Cuts and Bruises

His Visit

Jack's P.O.V

I rushed out the door as Lucas followed. Rose had an extra class that she couldn't reschedule. I was disappointed that she was unable to make it. That didn't stop me from going.

Once we got to the facilty I rushed up to the door. I got a few strange looks from the staff and a few people signing in. I was out of breath from rushing everywhere honestly. I stopped at the front desk to catch my breath. Lucas came in the front door. He stopped looking at everyone and slowly started to back up.

"Come here." I demanded. He listened stubbornly. He approached the front desk.

"We're here to see Brooklyn De Anda." Lucas told the lady as he tapped his fingers along side the desk.

How does he know Brooklyn's last name and I don't? I couldn't help but feel jealous at this. The woman looked at a few papers then handed us a sheet.

"Fill this out and we will take you to her room." She studied me. "May we check your bag? For safe measures of course." She said hesitantly. I took the bag and slid it onto her desk. "Thank you." She handed it to a man behind her. "You may take a seat. She motioned at the chairs that sat on a blue rug with gold swirls covering it. At least they tried to make this place comforting.

Lucas and I sat down at the two chairs side by side. Lucas had made sure to grab a pen from the front desk. He surveyed the sheet. It had questions about who we are, how to contact us, and how we know the patient. Lucas began filling the sheet out. It was weird watching him do work for once. It made him seem almost mature. I didn't like it actually. I liked the silly Lucas.

I snapped out of the irrelevant thought. I let my mind wonder to Brooklyn. When would they let her out of the facility. Would they?

I talked to the teacher and they said if she did this extra home work she would make it to high school. I was glad but worried. I was worried about her grades, her family, but most importantly her health. I heard she got worse since the last time I saw her. I should have never left.

I glanced up to see Lucas putting a signature. He didn't write much about me except for my email and name. He passed it over. "Can you sign here?"

I took the sheet and the pen, then writing my signature. I sighed in relief when I saw that Lucas had written neatly. If the lady at the front desk knew him, she would too.

Lucas wrote a few more things and then stood up. He handed the sheet to the lady at the front desk. She smiled and a man stepped out. He motioned for us to follow so we did. He led us down the hallway.

"I heard that Brooklyn is only floor A." Lucas said matter of factly.

"I heard that Peter is C." I said not knowing what even my own words meant. Lucas stumbled but managed to keep balance. As we walked behind the man he stared at me.

"A is for minor, B is for severe cases, and C is for.." The man glanced at us. Lucas leaned closer. "C is where the crazy people go," he whispered it so the man didn't hear.

The man stopped at a door and pulled out a key. He unlocked the door sliding it open. Stepping out of the way, he let us through. I walked in hoping it wasn't another waiting room. I saw a girl sitting on the bed with matted wavy brown hair, pale skin, and dark circles under her eyes. She looked at me in disbelief. I wonder if this was really Brooklyn. If it was she looked so different.

"Jack?" She spoke the words in a soft voice. Not as raspy as the last time I saw her. This means she must have been talking lately. I rushed up to her and rapped my arms around her. She rapped her arms around me and rested her head in the crook of my neck. She didn't seem to make a sound.

"Brooklyn it's going to be ok." I assured her. She didn't respond. Lucas stepped forward and rested a hand on her shoulder. I loosened my grip but kept my arm around her.

"We can't get you out. At least not this early." Lucas told her sympathetically. She choked back a sob.

A lady walked in setting down the bag that held the homework then stepped back out. I looked at Brooklyn then hesitated. "We brought you homework. I know you probably don't want to do it but the teachers said it will help you get into high school." I said it in a pleading voice.

"It's fine." She looked down at the floor with my arm still wrapped around her. She looked at me then pulled away uncomfortably. I frowned. Lucas grabbed the bag and handed it to her.

She glanced inside the bag, her eyes lighting up as soon as she saw the snacks. She pulled them out and looked at me. "You can have them." I promised her. She opened one of them and ate it as though she hadn't seen food in months.

I pulled out the homework and sat it in front of her. It seemed like an hour's worth of work. I knew she would be able to get it done once she started eating.

"We will be bringing you homework at least every other day." Lucas told her.

She sighed as though she were relieved. "As long as you guys come back." She looked at Lucas and I with pleading eyes. "Promise me one thing?"

"What is it?" Lucas asked.

"Please do the same thing for Peter. I can't just have him fail his grades. I can't just have him be alone!" Tears started to come to Brooklyn's eyes that seemed to make my stomach churn. She really cared about him. She was depending on us to give him this company.

"But-" Lucas interrupted me.

"Yes. We'll do it." Lucas promised. At that Brooklyn sat back in exhaustion. She picked up part of the stack of homework and started to get her brain busy.