“What you doing down there?” he asked, spotting me. I didn’t bother to look at him. I didn’t bother to really hear his words. “Can you get back on the bed?”
No,I thought. I didn’t want to move. As long as I stayed right where I was the pain wasn’t too bad. Or maybe I was numb again. Numb was good.
“Hey, little one.” This time, I jerked, pushing myself against the bed to get away from that voice.
I knew that one. That voice had been in the house a few times. I didn’t know the face that went with it well, but that voice was there when Sir went too far.This one had things that could hurt me more than just physical.
“Collin,” the man growled.
“Shush. Little one? I’ll step back if you get on the bed for me.” He did step back, and I got my body to move as quickly as I could, even though it was slow. My legs didn’t want to crawl on the bed, but I got them to work. There, I lay on my back, arms held tight at my sides, waiting to be tied down like Sir always had me.
“You know him.”
“And you got to him before I did this time,” Collin countered, not missing a beat. “Okay, pet. You know the drill.”
I did.
I closed my eyes, refusing to look at him.
“Don’t think about it.” At that, my eyes flashed open, finding Collin looking over his shoulder as the man. “His…father?....called me a few times for infections on this boy. I didn’t see any signs of abuse at those times. If I had, you know I’d have done something.” A long drawn-out pause, one that held the entire weight of the world on it. “I swear, Sabastian. I wouldn’t let anyone suffer at the hands of a monster.”
Slowly, Collin turned back to me, cleaning whatever worry he had from behind him. “Hey, sweetheart.”
I closed my eyes tightly once again as my heart raced in my chest. I could feel each thump beat against my skin, my ribs moving with the beat.
“Tell me what hurts, and I’ll see what we can do to fix ya up.”
“He doesn’t talk.”
“Donny say that?” I’m assuming the man, Sabastian, hummed or nodded or something. “Stupidman. This little one can talk. If given permission. And with me, he always had permission to tell me what was wrong.”
Right. I could tell him.
But it was more like what wasn’t hurting. So, I chose to remain quiet.
“That’s fine,” Collin spoke, turning to rummage through something. Probably his bag that he always had with him. A bag of tricks, he liked to call. “I’m going to start an IV. Do you want Sabastian to help hold your arm, or can you stay still?”
I held up two fingers. I’d be good. I’d stay still.
“You’ve tied him down?” Sabastian asked, appalled by that idea.
“I’ve had to, yes. Well, Donny has, I guess. Which…uh…I shouldn’t…” Collin stopped talking. “We’ll talk after I get him looked over, Sabastian.”
“Yeah, we are. And you better hope I don’t splatter your head in.”
“So dramatic,” Collin turned back to me, not worried at all. My arm jerked as he took a gentle hold of it, before wiping a cold soft piece of something over my wrist. “A lot of bruising.”
A lot more than that to my entire body, I thought. But I clamped my teeth together tightly as a small piece of a needle entered my skin. Then, there was tape before almost too-cold liquid began to push into my system.
“Good boy,” Collin soothed. “Turn to your side.”
I did as I was told. And of course, my thumb made its way to my mouth, like it did these days. Thankful that Sir wasn’t here to force it away, I sucked on the digit as fingers ghosted over my behind.
“That looks like it hurts.”
“His front, too.”
Collin didn’t bother to tell me to lay back down, instead moving enough to lift the bottom of the…the thing I was wearing. I wasn’t sure if it was a dress or a shirt, but it was long and covered me to my knees almost.
