"Do you know where Alex lives?" he asked Maddy.
She shook her head. "I only know where her dad works," she replied. "Wait! I think she wrote her address on one of our project papers. Let me go and have a look."
Maddy ran upstairs and rummaged through the paperwork that was strewn all over her desk. Yes! There it was! She grabbed it and ran back downstairs.
"I've got it! 5/3 Cedar Street," she called out as she ran down the stairs.
"Good girl," Hank said. "I think you should both stay here and let me go on my own."
"No!" Maddy cried. "I need to go with you. I need to apologize to Alex for letting her secret out. And what if she's hurt? I think I should be there for her," Maddy pleaded.
Hank looked at Sarah, who was shaking her head, and then back at Maddy.
"Mom, I've got to go. Please let me. I feel bad enough breaking my promise to her, but not being there if she's hurt, that would be worse. Please."
Sarah sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "Up to you, Hank. What do you think?"
"Yes, maybe it would be better if Maddy came with me after all. I just don't want to put you in any danger, though. If her father's there, I won't let you go in. Fair enough?"
"Fair enough," Maddy replied.
Sarah gave Maddy a big cuddle before they left. "I'll be praying for you," she whispered.
"Thanks Mom," Maddy replied.
Maddy sat next to Hank in his pickup, and they drove towards Cedar Street in silence.
They found the apartment block easily, and parked on the street in front of it. Maddy looked up and saw some lights on in some of the apartments. She wondered if one of them was Alex's.
"Are you okay?" Hank asked Maddy as they got out of the pickup and stood on the pavement outside the entrance.
She nodded, but inside, her heart was racing. She'd never been so nervous in all her life.
She followed Hank into the building. He'd brought a torch in case there wasn't light. Just as well, because the light in the entrance was out. He shone the torch on the first doorway. Number 1. He then shone it on the next door. Number 2. Looked like Number 3 was upstairs.
They made their way up the dirty stairwell, and found themselves in front of another door. Number 3. They looked at each other. They listened for a few moments but couldn't hear anything.
"Here goes," Hank whispered. He knocked gently on the door. No answer. He knocked again, this time, a little louder.
"I think I heard something," Maddy whispered. They looked at each other again, before Hank knocked a third time.
"Who is it?" It was Alex, but her voice was so faint they could hardly hear her.
Hank nodded at Maddy.
"It's me, Alex. Maddy. Can you let me in?"
They heard her shuffle to the door and undo the lock. She peeked out through the gap. The latch was still on the door.
"What do you want?" she asked.
"Just making sure you're okay. I was worried about you when you didn't answer your cell."
"I'm okay."
"But you're not. I can see your face. Let me in, Alex."
They waited for what seemed an eternity. Finally, they heard her lifting the latch. She opened the door and turned around and shuffled back to the sofa where she’d been laying.
Maddy couldn’t believe the squalor that confronted her as she peered into the apartment.
"Is your dad at home, Alex?" Maddy asked. Hank had told her she needed to find this out straight away, before she went in. He'd whispered that he'd stay outside while she went in to talk to Alex on her own, as long as her dad wasn't there.
She shook her head. Maddy gave one last look at Hank before attempting to cross the room to sit beside Alex. She took each step carefully, and finally made it without cutting her foot on the glass that was lying shattered on the floor. How Alex had made it back she didn't know.
She sat beside her friend, and took her hand.
"Look at you. You poor thing." Maddy squeezed Alex's hand gently. "When did this happen?"
Alex hung her head and closed her eyes.
"Last night," she finally answered.
"Where is he now?"
"I don't know. He went out and never came back," she sobbed. Tears streamed down her bloodied face and left splotches on the long sleeved shirt that was now torn and dirty.
Maddy took her in her arms and cuddled her, just like her mom did to her when she was upset.
Alex didn't notice Hank enter the room. He sat quietly on a chair.
"Tell her I'm here," he mouthed to Maddy.
