Saving Jasper | ✓ [COMPLETE]

Chapter 24 - The Devil Has Family

"Research, if we have to. That is what we've been doing, after all. We're working towards speaking with Nora, though, if that's what it takes."

"Do you really think you could get information out of her?" I asked, curiously. Dad looked at funny and motioned for me to hop down from his desk. I did so and he leaned forward, pressing a few keys on his keyboard.

"It's funny that," he said. He brought up a black and white video clip and pressed the play button. A grainy image of a woman dressed in a striped hospital gown came up. She began pacing back in forth in a rehab center-like room, her hands pushed into her hair. She tugged at her roots and suddenly let out a deranged cry. The audio quality was bad, and it crackled through the speakers but it was still understandable.

"Where is he!" she shrieked. "Where is my baby?" Her voice echoed off the walls and caused the speakers to hiss in response. I jumped back a little at her sudden outburst and clamped my hand over my mouth. She began smashing her fists against the white wall, battering it again and again until splatters of blood appeared. A loud buzzing noise overtook her cries and she quieted. Her door opened and she backed into the corner of her room and huddled down, pushing her hands into her hair again. She crouched into a little ball and rocked back and forth.

A man in blue scrubs lifted a clipboard up and flipped the front cover over. Dad smacked the pause button and zoomed in on the patient's name. I leaned forward and looked at the screen. Of course.

Nora Helson.

"Is that...her?" I whispered, my eyes locked on her face. She looked like a rabid, wild animal. One they had caught and shoved in a little, metal cage to be tested on in a lab. Had she been that way with Jasper? Dad replayed the clip and I listened to her cry out again. She was asking for Jasper, so chances were that she wasn't.

"Yeah, that's her..." Dad said with a sigh. He paused the clip again and minimized it, leaning back in his leather, wingback chair. He steepled his fingers together beneath his chin and looked up at me expectantly. "I'm not sure what we'll be able to get out of her. A few of us have been tossing the idea of taking Jasper along back and forth."

My eyes widened at his words and I immediately shook my head. "No. No, you can't do that to him. Even for questioning...he can't face her again."

"Sweetheart, there's a chance he'll need to face her in court. After all, he's a legal adult now just as you will be in two weeks." I bit my lip and looked away for a moment. He was right. Jasper's birthday was back in June, and mine would be coming up in two week's time.

Even if Jasper had to go to court...would he really have to face Nora? Hadn't he spent enough time with her.

"Would I be able to go with?" I asked, hopefully. It might be a little easier on him if I could go with. Dad looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Possibly. You wouldn't be able to say much, but I'm sure he could use your support." He smiled at me gently and reached up, giving my shoulder a pat. "You've seen enough for one night, yeah? Why don't you go see if your mother needs help in the kitchen?"