Becky hit the end of Melanie’s bed, and she sat on the edge of the mattress.
Abby’s shoulders rose and fell with her angry breaths.
“Is everything okay in here?” a voice asked from the doorway.
Tinker turned. The woman who’d been speaking to Katherine earlier stood in the doorway, looking between Becky and Abby.
“No, it’s not. I want her out of here.” Becky pointed angrily at Abby.
The woman turned and gestured to the door. “It might be best if you folks let Melanie rest. She’s going to be really groggy when she wakes up, and all this commotion might be too much for her.”
Becky glared at them as they left the room. The woman, Liza according to her name tag, slid the large glass door closed behind them.
“I’m sorry,” Abby told her. “I lost my temper. I shouldn’t have shouted.”
“To be honest, I’m glad someone did,” Liza said. “That poor girl.” She shook her head and walked over to the nurses’ station.
Katherine was still in the waiting room when they reached it, although the number of VACA members had decreased. “How is she?”
“She was still out,” Tinker said.
“Thank god,” Abby added.
Katherine looked between them. “Why thank god?”
“I yelled at Becky.” Abby covered her face with both hands before dropping them.
“Why?” Katherine asked. “What happened?”
“Abby defended my honor,” Tinker said.
“Don’t make fun.” Abby glared at him briefly before turning back to Katherine. “I got angry because she was trying to blame Tinker for what happened. Trying to say if he’d gone out with her she wouldn’t have had to go back to her ex. It was complete bullshit. I almost slapped her. I wanted to so badly.”
Abby took a deep breath and shook her head. “But I’m always telling Will and my students that violence isn’t the answer.”
“Sometimes it is,” Katherine said. “I’m not going to lie and say I didn’t want to slap her myself. Maybe it will knock some sense into her. Especially since she’s losing custody of Melanie as it is.”
“What?” Abby gasped.
Katherine nodded. “The social worker was here earlier before you arrived. Becky knew the danger her ex posed and knowingly put Melanie in harm’s way. CPS is taking it very seriously.”
“Does she have family, or will she go into foster care?” Abby asked.
Katherine grimaced. “Foster care is the most likely scenario.”
“Shit,” Abby said.
“I’ll work with her social worker to see if we can get her into one of the families we work with,” Katherine said.
“It’s not that. It’s just— I…” Abby stumbled over her words.
“What is it?” Tinker asked.
She looked up at him, her gaze uncertain. “I’m a certified foster parent. I had to go through the process so Olivia could stay with me. Could Melanie…?” Abby shook her head. “They probably won’t let me take her.”
“You know what, let me talk to some people,” Katherine said. “I’ll see what I can do.”
Court
