The Silence She Speaks✔

Twenty six-Camryn

When I woke up Chance was lifting Quinn up into his arms. She was still fast asleep, Sam hugged tightly to her chest. The sun was shining bright, so I could tell it was already well into the day.

"Good afternoon, sleeping beauty," he joked.

"What time is it?" I mumbled. "Oh, and, welcome home."

"Thanks. It's one, by the way," he chuckled. "How late were you guys up?"

"Three maybe? But Quinn woke us up a couple of times," I explained.

"Poor thing still looks so sick," Chance pitied.

"Her fever spiked last night," I sighed. "Went from one-oh-two to one-oh-six. Devin, Mason, and Alex took turns carrying her to the bathroom so she could puke. Nora was constantly doing doctor stuff. And then Quinn got really clingy. She had to hold onto one of us at all times."

Quinn started stirring in Chance's arms. She looked up at him with her innocent blue eyes and right away her arms wrapped around his neck. She snuggled into his chest and coughed. Chance rocked her back to sleep, the turned back to me. "You're right about being clingy. I don't know if she's going to let me lay her down."

"She didn't let Nora. She had to lay with her while she napped yesterday," I laughed. "Good luck."

Twenty minutes later. Chance came down. He threw himself down on the couch and sighed. "Poor little Quinn, cried herself to sleep."

"She cried?" I asked nervously. He wrapped his arm around me in a comforting manner, leaning down so he could kiss my temple.

"Said she wasn't feeling good. Feeling achy all over and just plain out miserable." Chance sighed and leaned back. "She cried about me leaving, too, but I have something I need to talk to Mom about."

"Talk to me about what?" Mom asked from behind us.

"What is this?" He asked as he held out a book to her.

Nora looked up from her phone as she sat in the recliner and stared at the book. "I want to know as well. Why are you having Quinn draw those pictures? And those stories are just as awful."

"Because Quinn's mute, her social worker decided this would be a good way to know everything that was done to her," Mom sighed.

"There is a story of her getting—I can't even say it, Mom! Do you really think that's okay? To let her write and draw that?" Chance asked angrily. I teased up and grabbed his hand around my shoulder. He held me tighter to his side.

"No, but if we don't have her do this, they'll make her go to court in front of maybe a hundred or more people and tell her story," Mom argued. "They've been holding her mother and grandfather in custody for months, just waiting for the only survivor to speak. Quite honestly, her mother could be killed for her crimes, what Quinn writes will be the deciding factor. For now, we just need to encourage Quinn, and assure her that she's doing the right thing."

"That's still so sick. Making her do all this. Don't you think she's had enough? Seriously, making her re-live everything she had to go through, do you really think it's okay?" Nora asked, just as angry as Chance.

"I can't handle this," I grumbled as I stood up. "You guys have your fight, I'm staying with Quinn in her room. Have fun."

I stormed up the stairs, but stopped halfway when I saw Quinn sitting there crying. Mason was hugging her tightly and glaring angrily at me. I walked downstairs and ordered, "All of you had better apologize to her. She is sitting up there crying thanks to you."

"Quinn's awake?" Nora asked.

"From the looks of it, she's been awake the whole time! Thanks a lot, now I have to go and try to calm her down!" I snapped.