as if the whole world stood still. Changing in when Chloe's bare feet slipped on the window seal. And when she tried to fall backwards towards the bed behind her. But failing as the butterfly left her finger and with a scream fell in the other direction, out the window and right down towards the pavement on the street below.
There were several people who heard the scream rising from her throat as Chloe fell. Ryan heard it from the kitchen, Karen heard it from the small grocery store on the other side of the road, and from inside the antique store below the flat where the Reeves' lived the owner Ray Evans heard it. Several people on the street on their way to work, on their way to their car, on their way to a friend's turned and when they finally realized where the scream had come from. There was the body of three year old Chloe lying in a strange position down on the pavement right outside the door to Ray Evans' shop.
Ray Evans had never liked the fact that his antiques store was across the road from a liquor store. Every day since it had moved there from the other side of town two years ago. There had been drunks who had nowhere else to go sitting right outside. Their hoarse voices and laughter or fighting could always be heard into his shop.
But it was just that he thought- they had nowhere else to go. And he felt bad about that so he'd never spoken a word about what he thought about it to anyone. And as long as they minded their own business, he would mind his.
But then of course. There was that scream when Chloe fell.
Ray Evans, who stood right by the door looked up. He hesitated for a moment. But having heard it was a child screaming he put the statue he was holding away and took a few steps through the door to see if there was anything he could help with.
The first thing he saw was Karen coming through the door to the liquor store with a plastic bag in one hand and a dark green bottle in the other. But still, as people were running around. Chocked and calling for an ambulance, the whole world seemed to have stopped and was all still and was so while Ray turned around to see what they were all looking at.
"CHLOE?"
Ryan had come running from the kitchen where he had been trying to make some sandwiches for him and his little sister. Now he stood on his mother's bed- leaning out the window so he could see his sister after hearing her scream.
"CHLOE."
The second shout came from Karen who dropped what she was holding and ran over the street. Ray Evans was turning his head from her and up towards his old flat where Ryan seemed ready to climb over the window sill to get down to his sister.
"NO." Ray broke through the chock to shout at Ryan. "Ryan. Don't. You have to go inside again and come down the stairs. You'll hurt yourself if you come that way."
"Okay. Okay."
Ryan crawled back towards the insides of the building and disappeared out of Ray's sight. Disappear didn't Karen who had finally broken out of her chock and dropped the things she was holding and ran across the street. Pushing her way past the people who were gathering then dropping to her knees by her daughter.
"Chloe? Chloe? Sweetheart?"
Before anyone could stop her Karen had shook Chloe's shoulder. Then when Chloe didn't react grabbed her by the shirt and pulled the small, little body that was her daughter's onto her lap.
"Can you hear me? Come on Chloe. Wake up."
On Karen's lap Chloe stayed motionless while Ray was trying to push another few people away to get up closer. It wasn't the easiest when two teenagers had pulled up their phones and were trying to film Karen and Chloe.
"Come on you two. There is nothing to see here." He tried and got in the way of their two cameras. Then kneeled with his back against them and kneeled next to Karen. "Karen…" Ray had only met Karen and the children two or three times. He didn't actually know them, but enough to speak their names. "You need to let her go. Carefully lay her down on the ground again."
"NO." Karen shouted back and Ray could clearly smell the alcohol in her breath. "What kind of mother would that make me? I'm a good mother I am."
"I know that." Ray tried and forced away the thoughts of everything he had seen and heard from upstairs the last few months. "But if she hurt her back- and I think she did. Moving her will only hurt her more. And more for every time you move."
"NO. I'm not letting her go." Karen stroke a hand over Chloe's bruised and scraped forehead. "NO." Ryan just came up and tried to run up to them. But before he was near enough to see properly how his sister had been hurt Karen shouted at him. "You are not getting anywhere close. I am not letting you cause any more damage than what you have already have made. How could you? Your sister is THREE years old. And you pushed her out the window."
"No I didn't."
"You pushed her. I saw you."
Ray Evans thought back, he might be old… ish. But he still trusted his photographic memory and knew that he had seen Karen come running from the liquor store on the other side of the street from his store and the flat.
