***A/N warning for implied sexual abuse of a child***
"Denny!" grabbing at my jeans I rush towards my grandson's room Stevie right behind me. I somehow manage to throw them on one legged in mid stride, how I don't know, rushing into Denny's room to find him curled up and screaming in his sleep my heart is caught in my throat as I fasten my jeans and sit on the bed beside him, Stevie climbs in next to me lifting our joint charge into her lap and holding him "It's okay sweetheart, grandma and grandpa are here, shhhh it's alright baby. Linds he's not calming down" that's because he can't hear anyone soothing him.
Grabbing his small shoulder, I give him a shake waiting for his eyes to flutter open, there are tears streaming down his cheeks when he comes awake and he latches onto Stevie the moment he recognizes the two of us. "Linds I've never heard screaming like that before...God not since Connor" when we first got Connor back he had horrendous nightmares, he would scream and cry and even when he woke up he could barely be comforted. From what we could work out they had to do with sleeping in a room and being covered in bugs which apparently was an every day occurrence in his first home.
I have to gently pull Denny's arm to get him to look at me so I can sign to him "What's wrong buddy?" he starts signing faster than I can keep up, and even Stevie has trouble. She slows him down more than once finally getting a cohesive narrative from him "Scared, bad men came and hurt me again" Stevie's hands stroke his longish hair from his eyes "What men?" I ask getting to the heart of the issue while Stevie soothes his tears "Mommy's friends, they wanted money so they took me away for a week. Until mommy could get the money. They hit me" my blood freezes and I see red.
"They hit you? Did they hurt you any other way?" I don't know if I can stand the answer. He looks away from me shaking his head and burrowing his face back in Stevie's robe. I feel my knuckles crack, my anger rising to the surface "For drugs, he was taken from her by strangers over drugs! She needs to be locked up! How could she let them do that?" mindful of Denny's distress Stevie lowers her voice, he can still feel the vibrations of her speech and would probably know if she was upset or not "She has a habit Linds, how do you think she pays for it?"
The thought is sickening on its own, but adding her own son into her drug problem makes me want to hit someone. One handed I make circles on Denny's back and he turns to me again "I was scared grandpa, I don't want to go back" that makes two of us he sounded like someone was murdering him in his sleep "I want to sleep with you" Stevie and I both agree immediately, she carries him up to her bedroom and I stew in anger at Mina. How could she? To her own child, letting him be kidnapped to pay her debts. And I'm sure those men came up with ways to make Denny pay off his mother's account.
Shuddering I make my way upstairs pulling on some pajama bottoms and climbing into bed with Stevie and Denny. He's still awake and wiping at his eyes, all Stevie can do is help him when she can. "Denny, if they did anything else to you tell me okay?" struggling he finally makes a slow heartbreaking string of signs that seal the deal for me. He paid Mina's debt alright-"I wanna stay with your and Grandma, don't make me go back" this is the first time I've heard him say anything like that to Stevie or me.
"You're not going anywhere Den, a judge says you stay with us" he sniffles again hugging the pillow on Stevie's side of the bed tightly. We climb on either side of him watching as he slowly drifts back to sleep, when his breathing evens out Stevie tucks him up properly and we lay down looking at each other over his tiny form, our voices drop to a whisper from habit "Oh Linds...I can't imagine what he's gone through. You think...?" she lets her thought trail off. My temper starts to flare "Yeah, I think. Just like Connor-Stevie I've never hated someone as much as I hate her. This didn't happen when our son was alive she did this it was all her"
