Family Line

ten.

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"Interview with Caroline Goode. Sunday, October 2nd, 1994. Wanna tell me what happened?" Nick asked as he held his daughter's hand in his. His thumb circled hers as he tried to comfort her.

"I wanted to get out of the hospital, and Sam needed her prescription, so I went with everyone. We went to get her prescription, and the lights went out. We went behind a counter and hid until it was over." Caroline lied again. It was a regular occurrence now. Nick pointed at her collarbone with his other hand.

"You had to get 12 stitches on your collarbone, wanna explain how?" He asked her, Caroline cleared her throat and looked up at her father. She stared him in the eyes as she prepared for her next lie.

"I fell on some glass." Caroline lied once again. She let out the part about Ruby Lane dragging her razor blade across her collar bone. She stared at the eyes which were no different from hers.

"Glass?" He asked her, Caroline nodded her head up and down.

"Sharp glass." She said and Nick nodded his head. Nick inhaled deeply as Caroline played with a ring on his finger.

"I'll tell you what the facts tell me. The two junkies-"

"Kate and Simon. They weren't junkies, they were my friends." Caroline said, and Nick nodded his head as he gave her a sigh.

"They're to blame for everything. That feels to easy for me. But that's the story this department will go with unless you can't help me to see it differently." Nick said. Caroline tried to ignore the guilt of how they blamed everything on them. She didn't want to blame them. She didn't want their names to be rubbed in the dirt on the news.

"There's no way it is different, it was just another Shadyside tragedy." Caroline told him as her eyes got tear filled. Nick nodded his head. Seeing his daughter cry made him want to just be there for her.

"Ok." Nick said, turning the tape off. Nick put a hand to his daughters cheek, and ran his thumb across her cheek bone.

"Is there something you're not telling me, Carolina?" Nick asked her. Caroline shook her head no as a tear went down her cheek.

"No." Caroline lied once more, breaking the promise she gave. No more lying, and she broke the promise. Nick wiped her tears away with his thumb and stood up. He let go of her hand, and brought her into a hug. He embraced her like a father would to a daughter.

He kissed the top of her head as he held her close. "It's ok." He said as he rubbed circles around her back. "I love you, Carolina." He said as she cried into his shoulder.

"I love you." She said then sniffled.

"Alright, Uncle Will's gonna pick you up, and I'll be home later, okay?" Nick asked, pulling away from the hug. He put his hands on her shoulders as she nodded.

"Okay." She said and he looked down at her.

"I'll see you later, keep your pager on you." Nick said, before Caroline walked out of his office.

"Okay." Caroline said, walking out. She wiped her eyes to see her friends waiting.

"Hello." Caroline said as Nick walked out behind her.

"Samantha, you are up next." Nick said. Sam hesitantly stood up and walked into his office.

When Caroline walked out, she sat in front of Deena and Josh. She crossed her legs and looked around.

"What'd you say?" Deena asked her. Caroline looked up as she put her head on her hand.

"What you told me to say." Caroline said and Deena nodded her head. Caroline looked at the floor.

I guess they wouldn't be going to the lake.