Maddy nodded.
"Alex. I know you told me to not to tell anyone," she whispered gently as she stroked Alex's hair. "I'm so sorry, but I had to. I was so worried about you. Hank's here with me. He knows, Alex. It'll be okay, I promise."
Alex took a deep, shuddering breath. She lifted her head slowly and looked at Maddy, and then turned to look at Hank.
"My God, Alex. You should have said something." Hank couldn't help himself when he saw her face, bruised and blackened, and covered in blood down one side. Her right eye was swollen, and she could hardly open it.
She closed her eyes and sat there. Tears streamed down her face.
"We need to call an ambulance," Hank said. "She needs to be in hospital. Better still, we'll take her. It'll be quicker."
He walked swiftly over to where she was sitting, and picked her up gently in his arms.
"Grab some clothes for her, Maddy, if you can find some."
It didn't take Maddy long to grab a few bits and pieces. She followed Hank and Alex out the door, and down the stairwell to the pickup. She opened the door for him, and he carefully placed Alex on the seat. Maddy jumped in beside her, and told her to rest her head on her shoulder while they drove to the hospital.
When they arrived, he carried her in and placed her gently on a bed. Maddy hoped that Jasmine's mom wasn't on duty. She didn't think she could cope with her right now.
The doctors and nurses on duty attended to her promptly, while Hank called Sarah to let her know what had happened. He then sat with Maddy, and told her that the Police would need to be involved.
"I know you'll probably be angry about this, but there's no option, Maddy," he said. "Her father has assaulted her. He could have killed her. It's for her own safety."
Maddy nodded. She couldn't believe how badly Alex had been beaten this time. It was more than just a few bruises on her arm. What had gotten into the man? How could Alex say she loved him after this?
The rest of the night passed in a blur. The police came and interviewed Alex briefly. She'd been sedated, so they said they'd come back in the morning to talk to her properly. They interviewed Maddy and Hank as well, and they told them what they could.
Maddy wanted to stay with Alex, but Hank said she needed to get home and get some sleep.
When she arrived home, she ran straight into her mother's arms.
"It was horrible!" she cried, holding her mother tight.
"There, there. She’ll be okay now. You did the right thing, Maddy."
"I know. I'm sorry I didn't say anything earlier. Maybe this wouldn't have happened if I had." Maddy let go of her mom and let her lead her into the kitchen where her gran was still up having a cup of tea.
"You poor girl," she said. "What a horrible thing to have happen. And poor Alex. I hope she'll be alright."
"She's in good hands, Betty, and she'll be safe now," Hank said as he joined them in the kitchen.
"What will happen to her?" Maddy asked. "She told me she didn't want to get taken away."
"Someone from Child Welfare will work out the best option for her. She might need to go into foster care for a while, especially if there isn't any other family around," Hank replied.
He saw the disappointed look on Maddy's face.
"Could she come and stay with us?" Maddy looked from to Sarah to Hank. "Please," she said. "Alex didn't want anyone to know about her dad because she didn't want to get taken away and pu
t with someone she didn't know."
Sarah looked at Hank questioningly.
"I'm not sure if it would even be possible, Maddy, and even if it was, whether it would be wise in your mother's condition."
"Can't you think about it?" she asked, looking pleadingly from one to the other again.
"We'll talk about it, Maddy," Sarah answered. "But as Hank said, it may not even be possible."
"What will happen to her dad?" Maddy asked.
"Once he's found, he'll probably be charged with assault. My guess is they'll probably put him into a secure hospital and he'll hopefully get some treatment. That would be the best scenario. But they need to find him first," Hank replied.
"I think it's time for bed," Sarah said to Maddy. "We'll take you up to see Alex first thing in the morning, but try to get some sleep now, Maddy. We've all had a shock, but you should feel good about what you did."
"Thanks Mom. It all seems very strange. I keep seeing Alex's face. It was horrible, wasn't it, Hank?"
