by C. Kennedy
Rob nodded. “Dr. Jordanou put a cast on it.”
“Okay.”
“How about you? Are you ready to come home?”
“Yes. We must prepare the room for Thimi.”
“It’s more than that, Christy. I need a commitment from you that you will not attempt suicide again.”
Christy wanted to shout his frustration on the air. If Rob only knew how often he’d wanted to die over the past fifteen months, or how many times he’d wanted to go back to Greece and the… before. Sometimes he couldn’t help it. It was all he’d known since he was five. “I said I will not do this.”
“Okay. Let’s talk about Thimi’s room. We don’t have any open rooms in the main house. Not to mention, they’re furnished for children rather than young adults. What do you think of Thimi having his own cabin? The one next to yours.”
He didn’t have to think about this. “Thimi lives in the closet before. Now, for one year, he lives in the vents of my father’s house. The cabin will be big for him. He will not like it.”
“What do you think we can do to make him feel comfortable?”
“He cannot stay with me?”
“No, Christy. I can’t have teen residents sharing rooms.”
Rules. He hated rules. It made him feel as if he were back in the before. “I share space with Thimi from the time we are young. This will be okay.”
Rob shook his head. “It’s against protocol. We need to have his cabin ready.”
He wouldn’t argue with Rob. Rob would find out what Thimi was like soon enough. “I will think on this.”
“All right.” Rob stood. “Nero and Mac should be here any minute now.”
“I wish to have my phone and clothes from the police.”
Rob’s pause was nearly imperceptible, but Christy didn’t miss it. It told him Rob had forgotten about the police.
“I’ll let the detective know. You’ll need to give them a statement before you leave here.”
“Why? There is not the crime.”
“Believe it or not, suicide is a crime.”
Christy couldn’t help it. He laughed aloud. “The people go to the jail in the coffin if they make the suicide?”
Rob almost laughed. “Let me rephrase. When someone attempts suicide, the authorities are required to investigate it.”
Christy fought not to laugh aloud again. American laws were stupid. “I will tell them I will not do it again.”
Rob’s smile was genuine now. “I’m very glad to hear that, Christy.”
He fidgeted and rubbed his thigh again. He needed to know something. “Did you know about Sophia?”
“What about her?”
“She is my sister?”
“I recently learned that you and she might be siblings, but I’m hard-pressed to believe it.”
Confusion and anger rose in Christy in equal measure, and he wasn’t sure what to ask first. “How did you learn of this?”
“Nero told me.”
Christy’s anger rose a notch. Nero should have told me. “You did not tell me.”
“I wanted to speak with your Aunt Ariel first. She is the only one who can tell us what happened years ago.”
“Did you speak with her?”
“No. Nero tried, but Ariel refused to talk about it.”
Christy’s anger threatened to boil over. “Why do you not believe this?”
“Because I think you would have remembered if you had a sister, particularly a twin sister.”
“What does twin mean?”
Rob paused again for a fraction of a second before continuing. “It means you were born at the same time.”
Born at the same time. Realization set in and a wave of indescribable emotion passed through Christy. “Did Sophia know?”
“She didn’t until very recently. When she found out, she was as shocked as you are. She tried to speak with Ariel and was also refused. As I understand it, they’re having a hard time getting along right now because of it.”
Christy’s anger ebbed a fraction, but confusion still clouded his mind. “We are the twin.”
Rob nodded. “It would appear so. General Sotíras is looking into your birth certificates to know for certain.”
“Ariel does not say anything about this?”
Rob shook his head. “She refuses to discuss it.”
“Someone told Ariel she cannot tell the truth.”
Rob frowned. “Who would do that, and why?”
“It would be my father.”
“He’s dead. What would it matter if Ariel spoke about it now?”
Good question. Christy shook his head, confusion muddling his mind as he puzzled the problem. “I will think on this.”
“Are you okay with seeing Sophia?”
Christy nodded slowly as her screaming at Yosef in the courtroom replayed in his mind. You lie! You know nothing! Shut your filthy mouth! She had been horrified and appalled, which was no surprise because she hated Yosef as much as he did. “Is she okay?”
“Jake stayed with her last night, and she seemed okay in the courtroom today.”
“This means nothing. She is good at hiding the feelings.”
Rob pursed his lips. “Not unlike someone else I know.”
Christy ignored the tease. “What does Kýrios Santini say about the trial?”
“He’s pleased with the verdicts, as are Sophia, Anna, and Michael’s parents, but everyone is concerned about you.”
Guilt flooded Christy again. He hadn’t meant to cause problems. “Please tell them I am good.”
Rob’s expression softened. “I will.”
“I do not wish to see Yosef again.”
Rob’s entire face softened now. “I don’t blame you, Christy.”
“I must make the trial in Greece.”
“Perhaps we can talk to General Sotíras about that when he gets here.”
“He cannot do anything. The information is from me.”
“Maybe he can arrange for a closed courtroom so you’re the only person there.”
Christy’s brows shot up. “This is possible?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know what the rules are in Greece.”
