Silent Witness

Chapter 2

Ryder

I didn't get to sleep long as we made it to the hospital, I didn't like the smell and I just wanted mommy. We were put into a room and the girl left it was just me and the detective, he held me in his arms. I didn't want him to let go, he was warm and it felt nice to be held he had strong arms and it made me feel safe. We sat in there and waited for a little bit until a doctor came into the room. "Hi there, I am Dr. Finch, and who is this?" the doctor said, again wanting to know my name. "I don't know I am hoping you can tell me, he witnessed something pretty horrific and he hasn't said a word" Ethan said. "Okay, I will get a social worker in here but first I want to check him out. Make sure he is alright" Dr. Finch said, "okay hey buddy this really nice doctor wants to give you a check up. Think you can sit on this bed for her, I promise not to leave okay" Ethan said to me. I believed him the way he spoke to me made me feel safe, he was kind in his words. I nodded as he lifted me onto the bed, I didn't like not being in his arms anymore but he sat close to me like he promised. 

"Sweetie I am just going to listen to your heart okay, this is called a stethoscope and I am going to put it on your chest" Dr. Finch said. I nodded she explained it to me and it didn't look to scary, she lifted my shirt and the stethoscope thingy was cold. She kept it there for a few seconds listening to my heart, I knew it was okay I could feel it beating in my chest. "I am concerned about his weight, I have a feeling he is very malnourished and he is most likely underweight" Dr. Finch said. "That makes me sick, I mean I have no idea what he witnessed but from the area he lived I am not sure he was living in the best circumstances" Ethan said. "Where is his family?" Dr. Finch asked, "his mother was dead, and I am not sure about a father. It didn't look like anyone else was there" Ethan said. Mommy was dead is that what he said, is that why she never woke up, I started to cry again. I knew what dead meant I might only be 3 but I understood what he meant. "Shh its okay buddy" Ethan said to me as he rubbed my back, that felt nice, mommy did that once or twice. The doctor did a few more things to me and she weighed me and she didn't seem to happy about that. "He is severely underweight, I have a feeling is not up to date on his vaccines either. From the looks of it I don't think he has been well taken care of at all and we need to get him up to date. I want to take some blood, I am hoping we can get an identity on him, figure out his name" Dr. Finch said. She said a lot of big words, I didn't know what vaccine was but it sounded scary. I also heard blood and that worried me a lot to I didn't want her to take it.

"Hey buddy, Dr. Finch is going to take some blood from you its going to be okay and I am right here" Ethan said to me. I looked at him and I felt as long as I looked at him I would be okay, I felt the needle in my arm and I cried I didn't like it and I tried to move but Ethan hugged me. Then it was done and I was okay as the doctor put a Band-Aid on my arm. "I will get this tested and be back in a little bit. I will have a nurse bring him some food, and get the social worker in here to talk to you and him" Dr. Finch said. Ethan nodded at her and I liked the idea of food I was hungry. A few minutes later a nurse walked in and set a tray in front of me, I could smell it and it smelled yummy. I ate everything on my plate, and I saw Ethan smile, "well now that your tummy is full think you could sleep for a bit?" Ethan said to me and I nodded as I lay down and closed my eyes. I didn't know how long I was asleep before I heard voices, "Hi there I am Emily Foster and I am a social worker. I understand he was a witness to something pretty gruesome and very malnourished?" Emily said. "I am assuming he witnessed something I don't actually know, he hasn't spoken and I don't know his name. I know very little here but I am stuck as I think he trusts me and he is very scared" Ethan said. He was right I was very scared and I didn't know what a social worker was but I didn't think it was something good and I opened my eyes and sat up. "Hi sweetie, can you tell me your name? I am Emily Foster" Emily said, I didn't say anything I was to scared and I just stared at her, "okay well if you won't tell me your name then I assume getting anything out of you is going to be hard" Emily said. "He hasn't spoken a word, I am very certain at this point he is traumatized and whatever he saw has him scared to talk" Ethan said. "He might not know how to talk, you said that his mom was into drugs maybe she never taught him" Emily said. "I am not sure that is the case he seems to acknowledge when you speak to him. I think he is just scared and I honestly don't blame him" Ethan said.