97 The truth will out
Word Soap: As The World Keeps Turning
Author: SYLnl
Title: #97 The truth will out
Rating: PG
Summary: “What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.” - Confucius
Big Thanks To: ltklo, for brushing up my grammar
Previously on As The World Keeps Turning:
#1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 #9 #10 #11 #12 #13 #14 #15 #16 #17 #18 #19 #20
#21 #22 #23 #24 #25 #26 #27 #28 #29 #30 #31 #32 #33 #34 #35 #36 #37 #38 #39 #40 #41 #42 #43 #44 #45 #46 #47 #48 #49 #50 #51 #52 #53 #54 #55 #56 #57 #58 #59 #60 #61 #62 #63 #64 #65 #66 #67 #68 #69 #70 #71 #72 #73 #74 #75 #76 #77 #78 #79 #80 #81 #82 #83 #84 #85 #86 #87 #88 #89 #90 #91 #92 #93 #94 #95 #96
“Bye daddy!”
The young, cheerful voice filled Memorial’s corridor and the hearts of everybody present. Danny waved, while leaving Reid’s office with his hand in Luke’s, and glowed when Reid blew him a kiss and waved too.
The doctor frowned when he saw a few nurses looking at him all gushy and sloppy and he felt like growling and showing his teeth. He didn’t. He just verbally took a bite.
“Show is over, ladies. I’ll revoke all Christmas bonuses if you keep looking at me like that.”
Nobody looked scared though and he shook his head, remembering the good old days when nurses leaked and doctors cringed before he could open his mouth. Reid smiled. Yeah, it had its charms. Maybe he needed to bring in some fresh nurses. Just for the fun of it.
“That’s an evil grin, even for you,” Alison plunged herself in a chair and grinned when Reid glanced at her and kept writing.
“Please take a seat, Nurse Stewart.”
“Pffffjjj…” Ali made some indefinable sound. “Desperately clinging to the Dr. Nasty image, are we?”
Reid couldn’t help himself. He had to chuckle.
“Not working?” he asked and Ali rolled her eyes.
“Lost cause, Doc. Luke already cracked that image wide open and little Danny is the finishing touch…”
Reid shook his head. “I’m beyond redemption.”
“That you are,” Ali agreed calmly. “And we all know it.”
“Yeah…I was just thinking about that when you walked in… well… dropped in, actually. Maybe I should replace the whole lot of you. Hire new nurses who still know how to leak and look scared when I talk to them.”
“Ah, so that was the evil grin. Yeah, it is an idea. Not a very brilliant one, but it is an idea. I know one nurse you could start with. Comes with leaking guarantee and everything.”
Reid looked up, saw Ali’s facial expression and connected the dots. He shook his head.
“Not an option, Ali. I haven’t missed her nor the annoyance she triggered.”
“But Gretchen…”
“No Ali,” Reid meant business and it showed. “Not negotiable.”
Alison sighed. She knew when to stop and moved on.
“Everything set for the reception, tomorrow?”
“Yep, all under control.”
“It’s so cool that we continue the party at your place. Casey and I are looking forward to it, especially to your tree. According to Luke it’s surprising.”
Reid laughed. “That’s a good word for it. Yeah, it’s special. A little bit of everything.”
“And after tomorrow night it will have even more bits of everything…”
Ali smiled. She loved how Luke and Reid managed to create their own traditions and on their invitation to a private Xmas Eve Party they asked everybody to bring an ornament that resembled Luke, Reid and/or Danny. Together with Casey she had put a lot of thought and effort in the assignment and they were looking forward to their reactions.
“Yeah… I like those personal touches.”
“Me too.” Ali nodded. “And Christmas on the farm?”
“For a few hours. Not the whole day. We’ll eat at home when I’m not called in. When there’s an emergency, Luke and Danny will stay on the farm.”
“Sounds well planned.”
“It is,” Reid agreed, opened a file and pulled his Chief of Staff face. “Okay, let’s get to work. The schedules for next week…”
Old Town was in the mood and Danny feasted his eyes and ears on the decorations and Christmas Carols.
“Great, huh?” Luke softly squeezed the little hand and Danny gave him a big smile.
