Superman

Chapter 28 (The Finale - part 3)

~Marshall's P.O.V.~

      The police station is all too familiar to me. I walk down the same hallway, into the same room, with the same cops. The woman at the reception desk knows me by name. This better be the last time I come here. As I walk down the hallway, I think about Rachel. She's with Rule and Ren at his house now. I didn't want her to be by herself even though she insisted. I think she gave in because she knew I needed her to be with people, not because she wanted to.
      I push those thoughts aside for later upon arrival at the same door I've walked through for six days. I inhale deeply before entering, making sure I'm prepared for whatever's on the other side. Surely they would've told me if it was Jon. Wouldn't they? I shake it off, momentarily praying for Jon's safety that he isn't on the other side of this door. I push through it and stop in my tracks halfway in. You've got to be fucking joking.
      Emmett sits at the table next to an officer while deputy Navaro stands in the far corner. I glare at Emmett, unsure what to do. Do I leave? Do I stay? Do I beat the shit out of him?

"Marshall." Navaro says. "Sit."

      It takes me a minute to get my legs moving. Slowly, and without taking my eyes off Emmett I sit down across from him. He looks down at the table. He looks almost apologetic. I'm unsure what for. Another moment of silence follows us before Navaro speaks again.

"You two have met." He states. "Kid I haven't got all damn day, what did you need a controlled environment for?"

       Emmett glances up at Navaro nervously. Then, he looks at me. There's guilt ridden all over his face. You know something. My subconscious screams at him. It's true. He does know something. The question is what exactly does he know. Emmett opens his mouth to speak but immediately closes it and drops his head again. After a minute to regain composure, he speaks.

"I told him where she'd be." He says softly.

      For a minute I'm lost. I can see on Navaro's face that he is also very confused. I wait for Emmett to go on but he looks at me with expectant eyes. After a couple seconds it clicks for me. I know exactly what he's talking about. I wanna hear you say it. When he realizes that I'm not going to respond he keeps going.

"I knew he was going to hurt her." He says again, eyes on the floor.

      His words fuel my hate. I feel the rage building inside me. This son of a bitch, this mutt, could've stopped it. So? You could've too. My subconscious states. I shake it off, there's no time to deal with my own feelings of guilt and hate for myself. I stare at Emmett. I stare at him for a very long time. I hear my breathing escalate with fury and I think about how lucky Emmett is that there are two cops in this room right now. When I finally work up the will to speak without murdering him, I can only manage a few phrases.

"Why?" I snarl through gritted teeth. "Why didn't you stop him?"

      As I feel myself getting angrier, I understand why he wanted a controlled environment. And I also understand why a therapist would not have cut it. He's protecting himself and I mentally congratulate him for his effort. Stay focused. I remind myself.