Well fuck. I guess it was obvious. “Yes.”
He didn’t mock me. Just nodded once. “Right.”
Thunder rolled again.
“They haven’t talked yet,” he murmured. “Not to staff. Not to the counselor.”
“It’s not even officially two days,” I said. Hell, some of the kids we brought in were so injured that they were unable to talk for weeks, and some were moved on to hospitals because Reed Way couldn’t handle the injuries when they were too severe. Doc might be at the other end of the phone, but sometimes… yeah, the kids needed more.
Mickey tapped his temple gently. “Physically, they’re in good shape, but their heads are still in crisis mode.”
I sighed. “Fuck.”
“They’ve been whispering, though,” he added, voice softer. “Not secrets I’m going to repeat. But there’s more to their story.” He nudged the Danish closer. “You planning to sit here all night?”
“Yes.”
“Because you’re working?”
I wish I had an answer. “Because I need to be here for… Jeez, I missed them, and they could have died, and we’d never have known.”
“But they didn’t, and they’re safe now.” Mickey wasn’t judging me; he was understanding. “You can’t have worries about things that never happened, and you can’t fix everything, Caleb.”
“I know.”
“But you’re going to try anyway.”
“I don’t like unfinished things.”
His mouth twitched, not quite a smile. “I get that. You look wrecked,” he said gently.
“I’m fine.”
“It’s three a.m.”
“Doesn’t matter.”
“They’re probably sleeping.”
I shook my head. “They’re not. I hear them moving around. I think they shifted the beds at least.”
He waited a beat and then sighed. “Did you know Novak is in reception?”
I shot Mickey a glance. “He’s what now?”
“Was here all last night, back tonight, just standing against the wall, looking like a tattooed terminator.”
“He’s not here with me.” Did I sound defensive?
Mickey shrugged. “He’s not doing any harm, and some of the other kids like him, so it’s all good. Maybe he’s invested in the kids you rescued and feels the same way as you.”
“Novak doesn’tfeelshit,” I said, tired.
“Guess so,” Mickey said and stood slowly, cursing when his knees clicked. He rested a hand briefly on my shoulder. “Don’t sit here all night, yeah? And remember,” he said, voice warm now, “You all finding the boys and getting them here is already fixing something, so take it as a win.”
He walked away, leaving me with burnt coffee, a stale Danish, a line of sight to the door, and the puzzle of why Novak was at the hostel. He’d better not have been planning to kill someone here.
Another crack of thunder split the air, and the kid’s door slammed open, Ezra standing there terrified. I shut my laptop.