And one thing he did know for sure- there was no way that Karen had been in the flat when Chloe fell. Two more things he wasn't so sure about- he could impossibly know if Ryan had in fact pushed his sister or not. Ryan seemed kind and obviously loved his sister but children were still children and if they'd been fighting…
He also did know that he had noticed Karen left her two young children for long whiles at the time. Sometimes through the whole afternoon and night.
And he was absolutely certain he didn't think children that young should be left on their own.
"Ma'am." A young woman kneeled by Karen's other side and laid a hand on the shoulder of the crying woman. "Please. Lay your daughter down again. Carefully. If she hurt her neck or her back."
"NO." Karen held her daughter away from the younger woman. "DON'T TOUCH MY DAUGHTER YOU B*TCH. I AM NOT LAYING HER DOWN ON THIS HARD AND DIRTY STREET. It's okay baby… It's okay. Mummy's here. I'm not letting anyone touch you or take you away from me. NO. NO. DON'T TOUCH HER. SHE'S MY DAUGHTER."
"I'm not taking her away from you. I just have to hold her head still to stabilize her neck."
"NO."
Just as Karen had shouted at the younger woman next to her people the sound of her sobs, mixed with people's voices around them mixed with the sounds of two cars with sirens that came closer and closer until an ambulance and a police car came around the corner and braked right by them.
"What's happened here?"
"MYRA." Ryan recognized the police woman stepping out from the shotgun seat right away and ran over to her with tears streaming down his face. "She fell out the window. I didn't push her. Mum keeps saying I did but I promise you. I didn't push her."
"Come here Ryan." Ray Evans laid a big and soft hand towards the young boy's shoulder. "I think it's better if we stay out of the way a bit and let the police and the paramedics do their job. We'll get the chance to tell everything that's happened later."
"But I didn't push her. I promise."
Ray Evans didn't answer as he led the boy a few meters to the side and up to the group of people who had all stopped and stared. The older man would have wanted to tell everybody to go away and mind their own business. But caring more for Ryan he only turned again to be able to see what was going on.
"Can you tell us her name?" One of the paramedics asked Karen. "Ma'am?" Karen didn't react at first. "Can you tell us your daughter's name please?"
"It's Chloe, Chloe Reeves."
"I TOLD YOU TO GO AWAY."
Ryan had answered the paramedic's question and right away regretted it. He had been out of Karen's sight for a few seconds. When she heard him behind her back she shouted again and started barely turning around on her knees with Chloe still in her arms.
"Ma'am." The same paramedic tried. "Can you tell us about what happened to Chloe?"
"Sh- sh- she fe… she was pu-ushed ou-out the win-window-ow b-by he-er bro-othe-er."
"NO SHE WASN'T." Ryan shouted not thinking about other people. "I WASN'T EVEN IN THE SAME ROOM AS HER I SWEAR."
"SHUT UP AND LET THEM DO THEIR JOB."
It was only that when Karen shouted at Ryan to let the paramedics and police do their job that wasn't what she was doing herself. Clinging harder and harder onto Chloe's body the closer they came.
"Ma'am. You need to let us take Chloe now. You can come with us to the hospital in the ambulance but we need to lay her on what we call a spinal board and put on a neck brace to stabilize her back and neck in case those have been hurt. Maybe while we do that you can tell us about what happened?"
Karen was still sobbing and crying out loud. But with firm and steady moves the two paramedics managed to lift Chloe out of her mother's lap. And with a stiff back and her back and neck in line lifted her and strapped her to a stretcher.
"What is that?"
"It's only a cervical collar." The paramedic told her putting it on. "It will keep the head still until we know more about how hurt Chloe has been. Now, while we put this on. Can you tell us what you know about what happened?"
Karen nodded tearfully and glared back on Ryan. Then drew a deep breath and with tears still streaming down her cheeks she managed to keep her voice somewhat steady.
"I was right up there making breakfast for my two kids who I love so very much. And then I heard them fighting. They were standing on my bed which is right next to the window in the living room. I went in there so I could break it up. But just as I came through the door I could see Ryan push his little sister out the door and then she was… I ran across the room to try and catch her but I could just hear her scream and then she was laying on the ground. But I swear I was there the whole time. I was."
