Page 23 of Falkner
For the next hour, they hung out in the ED waiting area.When they were told they could go back to the kids, he looked at the two of them and realized that they were small, smaller than he had first realized they were.He’d bet anything that they were underfed in addition to whatever else was found about them.Riley was still looking at him like she was looking for a place to stick the knife.
“You still thinking your father is going to hurt me?”She shook her head and said she wasn’t worried about either of them.“Why not?I thought you’d be defending him the way you were talking before.”
“I hate him.And our mother.”Cullen felt her anger at both of them and didn’t doubt that she did indeed have reason to detest them both.While he didn’t know who their mother was, he had no doubt that Bash Humphrey and her were two peas in the same pod as his grandda used to say all the time.“What happens to us now?My mom ain’t gonna like having her weekend without us interrupted.”
“I don’t know, to be honest with you.I’d like to tell you that you’re going to be fine but I doubt you’d believe me.”She snorted at him and he knew what she meant.“I’m guessing that someone willcall your mother and have her come down and get you.”
“She’s not going to be happy.”He didn’t know why, but Cullen thought that might be an understatement.He’d seen Bash around town before and knew his temper wasn’t the best.He could only imagine what the mother was like.“Not that you’d care, but we might have been better off chained up to the car than to go home to her on her weekend off from us.”
He didn’t want to believe that, but figured that the kid was telling the truth.As soon as he was able, he asked the doctor what he’d found out about the kids.The doc asked him who he was.
“I’m with the police.”He wasn’t technically but he did want to work with the police now that he was home.But for now the doc seemed to be all right with his answer.“I just want to make sure that they’re all right.You know, healthy.”
“They’re not.Oh, they eat enough to survive but they are both dehydrated and malnourished.For a nine year old the little girl is about ten pounds underweight.The little boy is about the same for a seven year old.They need a few good meals, a good place to sleep about eight hours a night and someone to hug them without a weapon in their hands.”He asked him if he knew their parents.“I do.We see the kids in here about twice a month.They’re usually so ill that they have to spend about a week in here to get them healthy then we ship them back to their mother or father.Usually their mother to start the process all over again.”
“I’m sorry.”He said that he was as well and walked away.Cullen knew just how the doc was feeling, like what the fuck am I doing this for.That’s the way he’d been feeling for months now.Maybe even the last few years.He just didn’t know what the hell he was fighting for overseas when there were bigger issues here in the states.
The mother showed up at a quarter until six in the morning.They’d never heard from the father but she was spitting mad when she showed up.When she left with both kids against medical advice, AMA paperwork was signed.He felt sorry for the kids going home with her but there was little that he could do about that now.
The officer took him back to his home and he knew he wasn’t going to get any sleep.So stripping down to his skin, Cullen shifted into his beast and went to the woods behind his house.He’d hang out there for a few hours, just chilling as his other half then he’d try and get some sleep.Since he had nowhere to go and no one to hook up with, he could sleep all day and no one would know.Then he remembered that he was to have lunch with his parents today and wasn’t looking forward to it as much as he had been.
Cullen had been in the special forces for the last eight years.Since retiring from the service about six months ago, he’d been doing special projects for the president.Jamie was a good friend of the family and only called on him when there was no one else.But it paid him well all the rest of the time so he didn’t have much in the way of complaints.Not about the pay anyway.
He needed a break from life.Not just for a few days either.Cullen needed to down time so badly that he found himself as his gorilla a lot more than he needed to be.No one bothered him when he was his other half and he liked it that way.Like right now, he was hanging out in the trees behind his property and enjoying the sun cresting in the sky.
~*~
Emmie had been on the phone with her sister when the police had called.They had picked up her children who were supposed to have been with Bash over the weekend, as he had tied them to the car and left them exposed to the weather.She didn’t know if that was true or not; her sister tended more toward the dramatic rather than the truth.So she didn’t know what to believe.
“He’s done it again.”She hadn’t known what her sister, MaryBeth had been talking about when she said that to her.She’d called her asking for money—well demanding it was more like it.“He’s got caught leaving the kids out in the open so that the police fine them.Damn him.I told him before they was gonna catch him.I told him and told him.So what does he do?He locks them to his car and runs off to play poker with his buddies.I don’t even know why he bothers; he never wins anyway.I’m gonna need for you to send me something more, Emmie.I have some bills that need to be caught upon.”
