by David Archer
Eric stared at him, confusion obvious in his face. “But I talked him down,” he said. “I did the right thing, I got him to put the gun down so nobody else got hurt.”
“Yes, you did,” Sam said. “Unfortunately, you also put yourself right in the line of fire. If he had started shooting toward the sheriff’s men, do you think they would’ve hesitated to return that fire? You would have been caught in the crossfire, Eric, and you probably would’ve been dead. Or is that what you wanted? Were you actually trying to get yourself killed out there, right along with him?”
“Would’ve been better than letting him die alone,” Eric said, lowering his eyes to the roof he was standing on. “At least I understood what it felt like for him, all alone against the world the way he was.”
“And what would I have told your mother? I’m sorry, Mrs. Brenner, your son decided to be a hero today and got himself killed. Do you think that would work? Would that make her feel better, that you got yourself killed trying to help another kid who had been treated like crap in this world?”
Eric continued to look at the surface under his feet for a moment, but then he raised his eyes to Sam’s. “You really would have told her?” he asked
Sam let out a quiet sigh and reached out to tousle the kid’s hair. "Eric, I understand that the world hasn’t been fair to you, and I'm sorry about what happened to you, but—"
"This isn't about what happened to me, Mr. Prichard!" Eric shouted. “I got myself in trouble because I was too smart for my own good, but I didn’t understand people would take advantage of me. I thought I was just having a good time with some friends, other people like me who love computers and figuring out how to do things nobody else could do. If I’d only thought about the things they were asking me to do, I probably would’ve figured out that something was wrong, but I was just having too much fun to pay attention.” He shook his head. “Lee was another whole story. He didn’t do anything wrong until he got fed up, but nobody was willing to look at the fact that he was only trying to protect himself. Somebody had to see his point of view, and since nobody else was willing, I figured it had to be me.”
“But that wasn’t your job, Eric,” Sam said. “It was mine, and you didn’t give me a chance to do it. And, to be perfectly honest, I think your real problem is about what happened to you, and maybe we should talk about that.”
"No, it isn't,” Eric said. “There’s nothing to talk about.”
"Eric, please, just listen to me for…”
"No! No, we are not going to talk about that."
"Eric, quit interrupting me when I’m trying to…"
"I don't want to hear it, Mr. Prichard,” Eric shouted. “I don’t want to hear any more about it, you don’t understand what you’re talking about anyway, you know?”
"Eric." Sam fixed his eyes on Eric’s, and the kid clamped his mouth shut as he returned the stare. "Do not interrupt me again. Have I made myself perfectly clear?"
"Yes, sir." Eric said sarcastically. “Whatever you say, sir.”
Sam bit his bottom lip for a moment, then opened his mouth again. “Eric, I know this isn’t easy for you, because you’re used to seeing the ways things go wrong, but just because things didn’t go right for you or Lee, it doesn't mean that it’s always that way. There are good parents, good teachers, good mentors and friends and strangers. I meant what I said. I'm sorry for what happened to you, but…”
Eric turned his face away, and Sam reached out gently and turned his face back so they could look into each other’s eyes.
“As I said, I'm sorry for what happened to you. I'm also very sorry for what happened to Lee. Those kinds of things should never have happened to either of you, or to anyone else. You both have a right to be treated better than that, but you also have to recognize that there are certain boundaries that cannot be crossed. You were charged with helping to hack a government agency, which is pretty bad, but it’s not as bad as murdering five people. Lee took things to an extreme that could have been avoided if he had only told someone what was happening to him."
Eric pulled his head away and tried to leave, but Sam held onto his arm and pulled him back. He took Eric's shoulders in his hands and caught a brief glimpse of teary eyes before Eric ducked his head.
"Eric," Sam continued softly. "What happened to you wasn't fair. You shouldn't have been punished so severely just for wanting to fit in. Someone should have done something to protect you, and if I had been there, I hope you believe that I would have tried. I would have done anything I could to help you, but the way you acted today is not going to help you, or anyone else. It's going to get you killed, and I don’t want that to happen."
Eric shook his head, but Sam kept talking softly.
"What if we hadn't called on to where you went, and we waited at the water tower while you and he were alone at the cave? What if you had actually gotten yourself shot and Lee had ended up dead?"
"Shut up."
"Eric—"
“I don’t want to hear it!”
“I’m trying to make you understand, Eric,” Sam said. “I’m…”
"I'm not stupid, Mr. Prichard!"
“I know you’re not stupid, Eric. On the contrary, you are incredibly intelligent.”
"Yeah," Eric scoffed. "I’m too damn smart for my own good. People like you don't give a shit about people like me. You never have. You're lying."
Sam blew out a blast of air, and his face set into stone. "Eric, I do care. I don’t do this job to hurt people. I do it to try to make the world a better place for everyone.”
“Yeah, right.”
"Eric—"
"You're lying! You're a liar, just like everybody else who says they care!"
