Predator

24.

"As you can see, there was nothing in her room," Carmine was showing Damien footage from Neela's room the night Austin came to her. Damien thought that humans talked to themselves, but they don't pick up the air they speak to. Damien placed a hand on Carmine's shoulder and gently squeezed, "I'll go talk to her about that right away." He began to walk away before Carmine stopped him.

"Good luck, she hasn't really talked to anyone recently."

Damien carefully walked into the cafeteria where Neela sat with a plate of pancakes and grey scrambled eggs in front of her, it looked like she didn't touch a single piece of food on that plate, just drank the carton of apple juice.

Neela looked up when Damien sat in front of her, her eyes definitely lit up in joy of seeing him, but she only offered him a closed-mouth smile. "Neela, you're sick," Damien could feel Neela's body heat and her bare arms were glistening with sweat. "I-I don't know what's wrong with me," Neela shook in her chair, it was evident she was yearning for help for her condition.

"Have they given you medicine?" Neela's bottom lip puffed out when she shook her head, "I don't like it here anymore. R-Ryan said he misses me." It was clear to Damien that Neela was "crazy" and none of the staff had been helping her because of that fact. Doctors in the demon realm would've helped her better.

~~

Ryan was beginning to show a lot more symptoms like Neela. He wasn't responding to anyone and he kept his room freezing cold. His family was becoming more worried as he would have to present himself in front of Egin the next day.

~~

"His name is Austin," Neela spoke truthfully, "he's been coming since I was in the bus accident."

"Is Austin nice to you, Neela?" Damien was writing down case notes as they talked about the boy called Austin. "He comes to me when I'm hurt or upset, I think he's nice. He calls Ryan the bad man but the last time he was here, he said that Ryan actually loved me." Neela's voice was dead while she spoke, no emphasis on words, no hope, no happiness. It's almost like her heart was ripped from her chest so she couldn't feel nothing. She couldn't even look Damien in the eyes, which pained him the most.

"Do you not trust me anymore?" Damien forgot about his notes for a moment and leaned closer on the table so only Neela would be able to hear him, "what about my sons? What about Ryan? Do you not trust them?" Neela said nothing as she kept her glare on the metal table in front of her, "Neela," Damien called out to gain his daughters attention, which worked, "answer my questions now damnit."

"I don't know," Neela simply spoke with a shrug, "you guys abandoned me in an insane asylum for my own protection? Leaving me with your family would have been a lot better option."

"You think I didn't want to do that?" Damien eyes widened, "we can't trust anyone right now because someone turned us in."

~~

"You can't even drink blood?" Ryan shook his head weakly, his russet skin was beginning to turn pale. "I've tried all morning but I would just throw it up," his voice had also been very hoarse no matter how much he tried to clear his throat.

~~

"Does Ryan know about Austin?" Neela shook her head, "the only person who knows about him is you, really. My old therapist did but she gave me medicine for schizophrenia."

"What was her name? I, honestly, don't want Carmine to work with you anymore. You trust your old therapist, I'll get you her," Damien looked deep into Neela's eyes and promised her. With much hesitation, she decided to trust Damien, trust that he would not let her down that time. "Her name is Thalia Valentine."

Damien genuinely smiled that day, he thought he was finally getting somewhere with Neela. He knew that after this was all over, it would be a challenge to gain Neela's trust back, but not impossible. Ryan would be able to get through to her quickly, that was a fact. The other boys would have to work harder with her and that was okay, she would be able to build stronger bonds with her brothers.

Damien cleated his throat and readjusted his position on the small, rounded stool, "before I find her and bring her to you," he curled all of his fingers, except his pinky, into his palm and held it out to Neela. "You have to promise me that you'll tell her the truth and start eating again. I know she'll take care of you now."

Neela heaved a big sigh and attached her sweating, shaking pinky to her fathers own. "I'll work on finding her now. Please rest a lot because I just know you'll be coming home soon." Damien kept his eyes on Neela because she was so precious to him, how her curious eyes would wonder about amazed him more than anything else about her. "I love you, Neela," he spoke with a bright smile before opening the door and making his face solemn once again.

As Damien was signing out and returning his visitors pass, Carmine approached him. "Well? Is she speaking?"

Damien nodded while signing his own discharge papers, "yup." Once he put the pen down and silently thanked the receptionist, he turned to look at Carmine, "she spoke, yes she did. We talked about a lot of thing which you are now not allowed to know about because you're out." Damien shoved his hands in his pockets, he missed laying down the law to humans who were so easy to control. "If I find out you're talking to her as your personal patient, I'll have you arrested for tampering with a witness. Send all of your documents to my station in the next three business days or that's tampering with evidence."