“I told you before, MaryBeth, you don’t need my money.You have a place to live, a food card.Hell, even your electric is paid by the city.You want money for other things and I’m not funding you.I don’t even know why you call to ask for it.I’m not sending you anything.”She asked her why she was being so selfish.“Because I work hard for my money and I’m not going to give any of it to you.”
“What if I told you it was for the kids?Then I’d bet you’d send me money.Sometimes I think you like them more than me.”She told her that she’d be correct on that.Not telling her what part she was right about.“The kids need coats.How does that hit you?”
“It’s nearly summer so I’m doubting that they have any use for coats this time of year.”MaryBeth started cursing and she simply put the phone on the base and walked away.She didn’t understand her sister at all.
MaryBeth had been asking and demanding money for the past ten to twelve years.Ever since she’d gotten out of town and moved to a bigger city.Emmie loved it here.There was no sister and no brother-in-law around where she could see them all the time.Then they’d had kids.
She would call her when fees were due and there were functions that needed to be paid for.But Emmie paid directly to the school for such things.She’d had a direct line to the office, and they knew that she was the one footing the bills for the children.Pictures were taken, fees were maintained, and she knew when they missed two or more days of school.It might be against the school policy, but if they wanted their money, they sent them to suit the one that paid them.
Going back to the drawing board where she’d been working, Emmie finished up with the landscaping that she’d been working on for the blueprints and moved on to her favorite part of whole house design.The outside decking, where it was possible to have one.She’d been working for the same company for the last ten years and was one of their top performers.
Emmie was finishing up for the day when her cell phone rang again.She knew it was the school where MaryBeth lived and answered.They wanted to tell her that the kids had missed two days of school and weren’t expected in tomorrow either.She knew why, but didn’t like it.
On her way home, she picked up her dinner at the diner and ate the French fries as she drove.Since she’d skipped breakfast and lunch, she knew that she’d be starving when she got home.As soon as she was in the door, her house phone rang.It could only be one of two people, and she answered it with a short no.It would throw MaryBeth off for a second, just until she got her food situated.
“The police are here.”She asked her what she’d done now.“Why do you have to be like that when I call?The police are here looking for Bash.They have some kind of arrest warranty for him.”She corrected her.“Like I care what it’s called.They’re going to arrest him when they find him.Something about missing his court hearing.”
“Is it something about missing his court hearing, or did he miss his court hearing?There is a difference.”She started cursing again, and she simply hung up the phone.She didn’t have time for her drama tonight.When she called her back, MaryBeth was trying to be less dramatic.“What do you want me to do about him going to jail?I’m not going to give you money to bail him out.It’s where you both belong.”
“You know Mom would give it to me if she was alive.”Emmie rolled her eyes and didn’t say anything.“Why are you so mean to me?What have I ever done to you to make you treat me this way?”
“I don’t have time to list all your faults right now.I’m tired and hungry.Tell me why you called so I can tell you no, I’m not helping you, and we can get on with our evening.”She didn’t curse this time, but she did pound something against the phone.She was just ready to hang up when she got back on the phone.“I think you know me well enough to know that I’m not going to be putting up with your bullshit.If he’s in jail, leave him there.As I said, that’s where you both belong for treating the system like it’s your own private funding.I’m not now, nor will I ever give you money again.You fucked that up when I lent you money that you saw no reason to pay me back for.”
“One time.That’s all.Just one time I messed up, and you’re forever going to hold that over my head.”She asked if she had the money to pay her back.“No.You know that I don’t.This is for Bash toget him out of jail.I know you have it.Why don’t you open up your fucking purse and pay me some of that money I know you have?”
“Because it’s my money.And when you pay me back, I’ll think about lending you more money.However, I wouldn’t count on it.I’m still waiting for my money now, and it’s been five years since I lent it to you.”She said she didn’t remember her being so cruel when they were kids.“Because you never remember anything that has to do with me lending you money.Or you beating the shit out of me when I had something that you wanted.I’m not going to bail him out.That’s final.”