Sam let go of him and pointed toward the door again. “We’ll be heading back to Denver in about an hour. Go find Summer, see if she needs your help with anything.”
Eric stared at him for a moment, then walked slowly over toward the door, leaving Sam alone on the rooftop.
Sam stood there for a moment, just looking out over the small town.
He heard the door to the stairwell open, and turned to see Denny walking toward him. He faced forward again, trying to decide whether or not he had the mental capacity for another talk.
"It sounds like things went all balls-up up here." Denny said as he joined Sam on the roof.
Sam shook his head, exhausted from the flood of emotions he been dealing with. "For a couple of minutes there, I thought I was getting him to understand, but then I guess I said something wrong. By the time we were finished, he just kept calling me a liar and left it at that."
"Wow," Denny said. "That's not good. Any idea how to reach the lad?"
Sam gave a shrug and shook his head. “Not a clue,” he said. “I can’t even convince him that I care what happens to him.”
"Did you know that he was hugging Lee?"
Sam just looked at him. “Really?”
“Really. The sheriff let him go into the holding cell with Lee and they talked for a few minutes, but then Lee just started crying. Eric put his arms around him and held him, and they just sat there like that for the longest time.”
Sam grinned, and it surprised him. "Good. That may have been exactly what they both needed."
Denny nodded, and they just stood there in silence for a moment.
"Summer told me on the phone,” Sam said, “that not everyone gets the break they need, as if I didn’t already know that." He shook his head again. "I wish there was something I could do for this kid, you know?"
Denny only chuckled. "It's all good, mate. You couldn't pay me all the money in the world to relive today in your shoes."
Sam chuckled, too, but a bit softer. "You have no idea,” he said, and then his phone rang.
Denny looked over Sam's shoulder and saw Indie's name and picture on the display, then clapped Sam on the back and turned away. “See you inside, mate.”
Sam sighed. "Yeah." He put the phone up to his ear. “Hey, babe,” he sai
d. “Yeah, I was going to be calling you in just a minute anyway.”
* * *
Sam looked up when the pilot announced they would be landing, but then his eyes went back to the notes he was making. Indie was holding dinner for him, so he intended to go straight home when they landed. The notes would help him finish his paperwork in the morning, leaving little time to spend with Eric over the next couple of days.
Taking Eric out into the field had been a mistake, but Sam didn’t like the idea of locking him up again. There was something about that hospital that was bothering him, and some sort of an idea was rolling around the back of his mind. He had already done a little bit of research to see what steps he would have to take to get Eric out of there, and he was planning to think more on it in the morning.
Keeping Eric with the company full time would mean Sam had to fill out dozens of forms, and would probably require the services of an attorney. He would have to get the permanent residency approved by DHS, and ask Ron and Jeff to spring for the room, furnishings, food, clothes, and so on. Each one of those was going to be its own headache, and that didn't even begin to cover whether or not they wanted to put a monitor on him, or how they would keep him constantly supervised outside of office hours, or what they were supposed to do to ensure he actually answered the phone while they were away.
"Ms. Raines, thank you for letting me sleep in your guest room."
Everyone on the plane tried to look at Eric as discreetly as possible, and Summer stared at him for a moment before she could answer. "Um, you're welcome, Eric. You can stay there again tonight, if you want."
Eric was quiet for a moment, arms folded over the back of his seat, eyes glued to the night sky beyond the window. "Also, I forgot to thank you for giving me a blanket and a pillow at your office. And for the sandwiches, I forgot about those, too. Thank you. And you’re very pretty."
Summer licked her lips and smiled. "You're welcome again, and thank you, too. I'm glad you think so."
There was another brief moment of silence, Eric tilting his head to the side but never looking away from the window. "Mr. Cortlandt, thank you for letting me talk to you and for listening to music with me."
Denny idly tapped his right headphone, brow creased. "My pleasure, Eric."
Sam turned his attention back to his notes. It was odd, the random words of thanks Eric had offered, but it was hardly the most pressing thing on Sam's mind.
"Mr. Prichard, thank you for giving me a chance."
Sam stopped, looking up and finding Eric still engrossed with whatever he saw in the great beyond. Sam hadn't expected to be thanked for much of anything, given the talk they’d had a few hours earlier. He wasn't entirely sure what to say, but he figured there was no harm in a quiet, "You're welcome."
"I really like you guys." Eric smiled softly and laid his head against the window. "You're really great."
Eric settled back into his seat, and Sam noticed he was sitting beside Walter. The two of them were leaning close together, talking softly.
Nobody knew what to say to that, and a silence settled over the cabin of the plane. It lasted for the remainder of the flight and the walk directly afterward. It appeared like a matter of minutes before they were breaking apart in the parking garage, all going their separate ways.
Eric frowned, looking at Sam. "Mr. Prichard, you said we were going to talk more once we got back."
