Hugging Andre seemed to take whatever enthusiasm that had been mustered right out of Delia. She was back to her listless self.
"Delia?" The question came softly from Hunter, but the only reaction he got was Delia's dull gaze shifting to him. Delia wasn't going to expect anything from anyone, but the concerned look in Hunter and Gracen's eyes made her own turn puzzled. But it didn't last long, Delia was many things: truthful, protective, smart and observant, but she also had a stubborn streak. If Delia resolved she was going to do something then it would be done and no one could change her mind.
"Lia look at me." Andrew's voice was serious "I'm going to ask you some questions and I want you to answer them honestly, if you would prefer that we talk privately we can arrange that." Andrew's gaze wandered towards the other people asking for permission, but knowing that if Lia chose for privacy he would make sure it happened. Daniel and Gracen looked slightly worried and unhappy but didn't reject the suggestion. Delia just looked at Andrew waiting.
"Yesterday it upset me to see you had been hurt, but I'm my rush to not crumble I forgot to ask you if you had injuries elsewhere." Delia didn't respond, her injuries had nothing to do with anyone else, telling them would either end in more hurt or unconditional worry. But she couldn't, wouldn't lie.
"She does." Drew answered. Delia shot her younger brother a look, she hadn't expected her injuries to escape her twins, but she didn't expect them to tell on her.
'I allow you guys to tell others only what you want them to know, why can't you give me the same respect.' Delia's eyes showed a sense of being betrayed. Drew seemed to want something, he opened his mouth to explain, but in the end didn't say anything.
"Her back and ankle." To Delia's surprise it was Hunter who responded.
"Delia Anita Rebecca Knill, you better not have any injuries you didn't tell us about or so help you I won't have tea parties with you for the rest of the year." Most of the group was puzzled by what Andrew said, but Delia seemed to slightly panic when she heard it.
'No, it's nothing that serious you don't need to look at it.' Delia attempted to be nonchalant in attempt to elevate Andrew's fear and protect her golden tea time.
Tea time for her Andrew meet homemade tea and snacks while they sat in silence and talked about some mild topics, it was one of Delia's favorite things and they only did it about once a month, but she would miss an entire twelve of them if Andrew revoked her rights to it. Not to mention she had already missed three years of them.
Andrew knew Delia wouldn't lie, but it had always been a tendency of hers to not take her pain seriously.
"I won't revoke anything. But only if you explain your injuries, let me take a look, treat them and explain at least one of them." Delia contemplated for awhile.
'Only if it is private.' Delia compromised. Delia had given up caring about making her situation safer or caring what her brothers thought about her and would've just directly lifted lift the back of her sweatshirt and tank top, and roll up the socks on her feet, they are the fluffy ones that Gracen had helped them order. But she didn't want her twins to see the damage. The twins weren't bothered by scars very much, but would always feel concerned and worried for her when she showed them cuts or bruises. She would always try to treat her wounds by herself but there was always some things she couldn't reach or clean well. Andrew nodded but then seemed unsure, the episode early had made him less sure about restraining Delia if she lost control again: without injuring her, at least.
"I agree to it being private but you have to chose one other person to come in with us." Delia shrugged and nodded in agreement. Everybody seemed to be waiting for her to choose someone, but Delia didn't care she just wanted to get this over as quickly as possible. Andre seemed to be the first one to get it.
"I won't go in I have to much to catch up with the baby twins." With those words Andre casually crossed himself and the twins out of the equation, himself because Andrew could be coaxed or annoyed to tell him about it later and the twins because they wouldn't be much help and from Andrew's serious tone it was likely that the wounds were probably not going to be simple, it wasn't something he would want to expose kids too. That left the three oldest brothers of the Knill family. All three of them looked at each other trying to convey their thoughts about the matter and figure out who should be going in with Delia.
"Gracen come with me." Unfortunately Andrew didn't give them the chance and directly choose before going towards the room which had previously been a makeshift exam room. Because things had been busy yesterday they forgot to have the staff clean it out, this left everything as it had been.
*Warning description of injuries with allusion to the abuse*
As soon as they came in Delia hopped up on to the exam table her back to them as she casually pulled up the back of her sweatshirt and tank top. Boot print bruises as well as small puncture wounds and triangle shaped bruises were scattered across her back. Andrew had already adjusted himself for seeing his Lia injured and although it hurt to think about her injuries he kept his cool and got some cream and bandages for the bruises and wounds. Gracen hadn't known about any of her scars he knew life had been for his youngest siblings, he had read the account that Delia wrote, but part of him hoped that it wasn't true. But her wounds clearly showed that someone had stomped on her with a great amount of pressure. He felt the temptation to hurl as he images of people stomping on Delia's thin back rushed across his mind. While Gracen was busy resisting the urge to hurl Andrew had finished with Delia's back. Delia quickly spun around propped her ankle on top of the examination table she then pulled the sock back on her ankle to reveal a large mottled bruise around her ankle it was swollen and looked slightly crooked but with some probing Andrew discovered that it was a pretty bad sprain, not a break.
"Which one." Daniel asked Delia casually after he finished applying more ointment and a bandage. He had offered her pain meds but she refused them.
'My back' Delia responded just as nonchalantly.
This surprised Andrew the one on her ankle seemed like it would be the shortest encounter with less abuse, and thus the one she chose. But he quickly masked it and gestures for her to continue.
YOU ARE READING
I Am Here (UNEDITED)
General Fiction*Completed, but unedited* Delia, a 13-year-old girl lives with her abusive parents and her eight-year-old twin brothers. She shields them from the cruelties of their parents as much as she can. The twins try to provide her with support but they are...
