Better Off Alone (Adopted by Brendon and Sarah Urie)

64. Brendon

"I have to go find her! I have to go get her!" I said.

"Bren, let the cops bring her back. Let Zack meet up with them. It's safer. For all of us," Sarah said.

I sighed. She was right, of course. But how am I supposed to patiently wait for them to bring Callie back to us?

Then I heard the worst call a parent could hear over a radio.

"We're going to need EMS," the voice over the radio said.

I looked at Sarah, who looked back at me with fear in her eyes.

"I need to know what's happening. Please, someone, please, find out!" I implored the officer with us.

He picked up his radio mic and called the officer with Callie.

"S-10, what's the status of the child?"

"She's curled up under a table, unresponsive. She won't let me touch her. I can't convince her to come out."

"Why do you need EMS?

"She's bleeding from what looks like a head wound. She should be checked out at the hospital. She's also cradling her left arm, and again, is unresponsive beyond pulling herself away when I reach for her."

"Are you aware that the girl is Deaf?" the officer with us asked.

"Yes, sir. I'm using my phone to write notes for her to read. She's not responding and not reading them."

"Is the area clear?"

"It is. The crowd has been corralled out of the building."

"I'm going to bring the parents down, perhaps we can avoid a trip by ambulance and let the parents decide if Callie needs a hospital visit."

"10-4 Sarge. We are inside the Starbucks, actually."

"10-4. On our way."

The officer turned to us and smiled.

"Okay, let's get you two to your daughter."

With relief, Sarah and I followed the officer to the Starbucks at the other end of the mall. Poor Callie had been practically dragged the entire length of the mall while people she couldn't hear shouted questions and whatever else at her.

We ran through the mall, people staring as the five of us - Sarah, Kala, Zack and myself with the cop, ran.

As soon as we got to the Starbucks, I saw the officer kneeling near a table, a staff member nearby with a glass of water, presumably for Callie. As soon as we got close, I ran over to the cop and kneeled in front of Callie. She did have a cut on her head, but it looked like it wasn't bleeding much now.

"Callie, it's Dad," I signed. Her eyes weren't focussed. I touched her shoulder and she shrank back, but blinked and looked at me. It took a second, but then she suddenly launched herself out from under the table and into my arms. I wrapped my arms around her thin frame and held on tight, hugging her.

"You're okay. You're okay," I kept repeating. I knew she couldn't hear me, but she'd feel the vibrations of my voice and hopefully, she'd know I was trying to keep her calm. She pulled away and signed to me.

"I was so scared," she said. "People were pushing and shoving and talking and touching me."

"I know. I'm so sorry this happened. You're okay. Mom and I have you now," I said, and smiled at her. "You have a cut on your head. Can I put you down and we can take a look at it? The police called an ambulance. We can have them take a look at you, but we don't have to go to the hospital if you don't need to or even if you don't want to."