Sam's phone began to ring, and he let out a quick sigh. "Not tonight, Eric. Go with Summer and we'll talk more tomorrow. I have to take this. Goodnight." He answered his phone and pressed it to his ear, already making his way toward his car with faint goodbyes bouncing off the walls behind him. "I'm in the parking garage right now, babe. I'll be home in fifteen minutes."
SIX
“Word of warning,” Darren said as Sam entered the office the next morning. “Eric seems to be in a bit of a mood.”
Sam looked at him. “Why is he in a mood?”
"My guess is he's still angry about Lee. Summer says he didn't talk much last night, didn't eat supper or breakfast, and he’s been pretty quiet this morning. He's been on the sofa in your office for the past hour, just sitting there, staring off into space."
Sam looked toward his office and nodded his head. "Right. I'll handle it."
"Hey." Darren held Sam's arm and lowered his voice. "If you need anything…"
Sam smiled weakly, a mere twitch of the lips. "I know, Darren. Thank you."
Sam walked down the hallway to his office, letting himself in and closing the door behind him. He saw Eric sitting on the sofa, and while he didn't intend to put their talk off, he wasn't entirely sure where to start. He decided a greeting would be the safest bet.
"Good morning, Eric." Sam set his briefcase on his desk. "Did you sleep well?"
Eric shook his head, looking down at his hands.
Sam wasn't exactly surprised, considering what Darren already told him. "Something keep you awake?"
Eric nodded, but he kept his head down and offered no explanation.
Sam frowned a bit, but his irritation was quickly waning, replaced by puzzlement.
If Eric was in a mood, he wasn't doing much about it. He was simply sitting there, looking worn down by the stress his emotions had put his body through. He looked like he wanted nothing more than sleep, and Sam could understand that.
Sam joined Eric on the sofa and leaned forward, leaning his arms on his knees. "Do you want to talk about it?"
Eric gave a shrug. "Are they coming soon?"
Sam furrowed his brow, tilting his head a bit. "Is who coming soon?"
"The people from the hospital." Eric rubbed his neck and sniffled once. "When are they gonna come get me?"
Sam didn't answer right away, unsure of how he wanted to proceed.
If Sam got his way, Eric wouldn't be going back to North Forest Hospital at all, but he didn't know for certain that he would get his way. He hadn't even started on the paperwork, he hadn't even found the right people to talk to—he hadn't even told his bosses or the rest of the team what he was thinking of doing. Granted, it would take a little while get anything done, but even that short time span couldn't be promised until Sam knew more about what was going to be involved.
"Eric," Sam began slowly, "who told you you were going back to NFH?"
Eric kept staring at the same spot on the floor, wrapping his arms around himself. "I always knew I was going back. We always do."
"But I never said when. We already used you on one more case than what we had planned." Sam tried to get a look at Eric's eyes, but the young man was determined to keep them hidden. "So, what made you think you were going to be sent back right away?"
"I was bad."
Sam stared, taken aback by the statement. It was very childish, even for a kid as young as Eric, yet the words came out naturally, as if the phrase were a regular part of Eric's vocabulary.
"Eric…" Sam stopped short as an idea began to form, and he quickly restructured his question to explore the budding theory. "Can you tell me how you were bad?"
"I didn't listen. You said no, and I did things anyway. I was loud. I was disrespectful. I made people angry at me. I snuck off to try to help Lee." Eric squirmed where he sat, clearly feeling guilty for the list of transgressions. "Bad things always happen when I disobey the people in charge. I should know better by now."
Sam pursed his lips and nodded a few times. "Well, there were definitely some bad things that could have happened as a result of what you did yesterday." Then, just to see if he was on the right track, Sam chanced a question he had initially been dreading.
"Eric, do you know why we had to stop Lee?"
"Of course." Eric rubbed his nose, and he was still looking down, but there was no hesitation in his voice. "Regardless of what should have been done to help him in the past, he was still on a killing spree. By the time you were brought in on the case, he had already killed four people just because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was uns
table both mentally and emotionally, and he was a threat to himself and everyone around him."
"That's right." Sam nodded again, slower, and continued to press. "Do you understand why your behavior was unacceptable?"
"Of course," Eric said, but he was fidgeting, as if he still wasn't sure he agreed. "I argued with the local authorities, which put you at a disadvantage because they projected their anger toward me at you. I ignored you, which made it look like you can't control your team, which hurts morale and decreases the amount of respect between cooperating agencies; that, in turn, decreases efficiency and productivity. I put lives in danger by confronting Lee alone. I caused stress for members of the team with my behavior, which distracted portions of everyone's attention from the case."
Sam shook his head, watching all the pieces fall into place. "No, you don't have to keep going, but I want to know… if you know all this, why did you disobey anyway?"
"I dunno, it just…" Eric wriggled in place, lips twisting up, suddenly unsure of himself. "Everyone was talking about him, wanting him to pay for what he did, but they wouldn't take responsibility for their involvement in how he turned out, and…" He made a grunt of frustration. "It just wasn't fair, Mr. Prichard."