✅ The Last New Start [NaNoWriMo2021]

126. Needs Must

"We can only hope. You're the one who brought him in, anyway. So they might want to talk to you as well. Okay, if he's staying in he'll probably need a change of clothes. I'd suggest loose shirts, something he can take off without pulling it over his head. And toiletries. Toothbrush, washcloth, probably some nice soap if he doesn't like the antiseptic stuff they provide here. I'd suggest a shaving kit, but I doubt he'll have much use for it with those bandages."

Tess nodded. They were looking through the little window into Spike's room now, and it was clear that he was telling the police officers something, because they were making notes as he spoke. But they were too far away to hear what he was actually saying.

"I've passed on a message to the addiction unit about getting his mum and Nik onsite for their safety. I know who to talk to, so we can be pretty confident that's going to happen. When you speak to the police you could tell them that; I can't say it because of patient confidentiality, but as a friend who's made a report, there's no legal requirement for you to keep it to yourself. I think we also need to sort out your schoolwork, because you've missed half a day now."

"I'm staying in here with him," Tess said firmly. "Can you call the school for me? I don't know how long it'll be, but I'm not going back to life as normal while he's in hospital."

"You should–" the nurse started to interrupt, but Tess and Ffrances both turned to stare, and she went quiet soon enough.

"There's usually some exception in the rules," Ffrances gave a more considered response. "Families often stay with a patient who's in critical condition, but that'll only last as long as he's in danger. Once he's just resting, you'll have to go back to school."

"I can live with that. Once I know he's safe. For now, I'll get the toiletries and clothes. I'll be okay staying in here with him, won't I?"

"I'll tell Gabby. She won't be happy, but I think there's some things she needs to deal with. But can you promise me you'll deal with your own issues as well? Contact your friends, arrange someone to let you know what you're missing at school. Deal?"

"Deal. And thank you. I know you would have done the toiletries and stuff yourself, but you want me to have something to occupy me. Don't you?"

"You're calling the shots here. I only need to know that you're capable. And don't worry, this will be over soon enough. You really made a difference."

Sorting out toiletries wasn't too hard; she only had to walk as far as the edge of the PRMCT campus, where Pine Ridge's two main shopping streets were accessible from different exits. Tess found everything she needed, and quickly returned to see Spike. He'd finished talking to the police now, and promised Tess that he had told them the truth.

Ffrances was right; the cops wanted to talk to her as well. They asked if anyone had been bullying Spike, or if she knew who could have hurt him. She told them that his stepfather (and she paused there, hating that she had to even describe the man using that word) had often been violent towards Spike, and that she was sure this was just another of his violent episodes. She said that everyone at school knew the man sold drugs, although she didn't want to know any of the specifics. And she mentioned that Duke's youngest son, Nik, had been admitted to the hospital only a few weeks before, after an "accident". She let the air quotes speak for themselves, and when they asked she could only say that she didn't know the details, but that she thought it was pretty suspicious for two boys in the same house to be seriously injured so close together.

She couldn't say any more, but she didn't really need to. She was also pretty confident that Nik's accident had been a real accident, so she could only offer the police a wild guess. It would be enough that they had a credible suggestion of violence against children; one direct accusation and one possibility would have to be taken seriously. And she mentioned that she had spoken to hospital staff about Spike's mother as well. She didn't mention drugs this time; they would probably be able to look that up if they needed it. She just said that she'd reported the woman for missing appointments, which might have put her and the kids in danger if it continued. She said that based on past experience, she expected the hospital to pick Shawna and Nik up at some point the next day.

"I don't know police procedures," she said. "But it seems to me that if you wanted to talk to Mr Torrance about the amount of violence in his house, or drugs, or stolen goods, it would probably benefit you to know when the woman and children he habitually takes his anger out on are all going to be out of the house for two or three days."

"Of course, we can't comment on something like that," the larger of the two men mumbled. But it was clear he knew what she was talking about. She'd thought earlier that this guy had probably come across Duke before, and would relish having an excuse to search his house. He knew that she was trying to give them an opportunity to search the house; and he could probably guess that she was giving him useful information. "But I assure you that your statement will be treated in the strictest confidence."

Then the police wanted to take her contact details, so she could get in touch again. She gave them her phone number, and her address. Of course they wanted to know if they could speak to her parents; so she had to explain her living situation again. And once she'd done that, she knew that she should have waited for their call, and gone to check that Spike was coping better now. But she couldn't stop herself in time, and mentioned that she was going to be in the hospital for the next few days.

"Are you injured too?"

"I'm keeping an eye on Spike. Somebody has to. Yes, everybody says I look like his baby sister following him around. But when stuff like this happens, he'll always try saying that there's nothing wrong, keeping his problems to himself. He covers for Duke because he's scared, and he lets himself get hurt to spare his mum. I can't just watch that happen. Somebody's got to look after him when his family won't."

"Sounds like you really care about him. I thought you two might be a couple or something, the way you stayed so close the whole time we were talking to him. But now that sounds more like maternal instinct in overdrive. You his girlfriend or his mom?" The cops laughed, and Tess could only guess that they thought her maturity in this situation was somehow funny. She didn't see the joke; she just wanted Spike to be safe, and she knew that sometimes a substitute mother figure might be what he needed. And whatever he needed, she was determined to give him.

But she also knew that the cops were going to take her seriously. They were going to do something about Duke Torrance, especially now that she'd given them everything they needed to make a big, easy arrest. She just needed them to do their job; their respect wasn't important. But she couldn't resist one more sarcastic comment.

"Why can't I be both?" she said, and then it felt like they were laughing with her, at the absurdity of the situation she found herself in, rather than at her. And that moment might have been exactly what she needed to make her look at the thoughts she'd been avoiding.