Extinguisher (A Sequel to Firefighter)

Chapter 38

Chapter 38 Extinguisher

Alexa's POV

I slowly opened my parent's door, tiptoeing into their bedroom before climbing in beside my mom, her motherly instincts causing her eyes to snap open. She sat up in bed before my dad started stirring in his sleep beside her.

"Lex, what is it?" she asked, frantically searching my eyes, bringing her hand up to cup my cheek as my dad aroused from his deep slumber.

"What's going on?" his deep voice asked but I kept my eyes trained on my mom.

"Mom, I need your help." I nearly cried, tugging on her arm.

"Lex, honey, what is it?" she urged as I continued pulling at her body, trying to pull her from the bed.

"Mom, it's Cole. He...mom, please. He...He's hurt." I tried to explain, at a loss for words as I kept trying to fight the tears.

"What do you mean he's hurt? What happened?" my dad asked, scooting closer to me, my eyes finally meeting his.

"His stepdad...He..."

"Alexa!" my dad urged, trying to get the words from my mouth, impatient with my inability to verbalize anything.

"He hurt him. He has nowhere to go, dad. I...He has nothing. He can't stay at home anymore. Please, just help him. Please, help him." I pleaded, the tears finally releasing from my eyes.

"Where is he?"

"He's...in the living room"

"Okay...Don't worry, baby." My dad assured as he and my mom quickly jumped out of bed, shrugging on their robes and bolting from the room like they would've if it was one of their own children.

"Thank you." I whispered as I sat at their bed for a second, not sure who I was speaking to.

.........................

"Why didn't you tell us, Cole? We could've helped you sooner. This isn't okay, you know that, right?" my mom asked him and he nodded, lying on the couch while my mom inspected his side.

"We have to get you to the hospital. You could have internal damage from this. You could have...damage to the ribs...to the...Ray grab my keys." My mom said and once she had them, we were helping Cole off the couch, his face scrunched up from the pain I knew he felt. Tears were pricking his eyes and I had to look away, my stomach turning over at the sight.

Once my dad grabbed my mom's keys we were all climbing in the car. I held Cole, his head rested against my shoulder as I ran my fingers through his hair. His breathing was ragged and I knew for a fact that he was scared to death. He'd kept his abusive home life on the down low for as long as I could remember and now, everything was about to come out.

"It's okay." I whispered, massaging his scalp and trying to soothe him in any way I could as his body began trembling.

................................

An hour later, I was sitting in the waiting room, unable to stay still, shifting in my seat again and again. My dad reached out for me, taking my hand into his, no doubt trying to calm me, but I was worried to death, wanting to be in the room with Cole. It was so hard letting him go when we arrived.

"Lex, it's going to be okay."

"What's going to happen, dad? He can't go back there. He can't go back."

"He won't. We'll...He'll stay with us until we can figure something out, okay?"

"Okay." I nodded, thankful that I had the most understanding and generous parents in the world.