"That's not true. She wasn't even in the flat."
Ryan hadn't said it out loud. The thought that he wasn't supposed to be heard had now reached all the way through and with Ray Evans's hands on his shoulders he stared into the ground and whispered under his breath while he wanted to scream out loud.
"Should your son come with us too?" The female paramedic asked he could hear. "Or is there anyone he can stay with here?"
"He's not coming with us."
Karen's voice was dark and cold. But Ryan's head flew up while he tried to stutter something without being able to find the words to use.
"I-I-I… m- m-m… I-I-I… I want to come with my sister."
At last he did get a whole sentence out of him. But that while Karen shot him another glare. And if glares could have killed. There wouldn't have been much left of Ryan Reeves.
But nobody else saw it except for Ryan himself.
"I can take care of him." He heard Ray Evans say with his deep, steady voice. "If there is a way for someone to keep us updated about what happens to Chloe. Then I can take Ryan to the hospital when things have calmed down a bit. Is that okay with you Ryan?"
The young boy didn't answer, he only looked towards the ambulance where his mum was just being led to sit in the shotgun seat in the front. And he wished he could get moving and run after. Then crawl into the back of the ambulance and come to the hospital room where Karen couldn't see him.
What would happen when they reached the hospital and she did Ryan couldn't quite figure. But it would have been for nothing if he did anyway, the door back in the ambulance was just closing and the male paramedic who had gotten into the front hit the gas and put the sirens on.
Ryan watched the ambulance move away from the square.
He would still have wanted to run after it. He knew what Karen was like since Constantine wasn't here anymore. He needed to be with Chloe and make sure she was alright. She hadn't even had any breakfast- he needed to make sure she got some.
"And who are you?"
Myra's voice after she had noted some things caught Ryan back from his deep thoughts. He was first going to answer, but then knew Myra already knew who he was so hesitated and then realized Myra had asked Ray and not him.
"Oh. Sorry, my name is Ray Evans. I own the store here. I used to live in that flat but I had to move since I could no longer get up and down the stairs." Ray silent. "Sorry. You didn't need all that information. Anyway, I do own the store here and I do know Ryan and his family quite a bit so if you need someone to take care of him for the day I wouldn't mind."
"Do you have an ID card to show me Mr. Ray Evans?"
"Certainly." Ray pulled up a wallet from his back pocket, opened it and pulled out a small card and handed it to Myra. Myra quietly took it, noted something and looked up and down to compare Ray Evans to the photo on the card. Then turned to the store and checked in case the store had Ray's name on the logo- it didn't.
Myra seemed happy with what she saw still and handed the card back to Ray. Then while she had talked to Ray and Ryan the police man had been walking home to the possible witnesses and taken their statements. Myra did think it had gone a bit too fast when he came walking up and faced the three.
"Not much." He answered before anyone had asked. "People didn't see it. They just heard the scream from inside the stores or turned when they heard the scream." He looked down on what he had noted. "Nothing that supports neither the mum nor..." The police man nodded towards Ryan and Ray. "…So what do you think we should do?"
"First of all… Peter this is Ryan. Ryan's dad is Constantine who you've heard about." The police man nodded. "And Ryan this is Peter. Who came to work at the police station a year ago when your dad… well, you know. Anyway, Pete. It seems Ray here can look after Ryan for the day when we leave. Should we go upstairs to the flat and… we can get away from all of these people so Ryan too can tell us what he knows in quiet. COME ON PEOPLE. THERE'S NOTHING LEFT TO SEE HERE." A young woman was just kneeling and laying a rose down on where Chloe had been lying earlier. "Oh come on." Myra was talking quietly now, as if she didn't want anyone to hear her. "Flowers? It's not like Chloe's dead. Now, come on you three. Mr. Evans. Will you show us the way up to the flat?"
"Actually." Ray felt his pocket. "I'm just going to go close the store. It'll only be a minute. But there is the door. The code is 1199 and it'll open for you. Then the only stairs up and you're there. I'll only be a minute." Myra sent Peter a meaning look.