“Okay. I will speak with him.”
The edges of Rob’s eyes creased ever so slightly again and told Christy he’d said the right things.
“I’ll go get Michael.” Rob stood to leave.
“Rob?”
He turned back.
“Thank you. I am sorry for the problems.”
“Yesterday was very hard on you. You had every right to feel devastated. Next time remember that we’re here for you. Concentrate on that.”
“I hate Yosef.” He bit his tongue. He couldn’t believe he’d let the words slip again and silently cursed himself.
Rob smiled now. “Good. You should. I’ll get Michael.”
Rob was the first person to tell him it was okay to hate his abusers. He didn’t believe it, and the feeling only made more fear of punishment run through him, a constant electric current to ignite his veins. Michael believed it was okay to hate them too. So it must be okay, at least for Americans. For now he would rely on that, but he needed to remember not to say it aloud.
CHAPTER EIGHT
“MICHAEL?”
Michael turned from the television to the sound of Rob’s voice. “How’s he doing?”
“As well as can be expected. Can we speak for a moment?”
Michael rose from the uncomfortable plastic chair he sat in and gestured to the doorway. He followed Rob down the hall a short way until he stopped beside a linen cart. Michael stopped, leaned a shoulder against the wall, and crossed his arms over his chest, anxious to hear what Rob had to say.
“Keep on doing what you’re doing. Right now Christy needs reassurance, repetition, and structure. Yesterday was a setback, and he’s having a hard time holding on to the new life he’s built for himself.”
Michael frowned. “Nothing’s changed.”
“Remi
nd him of that as often as you can.”
“Okay.”
“I know yesterday had to be a shocker for you. How are you doing?”
Michael took a deep breath, not sure exactly what to say. “Okay. Did you know? About the rape?”
“I did.”
Anger teased the edges of Michael’s mind. “Dad knew too?”
Rob nodded.
Michael understood patient confidentiality, but this was out of line. His dad should have told him, and anger seethed within. “Anything else?”
“Thank you for being there to save him.”
“I didn’t save him. He chose not to jump.”
“Had you not showed him you were still there for him, no-holds-barred, I hazard to think what might have happened.”
Michael didn’t want to think about the negative. “It’s over, and he’s okay. That’s what matters. Are you going to be here when the police take his statement?”
“Yes.”
“Should I be there?”
“I don’t think it will hurt. They’ll probably want some sort of statement from you too.”
“I went up, we came down, end of story.”
Rob smiled. “One more thing.”
Michael waited.
“I spoke with him about Sophia being his sister. I was honest with him but didn’t tell him when we learned of it. Only that I was hard-pressed to believe it, Sophia is as shocked as he is, and Ariel is refusing to discuss it with anyone.”
“How’d he take it?”
“Solemn. Did he say anything about it to you?”
“He wants to know what happened and why. I told him we might never know the answers, but I guessed his mom thought he was safer with her and Sophia was safer with Ariel. And I reminded him that his mom loved him, and he agreed.”
“You’re wise beyond your years. Are you certain you don’t want to study psychology?”
“Very. So not me.”
Rob smiled a small smile. “Too bad. I’ll see you in the room when the detective arrives.”
Michael felt unsettled as he walked back to the room and wasn’t sure why, and when he opened the door to find Christy sobbing into a pillow, he almost wondered if he had a sixth sense. “Hey, hey, hey.” He climbed onto the bed, coaxed Christy up from the pillow, and held him. “Talk to me.”
Christy shook his head against Michael’s chest, his silent “nothing.”
Michael held him as he cried and guessed there would be many of these moments in their near future. He cursed Yosef to high heaven yet again.
After an indiscernible time, a knock sounded at the door, and Detective Davis entered the room with Rob and Carol on his heels.
“Hi, Michael.”
“Hello, sir.” Michael reached past Christy and shook the detective’s hand.
The detective gestured with his chin toward Christy in silent query, and Michael toggled his hand in a comme ci, comme ça motion. “Babe? You awake?”
Christy opened his eyes, full of sleep and swollen from crying. “I am awake.”
“Detective Davis is here.”
Christy sat up. “Hello, Detective.”
“Hi, Christy. I hear you were looking for this.” He withdrew Christy’s phone from a breast pocket and handed it to him.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“The clothes?”
“We’ll need those for a couple of weeks, but we’ll get them back to you as soon as we can. Michael, we need yours as well.”
Michael tucked his chin in disbelief. “Sure.” He climbed off the bed, went to the bathroom, and returned with the plastic bag containing his clothes.
“How are you doing, Christy?” Detective Davis asked gently as he accepted the bag of clothes from Michael.
“I am good. I am sorry for the problems.”
Detective Davis withdrew a small tape recorder from the pocket of his coat, set it on the bedside table, and pushed the table toward Christy. “Do you feel up to giving me a statement about yesterday?”
Christy nodded.
Detective Davis turned the recorder on, made a brief announcement, and gestured to Christy to proceed.
