Have No Emotion, Show No Weakness

Safe and Sound

"How did she call you?"  Connie was reluctant to answer as she focused on driving. "I gave her my number before she left-" "And you didn't think to tell me or Ethan!?" 

"Look, I promised her she'd be okay... I spoke to her just before they went home and made her promise me to call if she felt scared."  Cal rubbed a hand across his face as they drove down a familiar street. "We grew up here, I know where she'll be."

Connie pulled up further down the street jumping from the car and running after Cal who seemed to know where he was going. They ran down the road and around a corner coming to a small park.

"Cal seriously what are you doing?"  He ran along the side of the park coming to a walkway at the back of a row of houses. Connie followed him until he stopped at one of the walls. He ushered Connie to come forwards.

"What are we doing-" "Going over the wall now let me help you over."  She looked at him once before stepping forward and placing her foot in his hands as he gave her a push up. Connie held onto the top of the wall before pushing up and bringing her legs up. She swung them over the other side dropping down to the floor.

"Con are you okay-" "I'm fine, just get over here."  She moved around carefully, the house looked abandoned. Connie heard something before Cal dropped beside her.

Connie pulled her phone out stopping Cal where he was. She held her phone calling the number that she had rung her from. There was a vibrating before a song began playing out from next to them.

They moved forwards before Connie pulled the door open to a small shed. Amy was sitting inside with her knees pulled to her chest.  "Connie!"  Amy got up and ran into her arms as tears streaked down her cheeks.

Cal looked at his niece hating how his sister could let this happen. There was a bang which sounded like it came from the house. "I think we should go..."  Cal spoke calmly looking towards Connie who just nodded not wanting to scare Amy anymore than she already was. "Come on sweetheart, let's get out of here."

They moved back to the wall before Amy froze. "Trust me, I'll be right with you."  She nodded as they both lifted her up so she sat on the wall. "You go with her first-" "Cal..."  He shook his head lifting her up until she was beside Amy.

Connie jumped down and held her hands up for her. "I'll catch you..." Amy leant forwards before reaching Connie's arms and falling forwards.

They walked away from the wall before Cal jumped down and caught up to them. "Come on..."  They ran back the way that they had came until they reached her car.

"Con that's Lucy's car."  He looked up as she unlocked the car getting Amy in first. "Then let's go-" "What if he hurts her?"  "We need to go, for Amy's sake."  Cal climbed in as Connie did before she started the engine and drove down the street.

Ethan was walking up and down the staffroom. "Why hasn't Cal answered any of his calls?"  He had seen his brother run from the ED with Connie and assumed there was only one reason for it.

Connie drove into the ED carpark before getting out of the car. Cal got out as Alicia ran up to him hugging him. "Woah what's wrong?"  "We've all been worried, you don't run out of work with the boss for no reason and when neither of you answered your phones we panicked."  Cal found himself hugging Alicia back.

"I promise you you're not going back okay."  Amy nodded as she let Connie help her out of the car. "Come here."  Connie picked her up as Amy wrapped her arms around her neck crying. "You're okay."

Jacob had come outside after hearing Cal talking, closely followed by Zoe and Charlie. "Connie... Is that Amy?"  She nodded not talking as Zoe walked beside her into the hospital.

Connie headed for the staffroom with Amy and smiled seeing Ethan. "There's someone here to see you..." Amy let go of Connie and ran over to him. "Uncle Ethan!"  He smiled bending down and hugging her. "Hey you."

Connie sat at the table of the staffroom leaning into Jacob as Ethan and Cal sat with Amy. "You really are amazing, but please don't do that again... Running off and not answering any of us, you scared us Connie."  She turned to face him seeing how worried he was. She leant up and kissed him before Zoe came into the staffroom following a social worker.

"Mrs Beauchamp, I wish I wasn't having to see you again so soon."  She sat down with Amy but she wouldn't speak. Connie got up and asked everyone to leave the room for a minute.

Connie sat down beside Amy and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Hey, remember what I said to you... Nobody's going to touch you anymore alright.  Not now you're with me, Uncle Cal and Uncle Ethan okay."

Amy nodded before talking to the social worker. She didn't know who she was or why she was being asked all these questions but she answered. Ethan, Cal and Zoe waited outside anxiously until Cal noticed someone. "Where is she!?" 

"Lucy you shouldn't be here-" "She's my daughter Cal of course I should be here!"  Amy looked at Connie when she heard her Mum's voice and cowered into her. "Come on, let's go to my office..."  She took her hand and walked out of the other door going into her office.

Connie noticed Jacob and nodded for him to sit with Amy. "There's something I need to do, don't leave her."  Without another word Connie picked something up from a pile on her desk and walked towards Cal and his screaming sister.

Cal noticed Connie and worried but she smiled. Lucy turned to her and remembered her face. "You? Where's my daughter?"  "Before anyone even considers letting you near her there's something you need to see." 

Lucy frowned as she followed Connie before she pulled out a set of x-rays and test results. "What-" "That's your 9 year old daughters arm... That there, that's the brake from that so called 'fall'. Those marks there, they're from previous brakes which never healed."  Connie picked up another image and held it up. "That there, another one... Not quite as serious but it's there.  Do I need to carry on?"

Lucy had gone pale looking at the images. "These breaks happen when someone holds your arm and forces it up behind you... Not from a fall.  Now social services are already here, I don't believe you did this to her but you let it happen." 

Jacob ran out of the office after Amy, he hadn't expected her to move that quickly. "Amy?"  Lucy looked towards her with tears in her eyes and moved to hug her but Amy ran past her and hid behind Connie hugging her.

"Please don't make me go, I want to stay with you, Uncle Cal and Uncle Ethan."  Lucy watched, her daughter was scared of her. "Baby, I'm so sorry. But we need to go home now-" "Im not coming, I want to stay with Connie."

Lucy turned her attention to Ethan. "I'm sorry-" "It's too late for that..." Ethan and Cal walked back to the staffroom with Amy shortly followed by Connie.

Everything was far from fine but they'd be alright. They'd make this work, somehow.