"I think I'll come with you Mr. Evans. Myra, you go with Ryan?"
Ray Evans had a feeling Peter came with him to make sure he wasn't going to make a run and disappear from the scene. Well, he didn't have any plans of that kind at least. But the police were only doing their job. And while Ray showed Peter into the store Myra pressed the right code to the front door. Then sent one last glance towards the rose that laid on the pavement before she walked in after Ryan and up the stairs.
And in the middle of the drama she tried to push away she missed her old colleague and mentor. In this situation and with this family she just couldn't help it. Even though she couldn't let that feeling interfere with how she did her job.
"You've grown so big since your dad worked with us." Constantine's old colleague sat down on the bench in the hallway and patted next to her for Ryan to come and sit. "You kids grow so fast. It's enough to blink and suddenly you're all grown up. Now… can you tell us a bit more about what happened earlier today when Chloe fell from the window?"
She had asked the question just barely when they could hear two pairs of footsteps coming back up the stairs and Peter and Ray came walking back up to the flat that was Ray's old one.
"I guess we could go sit down in the kitchen or the living room. Or what do you say Ryan?"
It was Ray's suggestion. But Ryan nodded barely noticeable and got down from the bench by the door and led the group of four into the kitchen where he saw the loaf of bread, butter and cheese he had taken out and put on the counter before he had heard Chloe screaming.
"I was about to make her breakfast."
His words were barely more than a breath. The men didn't hear her but when Myra looked down on him Ryan could see she had done. Ryan looked up on the bread though- he didn't feel very hungry.
"So. Ryan? Can you tell us more about what happened today?" They all sat down by the table and Myra started the conversation. "Don't think about what your mother said earlier. Only tell us your point of view from what happened earlier today. Can you start with telling us if your mum were home or not."
Ryan didn't answer, now when he finally did have the chance to speak his point of view of all of what had happened today without the risk of being interrupted it didn't feel as good. And he wasn't so sure if he wanted to say what he really had experienced today.
If Karen found out what he had said he would probably get in trouble no matter what he had said.
"Ryan." Myra interrupted and with a calm but stern look, looked into Ryan's eyes. "It is very important now that you tell us what you know now. And it is very important you tell us the truth. And I and Peter works with some rules called confidentiality which means that we can't go tell your mum or anybody else what you said here today. Now, was your mother home when Chloe fell or was she not?"
Ryan hesitated again, looked from Ray, to Peter, to Myra and remembered how great friends Myra had been with his dad. At last Ryan shook his head slightly, he knew Constantine had been good at his job. Maybe he had taught Myra something too.
"No. Mum had gone out."
"Good job. That was the first. Now. Can you tell us a bit more about what you heard and saw when Chloe fell? I saw when we walked past it that there's a bed right next to the living room window. Was that the window she fell out from?" Ryan nodded. "Who's bed is that?"
"Mum's." Ryan took a deep breath and didn't take his eyes off Myra. "It's mum's bed… Mum left. But I heard Chloe say she was hungry. So I got up and went in here to make some breakfast. I heard Chloe say something about a butterfly. I heard the mattress squeaking when she got up on it but I didn't think much about it. And… then I only heard her screaming so I ran over to the bed and looked out the window and there…"
Tears rose in Ryan's eyes and rolled down his cheeks.
The picture of his sister's limp body down on the pavement didn't below he felt as if it would never leave the insides of his eyelids.
"I know mum said I did. But I promise I didn't push Chloe out the window. I was still in here about to make her breakfast. That's it and that's the truth. Then I was going to crawl out the window to get down to Chloe. But Ray shouted for me to come down the stairs instead. I came and that's when mum started shouting at me that I'd pushed her. And then you and the paramedics came around and that's it."
Ryan ended with a hiss, fighting the tears away and annoyed wiped tears and snot with the collar of his new T-shirt. Ray patted his shoulder and meanwhile Peter was noting everything he had just said.
"Nothing more to add?" Myra asked, Ryan shook his head with more tears rolling down his cheeks. "That's okay honey. You're doing so well. And what about you? I know you already told it once but can you once again, who are you and what did you see and hear earlier today?"
