Boy Wonder (Phan)

Seven.

Feeling tiny hands tugging on my jammies I struggled to open my eyes and focus on the tiny form that was standing next to my bed. "Christopher?" Yawning I turned around and sat up, I began to see the tears in his eyes and even though he hadn't had a nightmare in months I knew the drill. Picking him up from the floor I whispered in his ear that everything was gonna be okay and nothing was here to hurt him, "It's just a nightmare. Do you want to talk about it?" That's what Daddy and Papa had always said to me whenever I had nightmares. My nightmares had been about how I'd found Mummy and Daddy the day I'd lost them, and something tells me that Christopher is going through the exact same thing. He nodded, something he didn't usually do when I asked that question, and began to settle in my lap. He still had his thumb in his mouth.

"I-It was about my other Daddy. He was always shouting and kicking things." There was a small whimper that made it past those words and I suddenly realised that he was ready to tell me what had happened to him before he went to the orphanage, and then I realised I shouldn't be the only one to hear this. Telling me that we had to tell Daddy and Papa as well he seemed a bit hesitant but after reassuring him that they wouldn't get mad this early in the morning he let me lead him into their room. Papa was sprawled across the bed but pretty much snuggled up against Daddy while Daddy's arm was holding him in a secure position. Shaking them both I helped my brother onto the bed and nodded for him to continue, but he seemed scared. He hadn't spoken in front of them yet and for this to be the first thing to say, well it was gonna be a bit much to handle. Kissing the side of his head I held his hand until he took a deep breath and looked at the both of them, "I'm sorry to have to wake you both up but Winnie thought it would be a good idea for you guys to hear it as well." Both of them lost that sleepy-eyed look at gave me a look that was of pure surprise, they had probably been expecting him to say a first word or something. Not a first sentence. "I've been having nightmares and Winnie helps me through them, she lets me sleep in her bed and comforts me but that still doesn't make them go away." Rubbing at his eyes I rubbed his back soothingly and kept him close, "They are all about my other Daddy." They looked at each other and realised that this was serious topic, maybe the way to figure out why he was so scared of them. "He was so loud and always kicked things, he was always making Mummy cry and she always had to tell him to be careful. She had a baby in her tummy. But that never stopped Daddy from making her cry." The truth was hitting me ice cold and I didn't know how he'd been able to stomach it this long. But I had my own tragic backstory that I hadn't told, so I couldn't really blame him. "He was always hitting her and kicking her and I tried to help. But I was only 3, what was I supposed to against such a big man?" I'd seen the marks and scars he had on his tiny body, the bruises that were still seeable whenever I dressed him for the day.

"One day," He rubbed his tiny hands together, almost like he was cold. It was chilling me to the bone so I couldn't imagine how he felt. "One day he looked at me with such anger in his eyes and then he kicked me. He kicked me and hit me and threw me against the wall. Mummy was crying, saying that she'd already lost a son, she didn't want to lose another one." He was rubbing at his tummy to tell us what he'd meant, "He kicked her in the tummy a lot." Covering my mouth I looked at Daddy and Papa who had tears in their own eyes. They must feel terrible being parents themselves and I didn't want to say it just because I was a girl, but I was horrified. If I was a mummy expecting a baby and I had a horrible husband I would get out of there quickly. "He always called her yucky names and then one day a lady came, with two men behind her. They dragged Daddy off and told me that we were going to get ice cream! Mummy was screaming at them to stop and leave me alone. But she took me into her car, got me ice cream, and then I've been at the orphanage for a couple of months." Looking up at them he gave them the calmest look I had even seen him give them. "You aren't like my Daddy, but your big just like him so it scares me because you can probably do the same thing like him, if not more." He huddled closer to me and took a deep breath, "It's not that I don't like you. It's that I don't trust you." This was a lot coming from a 4 year old and both of their jaws dropped open as they looked at each other.