The AH family

CH 38

~3rd person POV~

The two teenage boys feel out of place as they walk into the police station, younger brothers at their sides. Geoff slowly walks up to the desk, signaling his brothers to stay at the door. His siblings watch as he says something to the lady at the desk, before looking back and signaling the four boys to follow him. The five quietly follow the lady through the crowded office, down a long hallway and into an elevator. She quickly presses a button marked with an "M" and the doors close softly, leaving the six in awkward silence. They stand in the small room for what seems like hours, but was most likely mere seconds. The elevator comes to a stop, and the doors open, revealing a long hallway. The group slowly walks down the hallway, staring at different doors as they pass. Soon the group stands in front of a large metal door. Geoff, Jack And Ryan all read the sign at the same time, as sudden realization hits them. Geoff goes pale, Jack hugs his little brothers closer, and Ryan feels the sudden urge to vomit. "Morgue," the sign reads.

The woman flashes the group a sympathetic look as she opens the door and gestures for them to enter. The room was small and rather barren, empty, save for a small light bulb hanging from the ceiling, and a large window on the left wall. The three line up in front of the window, Jack places Gavin and Michael down on the floor, thankful they aren't tall enough to see beyond the glass. Geoff quickly contemplates covering Ryan's eyes, but finally concludes that his hands are shaking far too much to hide anything. Ryan simply stands and stares through the glass, into the room beyond, at the motionless, 3-year-old sized lump under a white sheet on a metal table. The three quickly turn their attention to the man in a long white lab coat who walks over to the table. The man gently grabs the end of the sheet, before glancing through the window, where the woman standing next to hi nods, signaling for him to pull the sheet down.

Time moves almost in slow motion for the group as the child's face is revealed. Geoff slowly releases a breath he hadn't realized he hadn't been holding in.

"It's not him." He states, a smile carefully tugging at the corners of his mouth. Jack carefully picks up Gavin and Michael, who had been trying their very best to see what was through the window. Ryan still simply stands there, staring through the window at the, still staing at the lump in the sheet that was, is, a 3-year-old boy.

Geoff gently places a hand on his shoulder, snapping him out of his daze.

"Come on Ryan. Lets go home."

Ryan looks up at this brother, seeing relief on his face. "Yeah...yeah..."