"Who am I? My name is Ray Evans and I own the antiques story that is right below this flat. I came out on the street when I heard Chloe screaming and when I came out she was lying on the pavement."
"So, you didn't see Chloe falling? Only heard it?"
"Only heard it. Although. When I came out from the store one of the first thing I saw was Karen Reeves in the door to the liquor store across the road. So she could impossibly have been in the flat when Chloe fell."
Myra was noting every word Ray said and even though he knew that had to be done it made Ray quite uncomfortable and he had to wipe off the sweat on his palms towards the fabric of his jeans.
"And what happened next? Was Chloe unconscious or was she awake for a moment at first?"
"I think she was unconscious right away. She didn't scream or cry or anything at all. Not that I heard at least. Oh. And just as I came outside I saw Karen coming out of the liquor store so there was no way she could have been in the flat when Chloe fell."
Myra whispered something to Peter. He nodded and noted something more. Then the walkie talkie hanging in his belt suddenly sounded loud. Peter stood up quickly, answered it and ran out of the room to get some privacy.
"Is that all?" Myra asked, Ryan and Ray both nodded. "I think we've got everything we need then. As soon as they've got news they will call us from the hospital so that we can make a report. And then, I and Peter can come back here and let you know. But chances are that won't be until in several hours. And you…" Myra looked sternly to Ray. "…Are not allowed to take Ryan out somewhere. Not even to the grocery store."
"Of course."
Myra obviously liked how cooperative and calmly Ray was acting and gathered the things she and Peter had brought. She walked out into the hallway where Peter already was and Ryan and Ray followed them.
"You'll hear from us some time later today then. For now- Ryan, did you ever get to eat that breakfast?" Ryan had to think for a moment to remember he hadn't and shook his head. "Make sure to get something to eat then. If you don't it won't help anyone. Here. Let me read the text on your shirt…. Oh. Now I remember…I know it's actually not. But happy birthday Ryan."
"Today's your birthday?" Ray asked, never expecting something like that and Ryan bobbed his head slightly up and down. "Well that explains that shirt… hold on a minute. You stay here a second. I think I've got something you'll like."
Without waiting for an answer Ray disappeared out of the flat. Myra looked worried about him disappearing. But they could hear his footsteps all the time as he only went down to the store, then came up the stairs again holding something behind his back.
"Here. Close your eyes and hold out your hand. I've got something for you."
Ryan closed his eyes and did as he was told, the two police stayed for another few seconds to make sure what the old man gave him wasn't anything that would be inappropriate for a child that just turned five years old.
Ryan could hear them moving and then felt an item being put in his hand.
"Now look." It was a small wooden toy with Mickey Mouse on a tricycle. "It's not anywhere near a new one. But I had one just the same when I was about your age and it was my favorite toy of all times. Look here, those wheels move so you can push it like you do with those newer toy cars. I'm a quite old man now. But even though you might not believe it. I've been little too. I was born exactly April the thirtieth in 1945. Now, some people know what happened that day. Because something that happened that day changed the whole world's situation. Do you know what happened April the thirtieth in 1945?"
Ryan didn't know this. But Ray Evans kept talking to kill off some time.
Because he knew that today would be a very long day.
But Ryan didn't know that.
He only shook his head at Ray Evans's question. Ryan didn't know what happened April the last in 1945.
"I think you might find that out when you're a bit older." Ray took the small Mickey Mouse toy and pushed it over the table towards Ryan. "A few years later, when I was about the same age as you are now. My dad gave me one. Now come on." Ray stood up and took the bread that still laid on the kitchen counter. "I think you need something to eat? Don't you have anything else that will work for lunch later?"
Answer? no!
Ryan sat down by the table, Ray made him a sandwich. Ryan drank the glass of juice he had been given. But pieces of a sandwich felt impossible to squeeze past the lump in his throat. And Ray did understand that, and didn't complain when he threw the sandwich in the compost bin.
That day every second felt like an hour. The home phone laid on the kitchen counter at the loudest noise possible so they'd stand no chance of missing it if someone called. And how they wished, yet not. Maybe if someone let them know something too early it would mean something had happened. Some sort of complications- maybe the very worst kinds.
