“What? You’re not making any sense. You didn’t leave me.”
“I’m going to. DoCS will take me. I won’t be able to be with you if I’m living so far away. You won’t want to be with me after this.”
“You’re not going anywhere, I promise. Even if you did, I would follow. I will always want to be with you.” He stroked my cheek and I leaned into his touch, basking in his comfort.
*****
I was going crazy. Stephan wouldn’t leave me alone. I’d been stuck in the hospital for five days. The police had come and questioned me. I couldn’t tell them anything besides the obvious of what Grandpa had done to me. I found out on the second day Grandpa had been arrested and would be going to jail for a long time. They’d gotten a warrant, searched the apartment and pub, and found all his drugs. He wasn’t even given bail. I’d never be going back to him. The police came to see me again and told me they would have more questions when they were ready. I cried for hours after I found out, not because I loved my grandpa or because I wanted to live with him. I cried because one door had closed for me. I now had no known family. I was now a State problem to deal with until I turned eighteen. I cried because I knew I’d be moved. I’d lose all my new friends and any chance I had with Stephan.
On the third day I was told who my new guardians were and I was pissed. “What the hell, Stephan. I have been worrying and upset over leaving all my new friends here and starting over again and you didn’t think to tell me your fucking parents have custody. I cried and wailed over it all and you never said anything.” Right then I wished he was closer and sitting next to my good hand so I could punch him.
The wanker shrugged. “I told you, you weren’t going anywhere. I told you I wouldn’t let you.”
“Argh, I didn’t think it meant me coming to live with you. How on Earth did your parents get custody? Do they have a foster care license?”
“Nope. They know a lot of people. Plus did you know your grandfather signed a document giving them custody?”
“No because no one told me.”
“I’m telling you now.”
“Grr, you drive me crazy. You know that right?”
The wanker shrugged again.
That was two days ago. Right now I was about ready to kill him. I was meeting his parents for the first time. They’d thought to give me time to recover a little before they introduced themselves. I was grateful. Supposedly I had met Stephan’s father, but I didn’t remember. The last thing I remembered from the other night was running from my grandpa.
Tomorrow, if all was still going well, they were releasing me. I wanted to get up and shower, the nurse had put a bag over my cast and I had waterproof dressings over the stitches on my legs. I’d been given a walking frame to help me get to the bathroom and to stay standing. My body was still battered and bruised. It hurt like a mother to walk and I’d only done it when Stephan wasn’t around to carry me.
Now I wanted to have my first shower, so I wouldn’t smell when I met his parents. I’d gotten a sponge bath from the nurses and they’d made Stephan leave, but he was refusing to leave now.
“No way, I’m not going. You need me in case you fall in the shower.”
“There is a nurse call button if that happens, and I won’t fall cos I have the walker.”
“I said no.” He crossed his arms over his chest.
I eased off the bed and grabbed the walker. He took it from me and lifted me into his arms. “Put me down now, Stephan. I can walk to the shower.”
“No. You can’t walk to the shower or stand for that long. You either walk to the shower and I stand watching you in the shower, making sure you don’t fall, or you let me carry you and I wait with the curtain closed.”
“Argh, I hate you.”
“No you don’t.”
He was right, but I’d never admit it to him. I looked over at the nurse’s button, wondering how long they would take to come if I pressed it. They’d help me get him out.
“Don’t even think about it. I’m taking you to the shower. I’ve already put clean underwear, a nighty, and other girly stuff Mum thought you’d need.”
“Ah, what a sweet thing to do.”
Stephan shook his head. “She’s sweet? And me who’s been looking after you isn’t?”
“Your mum isn’t pissing me off now by taking over and being bossy. I bet she’d listen if I told her I could walk to the bathroom and shower on my own.”
“I bet she would, but I’m not my mother. So tough luck for you.” He walked with me in his arms to the bathroom, sitting me on a seat he’d placed in there. I rolled my eyes heavenward praying for patience. He turned on the shower taps fiddling with them. “Okay. It should be perfect temperature now.”