Cops' Kids

C27

"This is why you don't let them go to the hospital!" Emil hisses, shaking his head at his youngest brother. He parks his truck on the street next to Elmer's house. The neighbourhood is idyllic, old oak trees, large, spacious houses on decent sized lots. Elmer wants to respond but Emil is the meanest of his brothers. He might end up in the hospital.

"Thanks for the ride," Elmer mutters, getting out of his brothers truck. The vehicle is nearly identical to his. Elmer walks to the house, anger boiling in his veins. Being arrested was embarrassing, especially in front of the new neighbours, at least his subordinate officers hasn't slapped the cuffs on. At least Serena followed his instructions perfectly and two of his brothers were on shift so everything moved quickly. At least he was put on a leave of absence, not just up and fired. Courtesy of cop buddies he'd seen the doctors report. His two youngest boys never needed the doctors help or went to a hospital, they'd seen what happened when the older boys misbehaved and acted appropriately. His boys weren't mentioned by that damn Dr. Delluci, just his three stepsons. His lawyer can probably spin something on them, probably about their late father.

Elmer quietly closes the door knowing they all have to be perfect now. This wouldn't be happening if the damn boys were already perfect, especially that stubborn Tyson. Serena knows not to run to the hospital, he should have made sure the boys knew better. That, he admits, is his fault. He flips through the mail Serena piled on the counter from yesterday. Big brown envelopes with the schools logo catch his attention, seven in total. They're the boys' quarterly report cards. He opens them from oldest boy to youngest, nods in approval of Warren's marks, average as usual. The boy isn't dumb but he'll make it into college. Benjamin's grades surprise him, his firstborn son has a stellar mind if laziness doesn't get in the way, this quad it looks like he'll have to light a fire in him. Tyson's report cards always surprise him, for having no common sense that Elmer can see, he is very book smart. Tyson's lowest grade is an eighty-eight while Benjamin barely scraped by with a fifty. They're both in the same grade, the same classes. This is unacceptable.

"Benjamin!" Elmer hollers, the disappointment raging in his voice. He slaps the papers on the dining room table, wondering how exactly he can get his punishment through when he is being investigated by IA officers. The old guard wouldn't have let this stand, the good ole boys his daddy was raised up with.

"Yeah?" Benjamin asks, some snarkiness in his voice. Elmer has to give his stepsons credit, at least they are honest and straightforward.

"You know what your math grade is, boy?" Elmer asks, his voice hard. Benjamin winces, swallows some saliva and looks up the stairs.

"I'm working on it!" Benjamin defends his low mark. Elmer knows damn well that he isn't. The only reason he wasn't picked up the night Warren and Tyson were was because he fled the scene beforehand.

"Don't take that attitude with me!" Elmer warns, narrowing his eyes at his son. With cops sitting on the house, Elmer is at a loss for what to do. Benjamin knows it too, with that smirk flashing on his face. A swift backhand ends that.

"Tyson's planning on running away!" Benjamin mutters, holding his now red face. His lip is swelling.

"What?"

"Yeah," Benjamin scoffs. "So much for being in control." Elmer is too shocked he lets the back talk go.

"Tyson!" Elmer hollers, carefully watching the tone of his voice. He waves Benjamin off with a flick of his wrist. Serena had been washing dishes in the kitchen but had slowed down to eavesdrop. She hastily begins again when Benjamin walks in, a scowl on his face as he opens the fridge freezer and grabs an ice pack. Tyson trots down the stairs warily, thinking of any mistakes he could have made the past few days that would have angered Elmer. He can't think of any. He'd been the poster boy of perfection, even pissing off Warren with his 'yes sir, no sir' attitude. Absentmindedly he massage his shoulder, still swollen and sore from Mr. King. "You planning on running away, boy?" Shock stumps Tyson before resolve straightens his spine. Benjamin glares at him as he walks upstairs, a bag of peas and carrots on his jaw.

"You fucking coward," Tyson hisses, the words slipping out before he can think them through. Then Elmer's hard hands knock him down, wrap around his throat as he's laying on the ground. Tyson stares up at his stepfather in horror, the man's knee pressing into his diaphragm.

"Where were you going?" Elmer asks, his tone vicious. His fingers relent around Tyson's neck only so there won't be a mark. Everything is spinning out of control and Elmer doesn't like that, not at all. He knows Benjamin needs a good kick in the ass, you don't roll on your brothers that fast or easily, or, in Elmer's opinion, at all. Elmer shakes his stepson. "Tell me your plan!"