Ray wasn't a top chef, but he did make the world's best Pasta carbonara according to himself and called up a friend who went grocery shopping and came with the bag to the door. So Ray wouldn't have to leave neither let anyone into the flat.
Not that Ryan would know if it was any good though. He couldn't get a piece down. At last he forced a few bites into his mouth. But while he chew the pasta and sauce tasted nothing. And swallowing made him want to throw up.
So Ray threw that too in the compost bin without a word of complaints.
And so Ryan was back on the floor in his room, where he could see the photo of himself with his dad in the corner of his eye while he sat and pushed the small Vintage Toy back and forth over the floor. Ray was doing the dishes and did them as slowly as possible to make it last.
And they waited to hear something.
And waited.
Then waited a bit more.
Then at last, at past six in the evening there was a ring on the doorbell. Both Ray and Ryan looked up from where they were and the both of them got quickly onto their feet, into the hallway and opened the door. Outside stood Myra, but now alone and in casual clothes.
"I just couldn't leave work before I could give you some news. I just couldn't."
Myra didn't say exactly what she thought. She knew nor the old man neither the little boy in front of her wanted to hear about herself or heard day. They didn't want to hear anything except for what was going on with Chloe.
"We've heard from the hospital now. Chloe's life isn't in danger but it appears her spine has been broken and because it's so swollen it's hard to know how much. But she's been given loads of painkillers and her own room and she has been awake. Although she doesn't remember what happened and then unfortunately she can't remember what made her fall out that window."
For Ryan in his tender age of five he didn't understand what a broken spine meant. He knew the spine was in the back… but it was a bone. Broken bones healed- didn't they?
Although he did understand that if Chloe didn't remember what happened Karen could kept saying he had pushed her. Or whatever else she wanted to say about what had happened.
"I didn't push her." He couldn't help from saying. "I promise."
"And I believe you." Myra promised, Ray nodded agreeing. "But… your mother seems to have changed since I knew her more. And I don't know whatever kind of picture she has of what happened today. Anyway, you're free to go if you want to go and see Chloe now. You should probably be able to see her for a bit before it closes for the night." Myra looked up on Ray and hoped he would say something. She was tired out of her mind even if she didn't show it. And even though otherwise she would have done it she wanted to go home rather than taking Ryan in her car and go to the hospital.
Besides, this Ray hadn't ran away with Ryan yet so he did seem like a good guy.
"Oh. And there are still journalists outside who wants to get someone of you to comment what happened earlier. I just had to warn you… You'll see when you come outside if nothing else. But Mr. Evans… Should I take Ryan to the hospital to meet Chloe?"
There was something Ray saw in the eyes of Myra. That something had him understanding what he should do.
"I can drive him."
Myra looked suspiciously up on Ray. But then of course, he had showed her his ID and he hadn't tried to take Ryan with him so far today. So before she said her goodbyes she seemed to relax a bit and gave Ryan a quick hug before she was out the flat.
In difference from earlier this day it was now cloudy and Ray took Ryan's thin jacket from the hook right inside the doorway and held it up so Ryan only had to pull it on. But then he couldn't help but notice the sleeves didn't reach anywhere close to his hands.
"I think you've outgrown this jacket. Don't you have another one of the right size?"
Ryan shook his head, he hadn't said much earlier today. And he stayed quiet now too when he followed in Ray's footsteps down the stairs.
"Excuse me. Excuse me." As Myra had warned them about there were still journalists from a paper out on the street and came running up to Ray and Ryan once they were out the door. "You were here earlier when that girl fell out the window right? Oh… You… the woman that was her mother said you pushed her?" The woman turned to Ryan and didn't even seem to notice he was only a kid. "Did you? Do you want to comment?"
"Hey." Ray interrupted and gently pushed Ryan backwards to stand behind himself. "He's just a kid. He's been through a lot of stress today- show some mercy. If I tell you what I know…" He glanced to the street where several people had now laid flowers, a few cards and even a teddy bear. "…Will you leave him alone then?"
