One New Message (Random Updates)

Chapter 19

The door opened and the group of men looked up at two elderly women hurried inside. "Can I help you ladies?" Sean asked professionally.

"Jade," one of the ladies said worriedly. "What happened? Is she okay?"

"I'm sorry Ma'am but I cannot disclose that information to anyone except her family," Sean said.

"That's not possible, Sir," the other woman shook her head while patting the first woman's hand caringly, "It's okay Elizabeth, she's okay. Look, she's sleeping."

"What do you mean, Ma'am?" Sean asked curiously.

"Sandy, Sir, and this is my Elizabeth," Sandy said still patting Elizabeth's hand. "Jade does not have a legal family. She was taken from her biological parents when she was four due to abuse and drug use. She was in and out of foster homes for the majority of her life. When she was sixteen, she was kicked out due to her refusing to give the adults her paychecks. They wanted all her money, and she didn't want to since she was trying to save up for her own place eventually. They told her if she didn't want to listen to their rules then she needed to leave. They didn't even allow her to pack any of her belongings, she had to leave immediately with just what she was wearing. She was on the streets for two years after that night. Her case worker told her that since she was old enough to get a job, she was old enough to take care of herself. You can imagine what she endured during all of that throughout the years. The system failed her just like it has many times before and will continue to do so in the future."

"Fucking hell," Gabe muttered while tears formed in Corey's eyes.

"And you?" Corey asked. "How do you know Jade?"

"We own and have run the Safe Haven for Love Center for the past thirty years," Elizabeth said softly. "Jade was referred to us from a nurse almost two years ago. When she was released, she came to us, and we helped her get back on her feet. When she was ready, we helped her get jobs, Annie and Erik and their mothers are a few of the families we have helped over the years and helped her get into school for her talents."

"We are her chosen family, Sir," Sandy said. "We are on her emergency contact, that's how we knew she was here, someone called us to let us know. Can you please tell us what happened?"

"She was injured at work," Corey said. "She has some burns and was cut on her stomach from a broken plate. She will be okay though."

"And how do you know our Jade?" Elizabeth asked curiously.

"I'm her pen pal," Corey stood and walked over to the two ladies. "I've been talking to her for about a year and a half now online."

A huge smile broke out on the ladies' faces. "Oh, so you are Spyro," Elizabeth beamed and gently patted his cheek, "Such a kind boy you are. You have made our Jade so happy." She looked at Corey then Brandon, "you're a twin."

"Yes Ma'am and thank you, Ma'am," Corey softly blushed. "I hate to ask but do you know why she's terrified of hospitals? She didn't want to come here despite her injuries."

"Oh, that's easy," Sandy sadly shook her head. "It's because of what they used to do to her."

"What do you mean?" Sean asked partly shocked and partly terrified of what he might hear next.

Sandy and Elizabeth looked at him sadly before Elizabeth cleared her throat, "Jade suffers from extreme depression, Sir, which is understandable with all she has gone through. On top of the physical abuse, she was also bullied emotionally and mentally. There were times it became too much for her and she was put into the psychiatric ward. While she was there, the doctor found out that she has a weak immune system and a very sensitive nervous system. With her having no family on record and no one coming to visit her, he saw the opportunity to test out some experiments on her."

"You have to understand, this was before she came to us," Sandy said watching Jade sleep next to Brandon. "We didn't know until she felt comfortable enough to tell us. If we knew before hand, we never would have allowed it to happen."

"What do you mean experimented on her?" Sean asked, trying to calm the rage burning in him.

"The doctor would strap her down and inject her with different things," Elizabeth said with tears in her voice. "He would then ask her questions and tell her mean things while she was drugged and record everything. He did it to other people that had no families as well."

Not being able to handle it anymore, Sean clenched his fists and asked in a cold tone, "Who?"

Elizabeth and Sandy looked at each other before turning back to him, "Dr. Roberts."