“It’s beautiful…” he whispered. The next minute he froze and when Luke stopped to see what was going on, Danny went into hiding behind Luke’s legs.
Before he could ask what was wrong, a male voice explained it all.
“Come come, Danny. Don’t be such a wuss…”
Luke straightened his back and looked the stranger in the eyes. He didn’t need any introduction. Somehow he knew immediately. He also knew back-up was right behind him. Somewhere. He needed to buy some time.
“You have a lot of nerve, showing up in town.” Luke started and for a moment the man looked startled and narrowed his eyes.
“I’ve come to collect what’s mine,” the man’s eyes went to Danny and Luke took a deep breath. His first priority was to protect his son. He could kill this guy, but he forced himself to stay calm.
“Excuse me?” Luke sneered. “He’s not yours.”
“I didn’t mean him,” the man’s face was all disgust, “I want money. For the right amount I will disappear forever.”
Luke couldn’t believe what he was hearing. This lowlife was actually blackmailing him?
“There are other ways to make you disappear forever,” Luke suggested as calm as possible, but the man wasn’t impressed.
“The police will not find us. I assure you. They never have and they never will.”
“I wasn’t talking about the police…” Luke gave the guy a Grimaldi look and it worked. The man started to look uncomfortable.
Luke could feel Danny move a little and again he knew. His support was here. He almost smiled when he felt the slap on his shoulder.
“So who do we have here?” Casey sounded playful, but Luke knew his friend. Casey had assessed the situation and had come to the right conclusion. Luke could see his friend’s jaw tense up and he could feel the anger building. All he needed to say was two words. And he said them.
“It’s him.”
Before the man - literally - knew what hit him, Casey had him in a hold, pressed against the wall.
“Call my mom, Luke.”
The request made the man laugh out loud. “Aren’t you a little too old to call your mommy for help?”
He tried to worm his way out of Casey’s grip, but discovered this young guy had a lot more strength than he had imaged.
“Not if your mother is the Chief of Police,” Casey hissed and the man paled.
“Hey guys, what’s…”
With his phone to his ear, Luke motioned at Casey.
“Please help Casey to hold that guy. It’s him.”
Paul’s face hardened and he grabbed the guy by his throat.
“What’s that I hear? You’re the pervert that abused Danny, are you?”
The guy turned red now. Looking really scared. He recognized the ability to kill when he saw it and he could see it in this stranger’s face.
“Keep your cool, Paul,” Casey sounded remarkably calm. “Police will be here any minute. Think of Eliza. She wants her daddy home for dinner.”
Paul nodded. “All I’m doing is thinking of Eliza. And the thought of someone starving her. Hitting her. Raping her.”
He forced his knee into the guy’s crotch and smirked when the man moaned.
“I wish I could give you a John Wayne Bobbit makeover, but I guess this will have to do…”
“I never touched the boy in that way!” the guy screamed, feeling the danger he was in.
“Of course you didn’t…” Paul growled.
Luke looked down at Danny, when he felt the boy tugging his trousers, and he lifted him up. Before Luke could say anything, the boy started whispering in his ear and Luke felt the blood in his face boil.
“Paul….” Luke’s voice trembled and it made Paul look up at him.
“He’s telling the truth. He didn’t do the sexual abuse himself…” Luke’s eyes were filled with hatred when he turned to the man. “He let other men have their way with him…”
Paul could feel the guy tremble. His grip around his throat tightened. “You pimped him out? A six year old boy?”
“It was the only way we could keep a roof over our heads,” the man yelled. “We had no choice.”
“Bullshit!” Casey was yelling too, now. Before he could say more, he felt a hand on his shoulder.
“Casey, step back. We’ll take over.”
He had to take a deep breath to make his fingers loosen their grip and he was shaking when he stepped back.
He grabbed Paul’s sleeve and they just nodded at each other, simultaneously turning to Luke and Danny. Both looking very upset.
“We’re at Java,” Casey told his mother and didn’t wait for her response. He supported Luke to a table.
“Where’s your phone,” he asked Luke and without a word Luke handed it over. Casey found what he was looking for and made the connection.
“Hello, my…”
“No Reid, it’s Casey. They’re both alright, but you need to come to Java. Now.”