The journalist didn't look happy, but obeyed to Ray's stern voice and nodded. Ray said the exact same thing he had told the police earlier. Leaving out the detail about that Karen had been in the liquor store with just saying she was outside. And then backed away from the camera and the journalist.
"Now, if you excuse us. Ryan wants to meet his sister and I'm pretty sure she wants to see him too. And I don't want to see you around here when I get back."
With that Ray turned on his heel holding Ryan's hand tight in his. Ryan looked to the ground and only followed. He was still worried about his sister more than anything. But he'd be forever grateful Ray had taken the questions instead of him. Right now he only stayed quiet while he crawled into the back seat of Ray's car and then looked out the window without seeing what he looked at all the way to the hospital.
"I only have to go pay for the parking." Ray told Ryan. "You can only stand here by the car. I'll be back in just a second. Don't go with anyone if they come and try to make them come with you." Ray disappeared behind the car without another word. And Ryan couldn't help to wonder why someone would come and try to get him with them.
Ryan was looking at the ground, but looked up just as Ray came back and saw a mother coming down the parking lot with two kids. A boy about Ryan's own age, and a girl about Chloe's. The girl had one arm in a cast. But was still smiling brightly and laughing about something.
Ray turned to see what it was that had caught Ryan's attention. And something hit him right in the heart when he saw the longing look in Ryan's eyes.
But he didn't know what to say about it so instead he ignored it and tried to catch the boy's attention instead.
"Now… Let's go. I think your sister might be asleep by now. But it will be a bit nice to see her. Won't it?"
Ryan only shrugged and stared to the ground. And while they walked through the big doors into the hospital and towards the children's ward he didn't stop.
"I wish mum wasn't there though. She's just going to say it's my fault."
It's unknown whether Ryan actually meant to say those words out loud or not. But he did, and it was almost so quiet Ray didn't hear him- although only almost.
"Ryan." Ray laid a hand on the young boy's shoulder. "This wasn't your fault. No matter what lies your mother will tell- like she already has. I didn't see it all but I saw enough. And I will stay on your side through whatever happens now. So, you're not alone. Know that. Okay?"
Ryan only shrugged and then followed Ray into the children's ward where they walked up to the reception desk and Ray caught the attention of a reception.
"This is Ryan Reeves. The big brother of Chloe, she came in here earlier today after falling out a window."
The woman in the reception didn't even look up on them.
"Down the hallway, second to the right."
"Thank you."
Without showing Ryan. Ray grimaced at the way receptionist rude sounding voice. Although he did still lead Ryan into..
…the wrong room.
"Can I help you with anything?" The nurse in the room that was just draping a blanket over a little boy asked them. "Oh… you must be Reeves won't you? Brother to Chloe? We heard you were coming. Come on. Her room is right here. She just moved room to have her own so you might have gotten the wrong instructions. In here she is. Mrs. Reeves?"
Chloe was in fact sleeping. Karen was sitting by her bedside with a small bedside lamp on as the only light in the room. She was tired, and seemed half asleep. But looked up and stood when Ray and Ryan came inside. Then looked straight to Ray just after the nurse left.
"Maybe you could leave. And I can be with my children only. I might get a chance to get home tonight so you can go."
"Of course. Bye Ryan. Thank you for today." Ray turned and left the room. Before he did Karen shot her son a look that had him freezing still where he stood and he didn't take a single step forward
"This is all your fault."
The low, cold, threatening tone in Karen's voice as she walked towards him with darkness in her eyes sent shivers down Ryan's spine.
But he did have a feeling things were only about to get worse.
"GET OUT. I WANT YOU TO GET OUT. YOU PUSHED YOUR SISTER OUT THE WINDOW AND NOW SHE'S HURT. SHE MIGHT NOT EVEN LIVE TO SEE TOMORROW. YOU GET OUT OF THIS PLACE. I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN."
"I didn't pu…"
"YOU DID PUSH HER AND YOU KNOW VERY WELL THAT'S THE TRUTH."
"But mu…"
Ryan silent when Karen had stomped the few steps left towards him and gripped hard around his shoulder.
"Ow."
