Switched Up

Chapter 28

"Calm down, Owen. I'm not proposing to her over here," Dr. Green scoffs. He leans in and whispers, "Don't worry, he always has a stick up his ass. Although, I'm sure you've already picked up on that."

    I giggle, which makes Dr. Green shake his head, "Oh, no. None of that or I'll have to administer the giggle cure."

    I try to stop as Mr. Blackbourne crosses his arms, "Dr. Green, there is no such thing. Could you just do your job?"

     Dr. Green gives me a sly wink, "I am doing my job, Owen. And there is such a thing. I would know, I am a Doctor after all." His face turns serious, "Alright, open up for me."

      Luke lets out a quick laugh and I watch as Nathan chops him in the back of the head. I open my mouth wide as Dr. Green shakes an amused look off his face.

      While Dr. Green begins searching my throat, Mr. Blackbourne speaks, "Don't make me ask you to leave, Mr. Taylor Sr."

   Sean inspects my throat for another minute with a frown on his face. He stands up and shares a look with Mr. Blackbourne. His happy expression from earlier is gone, "That's certainly not something you see everyday. It's definitely been burned. Unfortunately, there's nothing I can do unless it starts hurting out of the blue or something along those lines."

      "I figured," I tell him. There wouldn't be anything he could do even if it was recent.

      "Why didn't you mention anything?," Silas asks, looking very upset.

     "It didn't seem important. It happened before I met any of you."

     "Of course that's important, Sang. Whether you think it is or not, I can promise you that something like that is very important," Victor tells me.

I don't say anything, unsure of what to say to that.

"What else does she do?," Mr. Blackbourne asks.

"Nothing too bad. Kneeling in rice, sometimes she just has me sit on the stool for a couple hours...," I trail off.

"And your back? What did she do to cause you to get stitches?," he asks.

"She used a belt," I tell him quietly.

"Well, then we need to get you out of that house," Mr. Blackbourne looks around the room, "I'm sure we can come up with some sort of arrangement."

The others nod and begin trying to come up with ideas.

I frown and shake my head, "I'm not going anywhere."

The boys don't hear me, so I repeat myself, much louder this time.

They quiet down and look at me as if I've suddenly grown a second head.

"I appreciate the concern, but I'm not going anywhere. I have to stay, for now at least. I have no clue where my Dad is and I can't leave Marie or my Mom. Plus," I look at an angry looking North, "My Mom isn't actually my Mom. She let it slip that she isn't my Mother the other day, and I have a feeling that there is something in that house that can give me answers."