"It wasn't a pretty sight at all," he answered. "But she'll be okay, Maddy. They'll look after her up there."
"I just realized that Alex won't be able to play basketball tomorrow. Maybe I shouldn't play either. It doesn’t seem fair."
"Let's decide that in the morning, shall we?" Sarah said. "Now, off to bed!"
Alex had been sedated, but woke sometime during the night in pain. The doctor had discovered that one of her ribs was broken, so when she tried to move, the pain was almost unbearable.
She called for the nurse, who helped her to the bathroom. She hadn't seen what her face looked like up until then, so when she saw the bruises and cuts in the mirror, she gasped, and almost fell over.
The nurse noticed her reaction, and quickly supported her.
"It's okay, Alexandra. Come on, let's get you back to bed," she said.
The nurse gave her some more medication, and she finally drifted off.
Chapter 13
Maddy struggled to fall asleep, but when she finally did, she slept fitfully. Alex's face haunted her all night.
She couldn't wait to get to the hospital the following morning. Both Hank and Sarah decided to go with her. Alex was sitting up when they arrived, but had her eyes closed. Maddy walked in quietly, and sat on the chair beside her. Alex, sensing someone was there, looked up and saw Maddy.
"Hey," Maddy said, taking her hand.
"Hey," Alex replied.
"How are you feeling?" Maddy asked.
"Great," Alex replied. She laughed, but then winced. She'd forgotten about her broken rib. "Pretty ordinary, really."
"Your poor thing. I'm just glad we found you when we did. I'd hate to think of you spending another night at home on your own like that."
"They found my dad," Alex said. "They've locked him up." She turned her head away, but Maddy still saw the tears that had started to flow down her cheeks.
"Yes, we heard that this morning. It's for the best, Alex. He needs help."
"I know. I just don't know what's going to happen to me." She was trying hard not to cry. She knew it would hurt, but she wasn't able to hold her tears back.
Maddy leaned over and gave her a gentle cuddle.
"It'll be okay, Alex, you'll see."
Maddy glanced sideways at her mom and held her eyes for a second. A knowing look passed between them.
Alex dried her eyes, and looked at Maddy. "Thank you for coming to find me," she said.
"I'm sorry I broke my promise, Alex."
"It probably was for the best. It's okay. He was the worst he's ever been the other night. I thought he was going to kill me." She closed her eyes.
Maddy squeezed her hand.
"We have to go now, but we'll come back later," she said.
Maddy and Sarah left the room and found Hank talking to Andrea Jones. She'd been surprised to find Alex there when she came on duty the previous night. She'd heard all about her from Jasmine, and had worked out who she was straight away.
"Terrible business," she said to Sarah, shaking her head. "I know Jas wasn't happy about her playing in the team today, but she wouldn't have wanted this to happen to her, that’s for sure."
"No, it's very sad," Sarah said.
"We'll look after her here. And she'll be safe, that's the main thing."
"Yes, I'm sure she's in the best place for now," Sarah said, giving Hank a look.
"We need to get going now," Hank interrupted, "but we'll be back later to check on her. Let us know if anything changes?"
"No problem," Andrea replied.
"Did you think any more about her coming to live with us?" Maddy asked as they left the hospital together.
"You're very pushy, young lady!" Hank said to her. "However, your mother and I did discuss it last night, and if it's okay with Child Welfare, we'll be happy to have her stay until something more permanent can be worked out."
"Really!" she shouted "Thank you!" She wrapped her arms around Hank and gave him a kiss, and then did the same to her mom. "When can we tell her?"
"Not until we’ve talked to Child Welfare," Hank answered. "Best not to get her hopes up in case they won't allow it."
"They will, though, won't they? Especially with you being a doctor and all."
"They probably will, but you never know. Best to wait, just in case."
"Okay, but it'll be hard not to say anything."
"You kept Alex's secret, Maddy, so I'm sure you'll be able to keep this quiet for a while!" her mom said.