"Do you think that pain is any pain at all compared to what Chloe has been feeling today? She fell from a window- no, she didn't fall. She was pushed out. By you." Ryan didn't bother opening his mouth to protest again. "And then she woke up when we came to the hospital screaming in agony. She's been given painkillers and was screaming just as well hitting around her. That's right- hitting. She couldn't kick because she can no longer feel her legs. The staff then had to force her down onto a stretcher with straps to be able to take an X-ray. She broke her back you idiot. You pushed her out the window and she broke her back."
"But broken bones heal. Don't they? I broke my arm and dad said…"
"That's not the way it works when Chloe broke her back. She can't feel her legs and she's not going to neither. She is three years old and the rest of her life will be spent in a wheelchair. Because she can't feel her legs and therefore cannot walk. And all because you pushed her out the window. You Ryan, you, you, you."
While Karen in frustration took a few steps to one side and then the same to the others. Ryan was able to see past her and to the only bed in the room. Where Chloe laid held towards and strapped onto a hard plastic board.
Chloe was asleep. But without thinking Ryan wanted to come up closer and talk to her. So without thinking about that Karen was still half a meter away from him.
"Oh no, you don't get anywhere near her." Karen grabbed Ryan hard by the shoulder again. "I've been thinking and I think it's for the best if you just disappear. I need to spend my time with Chloe now and…"
Karen didn't explain what she was about to do to Ryan when she let her grip around his shoulder go slightly, turned and walked out and down the hallway. But Ryan did have a feeling it was something bad.
"Excuse me." Karen had her hand lying on her son's shoulder when they walked up to the doctor standing by the reception riffling in some paper sheets. "Excuse me." When the doctor didn't react Karen tried again.
Seeing how angry she was and had been this whole day. Ryan only hoped Karen wouldn't all of a sudden explode. But then the doctor heard her and turned towards them so at least not now.
"How can I help you two?"
"My name is Karen Reeves…" Karen's voice was steady and she spoke slowly. Ryan did recognize it as something he had only heard a long time ago. "I'm the mother of Chloe Reeves, the girl who came here after falling out a window earlier today. And also to Ryan Reeves here. I… I wouldn't believe… I believe, that after everything that's happened it would be better to split them up. At least temporarily. And of course, during the nearest few months at least I will have to put my concentration and care towards my daughter. I'd think it would be better if my son could be taken somewhere he could be cared for properly after everything. At least during the time I will have to put my time to Chloe."
The doctor in front of Karen and Ryan nodded with a frown while he pulled his glasses of and held the tip of the frames on one side towards his jaw in a distressed move.
"Would you like me to contact the social services? I can do it right now or in the morning. Thy can come here. They know more than I do about what can be done and if you'd like this to be temporary. Or should I wait with calling them until in the morning?"
"I think it's better to be done as soon as possible."
The doctor nodded, told the two to wait and walked away. Karen lost her calm complexion and her eyes were ice cold when she looked down on her son and hard grabbed him by his sides and lifted him onto a chair so she could look him into the eyes.
Her voice was as cold as her eyes, it made shivers go through Ryan's back and made him into jump down from the chair and run, run, run. Run far away where no one could find him… maybe somewhere his dad still was.
"This is all your fault."
Only five years old barely, Ryan couldn't understand what the social services were or what they were for. All he could understand as he watched Karen's back as she walked away from him, was that he really believed his birthday was cursed.
And whatever was going to happen now, Ryan did understand that despite what Karen had said, what was about to happen wouldn't at all be temporary.
He never saw the toy with Mickey Mouse or his framed photo again.
Question about your history knowledge- The one who can come with the answer about what happened April 30th in 1945 gets a shoutout.
Random fact
When we first found out in the series that Ryan had a sister, without her name being revealed. I did decide that if it wasn't revealed before I wrote this chapter her name would be Rebecca. Naming siblings I always like to keep a theme- like the same first letter for all or something like that. But then when it was said to be Chloe I was kind of disappointed. Anyway, I got over it. Then I planned for the mum's name to be Rebecca instead (So Ryan and mum would have R-names, and Chloe and dad C-ones) but then Justice knew it was Karen (probably, at least something starting with a K) and I was disappointed again haha.
Those who review will get each shoutout.
