The System

Chapter 31

Jason's pov

It was really late in the middle of the night when I got a call from Kenny, one of the social workers I was talking to about fostering Charles. It really breaks my heart to think about that poor boy. And the fact my poor daughter is still having trouble mentally. I don't know how to help her. I reluctantly answer the phone. "Hey Kenny what's up?" I ask, looking down at my sleeping wife. "I know this is last minute but I've got two terrified kids who need a place to stay for the week. A really bad domestic abuse case. They don't know if the mother will live." Oh man. "Bring 'em on by, man." I get off and get dressed. "Hey Britt wake up, Kenny's dropping a couple of kids off with us. She mutters something about Elvis Presley and I try not to laugh and shake her awake. After, I tell her about Kenny and the kids. I walk downstairs to wait. Brittany makes a cup of coffee. "Where are they gonna sleep, Jase? We don't have anything set up." "We can use the blow up mattresses til we get to the store. "I'll go turn on the air pumps." She says. I hug her as she walks by then sit on the arm of the couch, waiting. Ten minutes later, headlights shine through the windows. I open the door as Kenny lets out a thirteen year old little girl, holding a blanket and an eight year old girl with a stuffed dinosaur. "Hey kids, welcome." I say. Kenny hand me some paperwork. "We've been investigating the household but it never as gotten this bad. I'll keep ya updated." I nod. "Thanks." "No problem." He leaves and I bring the kids inside looking over the names. Jessie and Talia. "Well it's late so we'll go to bed and talk in the morning about everything, alright?" The poor kids are so scared. "I want mommy!!" Talia cried dropping her doll and hugging her sister. Brittany walked back downstairs. "Beds are ready." They went to bed. I sighed and leaned against our bedroom door. "I just can't stop thinkin' of Charles." "I know, Jase. Me either." My wonderful girl says. "But I'm really worried about Miranda. She hasn't been the same since her panic attack." "Yeah. I've been pretty worried about that. I'm not sure what to do about it." I mean the poor girl stays in her room just about all day, she doesn't talk much, I haven't seen her eat anything since. It's really worrying. "We're going to have to get to the bottom of this." Britt says. I nod. "For sure." I wonder what she's gonna think when she finds out we've got Talia and Jessie now. "I'm sorry. I didn't know I was such a burden." I freeze up in surprise and turn around. Miranda was standing in her doorway, looking ticked. "You're not a burden. Why would you think that?" "I tried to stay out of the way so I wouldn't bother anyone." "Honey, what are you talking about?" I gasp, walking down the hall to her room. She slams the door before I get there though. I hear her crying. "Open the door." I say, knocking softly on it, worried. "Sweetie you're not a burden, you never have been!" "Did you adopt us out of pity!!?" Huh? What the heck is going on?! "No of course not!" "Then why?!" What?! "Miranda open the door, I'm not talking through the door!" Brittany was standing beside me now worried out of her mind. She still hadn't opened the door. I reluctantly get the key from the top of the doorway. "What has gotten into her?" Brittany whispers worried. When I got the door open, she was on her knees, crying in the middle of the room. "Darlin', I love you. Your my daughter. That's why I adopted you." I say, walking over and confusedly stepping in something wet. It's too dark to see what. "Britt turn the light on." The overhead light flashes on and to my horror, I stepped in a puddle of blood. I quickly run over. See had long cuts on her wrists! "What?? Why?! Why did you do that?!" I cry shocked, my hands shaking as I have my knees in front of her and grab her hands. "Oh God." I hear Britt whisper. "Y-You s-said it yourself... S-Some people just can't survive the horrors they face." "Baby girl, look at me!" I gasp, completely terrified. "You are such an amazing girl. You are so brave! You've done so much for Chris. You said that little boy, Miranda. He still needs you." "Why? He's got you and her. I'm just a bomb waiting to explode. I can't take it!" "I will get you the help you need." I say hugging her. "I don't need any help!" She yells, pulling free and standing up. "I've never needed help!" She was ranting and pacing and I didn't know what to do. I heard crying from Talia and Jessie's room. Brittany lingered in the doorway before reluctantly walking down there. "I want to die. I miss mama so much." "You can't die!" I shakily say, standing up. "Why the hell not?! My life is in shambles! I'm failing at school. I've got no idea what I'm doing with my life! I have no reason or will to live!!" "What about Chris?! And Garret! You love Garret!!" "He doesn't need me! He's got a way better pick in all those richer schools!!" "He doesn't want some rich prissy kid. He wants you. He wants to be with you. That should be enough-" "My life is my own." She says, looking out the open door. "Why are you so upset, just talk to me." "I c-can't." "Of course you-" Suddenly she starts running. I'm too slow to stop her as she jumps through the window, shattering the glass and falling two stories down!!! I scream bloody murder and run to the window. She wasn't moving. "BRITTANY!!!!" I yell running out of her bedroom and barreling downstairs. "No! This can't be happening!!!!" I fling the door open and run over as fast as I can. She wasn't moving. My hands were shaking as I dialed 9-1-1. I held her hand, a small thin line of blood running down her mouth. I hear Brittany scream behind me. "What happened??" "She.... She j-jumped out the window." I whisper, my chest hurting from fear as I tell the operator what happened and that I need an ambulance. I break down crying with Brittany while we wait for the ambulance. "Please be okay." I beg in tears.