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The Voice Within

Wanted

“So what now?” I hesitantly murmured my eyes dropping from Danny laying asleep and sprawled out on the ground, too Kat hiccupping in the corner, her eyes also closed and then to Chase tapping away at his mobile phone completely oblivious to the rest of us.

“What do you mean, what now?” Kat repeated, her eyes still closed as she sat lazily in the sun.

I bit my lip and thought of how to answer. The truth was I wanted, no needed to get back to Luke and foster care unit. Surely Rosa or one of the social workers would know something about my dad. Had they talked with him yet, arrested him, as Rosa had suggested they might? Then there was always Lizzie as well, it felt like it had all been ages since I had visited her. Now the idea had squirmed its way into my head, I knew I couldn’t go without another second without wondering if they’re had been any change with the coma.

“Right that it’s it,” I exclaimed jumping up and brushing some dirt from my shorts, “I’m going back to the foster care unit to go and check on Luke.”

“Right now?” Danny whined.

“It’s only been a couple hours Ronnie, I’m pretty sure he’s alright.” Kat reassured me; her eyes still closed as she lay basking in the sun.

“I know, I know,” I began not sure how I was going to say this.

“I’ll come with,” Chase piped up, my hero once again.

“So,” I said trying for conversation as we made the short walk back, “Where’s um, Justin today?”

“At school,” he replied.

Before I could stop myself I went, “Really?” Rosa had told me I wouldn’t have to be going to school for a while until our situation had been sorted out, Chase, Danny and Kat were just plain bunking off and I’d always expected Justin to be like the ‘ring leader’ or whatever. As the oldest he always looked like the most one looking out for trouble.

“He’s on the verge of getting suspended or even expelled or whatever,” Chase explained reading my mind once again.

“Right, well thanks for walking me,” I smiled as sweetly and innocently and possible, trying to hint that Chase could very nicely leave now. “And thanks for today as well, at the supermarket, I don’t what I’d done…” Now I was babbling, making a thank you ten times more awkward then it needed to be. Thankfully Chase just nodded and was on his way again, disappearing round the corner before I could even wave. I stood there for a while, chewing my lip and running my hand through my hair as I wondered what to do now. It felt like everything was happening so fast. One minute I was living, not happily, but surviving at home with dad, and Luke, and the next thing we were here. While he, our abusive father was still out there. And it scared me to death wandering what would happen. After everything he was still our father, and I knew Luke and I weren’t going to get away that easy. Even if just for a one night trip back home, that would be all he needed to get drunk and start taking his anger out on me – again.

I didn’t want to stay long before sneaking off to the hospital, but as soon as I took one step inside, Rosa was in my face practically hauling me down the corridor to her office. “I need to talk to you,” she beckoned me with her finger with such a serious tone in her voice she immediately had all these scary possibilities of why she would want to talk with me going off in my head. Had my dad really noticed me at the supermarket and had come roaring into the foster care unit looking for Luke?

Rosa quickly ushered me into a chair, before clearing her throat to speak; “Now Ronnie, you remember how I said we would be talking to your dad as soon as we found him, to speak about the accusations against him?” Accusations? Was that all it was? This was why I knew Luke and I should have simply gone back home while we had the chance, if our accusations and word was all we had going against him. This running away was only going to make dad angrier. I put my head in my hands only half listening to what she said next.

“A police officer found his colleague lying half dead at your house with serious wounds to her head and arms. She’s fighting for her life right now in an intensive care unit, with little chance of survival. There is a great chance that your father has severely injured this police officer and… Are you listening Ronnie?” she asked breaking off mid sentence.

Instensive care, police officer, dad? It couldn’t be true? He wouldn’t he wouldn’t, he wouldn’t, he couldn’t...

“Ronnie, it’s very important that you listen to everything I am telling, you. Do you understand me? Now, the report will be on the news, so were obviously going to have keep Luke away from the TV at the moment. Your dad is now wanted by the police, and not just us social workers. It’s a very serious offence to harm a police officer and there is a great chance he could be coming after you and Luke now. So right now at the moment, you’ll need to be kept inside here, no more running off with the others. We’ll need to know about any phone calls or contact he tries to make with you. As soon as possible you and your brother will be moved, possibly with a temporary adoptive family, though this is very unlikely…”

I stopped listening altogether, nothing was making sense anymore. I gripped the arm rests of the chair as I stood. It was all clear now, the social workers had failed to protect them. Liz was wrong, and I had been right. My dad was still out there, only now he was hurting other people and it was all my fault… I had to get to Luke immediately.
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Quite happy with this story so far, and am excited about where I'm planning to take it. I hope you will enjoy reading it as I much as I enjoy writing it :)