“I was upset when they play the video of me in the trial. Then Yosef said bad things in the trial. I had the big panic, and I left the trial. I ran. I did not know where to go. I find the cab. I go to the Ferris wheel. I climb the Ferris wheel, and Michael finds me.”
“Why did you choose to go to the Ferris wheel?”
“I don’t know.”
“I can answer that,” Michael interjected.
Detective Davis held a hand up to silence Michael, announced his presence for the recorder, and gestured for him to continue.
“Christy likes the top of the Ferris wheel. He says he feels safe, as if nothing can hurt him when he’s up there.”
Christy looked at him, wonder large in his eyes.
“What? Did I say something wrong?”
“I did not think of this.” He turned back to the detective. “This is true. It is the safe place for me.”
The detective nodded. “So you went there because it was safe?”
“Yes.”
“Did you intend to jump from the top of the Ferris wheel?”
“Sometimes.”
“What do you mean by sometimes?”
Christy closed his eyes and rubbed his temple hard with his fingertips. “I have the confusion, the blank spaces from yesterday.”
Michael interrupted again. “Sometimes he can’t remember everything that happens. That’s what he means by blank spaces.”
“So, you can’t remember all of what happened?”
Christy shook his head. “I am upset, I go to the Ferris wheel, and Michael comes to me. This is what I know.”
Detective Davis gestured to Rob. “You’ve spoken with your psychiatrist, Dr. Villarreal. Is that correct?”
“Yes,” Christy answered tentatively.
“I can’t ask what you two discussed, but it’s important that we know if you intended to commit suicide last night.”
“I am not certain.”
“Do you have any intention of suicide now?”
“No. I wish to live.”
The detective smiled. “That’s good to hear. This concludes the statement from Christophoros Tryphon Alexis Castle.” He turned the tape recorder off.
“I do not say more?” Christy asked.
“We’re done. Thank you, Christy.”
“You are welcome. I am sorry for the problems.”
Detective Davis smiled. “We’re glad you’re okay.” He withdrew his notepad from his breast pocket. “Can I take a look at your hands?”
Christy held his hands out.
“Your palms.”
Christy turned his hands over to show him the fresh bandages.
The detective made a note on his pad. “Did you hurt yourself anywhere else?”
“No.”
Michael leaned in and whispered, “Your foot.”
Christy looked up at him briefly and then withdrew his foot from the bedcovers. “I have the bruised foot.” He removed the paper bootie.
“How’d that happen?”
“I do not remember.”
“X-rays have been taken,” Carol said quickly.
The detective nodded and made another note. “Anything else?”
Christy shook his head.
“Okay. Michael, can I get a brief statement from you?”
“Sure.”
The detective turned the recorder back on, announced Michael’s name, the date and time of the interview, and gestured for him to proceed.
Michael succinctly told of his guess that Christy might have gone to the Ferris wheel, of his drive there, of climbing the Ferris wheel, and finding Christy in the topmost car.
“What was Christy doing when you found him?”
“Crying and calling himself names.”
“Was he standing or sitting?”
“First
standing, then sitting in the bottom of the car.”
“What did you do then?”
“I climbed into the car, and he didn’t want me to touch him, so I, um, sang.”
Christy smiled briefly. “Pio pio.”
Michael smiled. “What he said. Then the fire department brought us down.”
The detective made another note on his pad. “Your injuries?”
Michael held a hand up. “Split my hand open.”
“Those injuries originally occurred the night of Christy’s kidnapping, didn’t they?”
“Yes, but I split the cuts open again. I wrapped my tie around it, so the tie has blood on it.”
The detective gestured to Michael’s face. “Your face?”
“I, ah, slipped and caught myself against one of the spokes.”
A small gasp escaped Christy, and Michael put an arm around him and one-arm hugged him. “I’m okay,” he whispered.
The detective made another note. “Any other injuries?”
“Other than bruised knees, no.”
“May I see?”
Michael pulled the pants legs of the scrubs up, and the detective made another note. “Anything else?”
“No.”
“I’d say you’re both very lucky.”
Michael hugged Christy to him again and gave the detective a thumbs-up. “It’s all good.”
The detective smiled again, looked at Christy, and Christy mimicked Michael’s thumbs-up. “It’s all good.”
The detective chuckled. “All right, men. No more climbing Ferris wheels.”
“No more,” Christy promised.
“Thank you for answering my questions.”
Rob gestured toward the door. “I’ll walk you out.”
“Are you ready for lunch?” Carol asked.
“Jell-O,” Christy said quickly.
“It has to be real food this time, I’m afraid. What would you like?”
“Pasta.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Michael said before she could ask.
As Carol left the room, Jake came through the door in a rush. “Yosef gets life in prison!”
CHAPTER NINE
MICHAEL WATCHED as Jake’s and his own parents followed Jake into the room, and last came Sophia, Jake’s fiancée, and Christy’s… sister. That is going to take some serious getting used to.
“Jacob, we don’t know what Yosef’s sentence will be yet,” Nero corrected.