Page 13 of The MC's Little Brother

“Doctor Murphy,” Janelle replied easily, casting a curious look at me. “Got another road rash that needs treating?”

Mel’s smile turned sad when she shook her head. She stepped out of the way and beckoned Xander closer. “No. I need a full medical eval on my friend Xander. We need it for the judge to get him out of a dangerous home.”

Janelle’s eyes went wide when she took in Xander’s face. It was the same expression I had when I first saw him. The kid looked like hell.

“Put him in bay one. I’ll let Murphy know,” Janelle said, shooing us toward the open doorway where I could see the empty single bed. “We need to call the social worker. I hope you know that.”

I expected that. Prez warned me CPS would need to get involved. It made me nervous, but he assured me if Xander was as bad off as I said, they’d take one look at him and grant temporary custody just to keep him out of harm’s way.

“Sure. Is she in today?” Mel asked, unfazed by the question. She knew it was coming too and didn’t look worried about it.

Janelle hummed, already picking up the phone. “I don’t think so. Not on a weekend. But she’ll come in for this. I’ll call her now and get Doctor Murphy.”

We were ushered away and into the room she’d directed us to. There was an attached bathroom, which was nice since Mel told Xander he’d need to change into a gown. He wasn’t too happy about that, but we needed the full picture for the judge. It was a little invasive, but after he was done, we would be able to make sure he was safe. Even if he didn’t end up with me, which I’d put up a fight to make sure he did, he wouldn’t have to go near Jorge again.

Mel disappeared to help them get what they needed for the tests, leaving Xander to fidget uncomfortably in the bed while I stood nearby. I thought about giving him privacy, but then I argued with myself that he shouldn’t have to do this alone. It was confusing and frustrating, and I almost wanted to call Butch for advice. His kids weren’t as old as Xander, but they weren’t toddlers either. He might be able to tell me what Xander needed from me.

“So… Do all your friends ride motorcycles?” Xander asked uneasily.

I started to nod, then stopped. “Usually. Sometimes Butch drives his truck because he has kids.”

We fell into awkward silence again and I felt my face twitch as I fought off a grimace. I wasn’t a people person. I wasn’t sociable like Mel was. I didn't know what the hell to say to the kid.

We both seemed to sigh in relief when Mel came back. She brought the doctor with her, a middle-aged black woman in dark blue scrubs. The doctor had the patience of a saint and told Xander every step of the way what each test was for and why he had to do it. I stood nearby in case he needed me. He freaked out a little when they had to draw his blood, squeezing his eyes shut and facing away. He settled a little when I squeezed his shoulder supportively and relaxed when they finally pulled the needle free.

For me, the hardest part was the pictures. They needed to document all the injuries, and for Xander, that was extensive. He had to take the gown off, leaving him only in his boxers and the hospital socks, and it revealed a whole host of bruising he didn’t mention to us. Not to mention the fact that hewas rail thin. I saw the looks the staff shared when Xander wasn’t looking. It was worse than he let on.

It was Mel who put him at ease time and time again. She chatted with him and distracted him as often as she could when she wasn’t helping the other nurses. And she brought us both some lunch, swearing up and down that hospital food wasn’t that bad. She was wrong, it was awful, but neither of us seemed to want to tell her that. Only after she left did I push the tray away.

“I don’t know how to eat this,” Xander murmured, frowning at the tray. “I’m hungry, but not that hungry.”

I snorted automatically. “Yeah, it’s bad.”

A flash of a grin crossed his face before disappearing again. He grimaced. “She won’t believe me if I say I’m not hungry, will she?”

Not a chance. Not with how thin he was. I jerked my chin at the tray. “Eat all that and you can pick whatever the hell you want for dinner.”

He wrinkled his nose but did as asked. And because I wasn’t an asshole, I ate my food too, so he wouldn’t have to suffer alone. Maybe I’d need to mention to Prez to get Mel’s head checked. No way anyone thought this food was good.

The doctor pulledme aside after they got the results back, leaving Mel to entertain Xander. I could see his wary looks and unless it was traumatizing, I’d share the results with him so he knew he could trust me, but I understood the need to keep him out of it until I knew more.

“So, there aren’t any recent broken bones, but the x-rays definitely show a pattern of abuse. Did he say how long it’d been going on?” the doctor asked.

I shook my head. Xander was still being tight-lipped on his life before now. It was like pulling teeth to get him to open up.

“Won’t tell us much,” I finally said.

She sighed in resignation. “Yeah, that happens a lot with cases like this. You might want to look into therapy for him. Even if he’s safe now, thatkind of history would be difficult on anyone, especially someone so young. I’m going to put him on an IV for a little while before he goes since he’s a little dehydrated. He’s also malnourished and sleep-deprived. He’ll need to be on a specialized diet until he puts on more weight and his health balances out a little. I think I’m also going to suggest keeping him out of school for a little while, just until we can be sure he won’t overexert himself. I’ll tell the social worker that myself so she doesn’t have any issues with truancy. As for the bruising, rest and over-the-counter painkillers as needed.”

Simple enough to handle. And he’d be out of school while we handled the custody thing anyway. At least until the temporary custody was granted. I didn’t mind giving him a while at home to rest.

“Thank you for your help.”

Her expression softened, and she patted my shoulder gently. “You’re a good man for taking him in. I’ll have the nurse bring you a list of do’s and don'ts for malnutrition and a list of good things for him to eat. Take it slow, but don’t ignore it when he’s hungry. Lots of healthy snacks between meals if he needs them. And don’t be afraid to call or bring him back if you notice anything that worries you.”

She left, and I ducked back into the room with a sigh. Xander’s head came up, and he frowned at me.

“What’d she say?”

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