Maddy grimaced, and then shrugged. "I guess so."
"Did you decide to play today?" Sarah asked as they walked to the car.
"I think I will," Maddy replied. "The girls will all want to know about Alex, and I think I should play for both of us."
"Good girl," Hank said.
When Maddy arrived at the stadium a little while later, the girls in the team all rushed up to her. Jasmine had told them about Alex, and they couldn't believe it.
"What does she look like?" Nina asked. "Is she going to be okay?"
"She's a mess, but she'll be alright," Maddy said seriously. "It was horrible. Really horrible."
Lauren and Jasmine were quiet. Maddy glanced at them, and they both looked at their feet. I'll deal with them later, Maddy thought to herself.
Coach Eady had joined them by this time, and said they needed to play for Alex. All the girls, including Lauren and Jasmine, agreed, and went onto the court energized and ready to play. They formed a circle, and placed their hands in the middle , one on top of the other, and shouted "For Alex!"
The game was fast and exciting, and although the other team was strong, Maddy's team was stronger. Maddy played superbly, and they all worked together, giving of their best. The shooting training paid off, and they won by a healthy margin.
"For Alex!" they shouted as they celebrated their win.
"For Alex!" Maddy said.
Chapter 14
Hank and Sarah met with Child Welfare on the Monday morning while Maddy was at school. The meeting was positive, and although there was some paperwork to process and background checks to perform, the outcome was promising and they left feeling quite confident.
Maddy visited Alex every day, but didn't say anything to her, although at times she was tempted.
Alex had told Maddy to do the interviews for the project on her own, but Maddy insisted they wait until she was out of hospital and they could do them together. At least that gave Alex hope that she might still be living nearby.
Alex's dad faced court, and was placed into a secure hospital where he could undergo treatment for his alcohol problem. He was to stay there for a minimum period of twelve months.
Lauren and Jasmine both apologized to Maddy for their bad behavior and attitude. Maddy accepted their apology, and they once again sat together for lunch.
Maddy came home from school a few days later to find her Mom waiting for her at the front door. Maddy noticed that her stomach was getting big, but she seemed to be looking
better.
Maddy saw that she was waving an envelope in the air.
"What's that, Mom" Maddy asked inquisitively.
"They said yes!"
Maddy knew straight away what it was. She punched the air and shouted "Yes!"
She jumped around excitedly until Sarah told her to calm down.
"Can we go and tell her?" Maddy asked.
"I don't see why not," Sarah replied. "Hank's at work, so we can meet him there. Gran said she'd like to come too, if that's okay. She wanted to see Alex's face when we told her!"
"Yay! Let's go!" Maddy cried.
Chapter 15
Alex knew something had happened the moment that Maddy entered her room. She was sitting up and feeling much better, but had been worried about what was going to happen to her when she was discharged. Child Welfare had been to see her several times, but had not been forthcoming with much information about her future.
"Hey Alex!" Maddy said as she walked in and sat beside her.
"Hey Maddy."
"Hi Alex," Sarah, Hank and Betty all said in unison.
"Hi there," she said sitting up even straighter.
"Time to go!" Maddy said.
"Go where?"
"Home with us! Child Welfare have said you can live with us for now! Isn't that cool?" Maddy said excitedly.
"Really? Wow! I'd never dreamed that would happen!" she said.
"We're not sure how long it will be for, but at least you'll be able to stay for a while," Hank said.
"That is so good! Thank you so much!" Alex said, swinging her legs out of the bed and standing up.
"You're looking much better, Alex," Sarah said. "They've cared for you very well."
"Yes, I'm feeling better, although my face is still a mess." She reached up and touched the side of her face that was just starting to heal.
"Come on, let's go!" Maddy was keen to get out of there and take Alex home.
She’d helped Sarah prepare the guest room for Alex, and was eager to show it to her. After seeing the unit that she and her father had lived in, she knew this would be luxury for Alex.
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