A Sequel to 'Strong Enough' based on the alternate ending of that story

Chapter 12

Dani grabbed the polish off the counter, remembering she had left her nail pens in Adam's room.

She walked on her tip toes towards her brother's room and tried to push the door open, only to find it blocked, "Adam?" She called out, waiting for a response "Adam?" She tried again. She looked through the small slit in the door, spying her brother lying face down in front of it.

His body preventing her from opening the door.

He could hear someone calling his name, it sounded so far away he struggled to speak, "hel....mo..." He muttered his words not making sense. He was just so cold, no matter what he had done he couldn't warm up. Not to mention how heavy he felt when he tried to move, his limbs unwilling to cooperate. He took a few meager steps before stumbling and falling to the floor.

It sounded like a groan to Dani, she tried the door one more time, it still not budging.

The sound of the nail polish bottle smashing on the floor, snapped her out of the daze she was in "Mommy! Help Mommy it's Adam I think he's dead" she screamed running down the hallway.

Her cheeks beet red, her face contorted in anguish.

Kim felt her body go cold, "Wha..what did you say?" Dani tugging at her hand.

"Hurry please Mommy" she cried.

Kim picked the phone up off the counter as she ran by, her fingers frantically dialing 911.

She struggled to open the door, finally on the third time she was able to push Adam's body away from the door and kneeled at his side.

His body was drenched in sweat, his cheeks a bright red and hot to the touch.

"Is he dead Mommy? Please say he's not dead" Dani hid behind the door, afraid to look at her brother.

Kim somehow managed to pull it together, tuning out her daughter's crying she waited for someone to answer her call.

It was what she imagined an out of body experience might be like, "911 What's your emergency" broke her from her thoughts.

She was silent a minute.

He repeated himself, "911 What's your emergency?" They'd been trained to keep their voices calm and emotionless but he couldn't help the annoyance that clung to his words.

They had four prank calls this morning, and nothing aggravated them more than kids messing around.

"Mommy! Help him, please" he heard a little girl crying in the background, he was no longer annoyed

He started the process of tracing the call, immediately a 'red flag' popped up, linked to the phone number he read it quickly 'tender aged male, acute lymphoblastic leukemia currently in treatment', "Mrs. Ruzek?" He spoke.

Snapping out of the fear induced fog her hand clutching her son's, "Help its my little boy"

"Is he breathing?"

Kim leaned down, her face in front of his relief filling her as she felt his soft breaths against her cheek, "Umm..he..yes he is. It's very shallow though" she fought against the lump in her throat.

"How's his pulse, you know how to check it, right?"

Kim nodded, forgetting that he couldn't see her, "I do" she was silent as she felt his pulse, "it's only 51"

Dani went into the living room, standing in the doorway her job was to wave the ambulance down.

When the familiar car pulled into the driveway she bolted from the front door and ran into the waiting arms.

Sirens wailed in the distance.

"What's the matter Dani?"

"Who are you?" Jeremiah asked, he recognized the face before him but struggled to attach a name to it.

Hank tilted the chair back on its hind legs, his arms folded across his chest, "You don't remember me?"

"Should I?"

Hank returned the chair's front legs to the floor, "Doesn't matter, after we're done today you won't forget me" he lifted the consent form from the file, sliding it across the table he made his demand, "Sign this"

Jeremiah took it, proceeding to read it.

"Don't read it, just sign" he didn't have time for his shit.

Jeremiah lifted his eyes from the paper in his hand, laughing to himself before returning to read it, "Why do you want me to do this, what's it about?"

"Doesn't matter, just sign the fucking thing, before I make you sign it in blood" Hank leaned across the table, his words whispered.

He laughed at him, "You want me to sign it, you'll tell me why it's so important"

Hank knew he needed to tell him, he just wish he didn't have to.

"The woman you raped" he chose his words carefully not wanting to divulge any information about little Adam, "you know the cop"

An evil grin spread across his face, "I do. Nice piece of ass" he ran his fingers over the stubble on his cheek, "she sick or something?" He gathered that much from the form, someone was sick. It couldn't be her though, that wouldn't affect him, a light bulb going off in his head, "The brat? It's sick isn't it?"

"Yea" Hank growled.

Jeremiah pushed the paper away, "Fuck you!" He laughed, "ain't my problem"

--Note--

Short, I know. Sorry!

I go back to work on Wednesday, my goal is to have it finished before then. So, updates may be fast and furious.

Thanks for reading!