Page 23 of Heal
Parson wasn't sure he'd ever be able to deal with cases like this with the attitude Beau seemed to have. He was able to see the good in the midst of all the bad. Parson only saw the pain and the impossibility of ever stopping it all from happening. As this case showed, one child led to others, in an endless line of abuse and pain.
"Don't let this get to you," Beau told him. "It will eat you up inside. It's impossible to not feel, but you have to shut it off when it gets to be too much. You have to know when to step back and let others take over." Beau pulled his wallet out and slid a card out of it. "This is where I go when it gets too much. I have to have someone to talk to. She helps me sort through things. Give her a call. It's too much for one person to handle alone. You need a support team."
Parson looked down at the card, seeing the name of a psychologist. He bit his lower lip, uncomfortable at the thought of seeking counseling for something. He could handle this. He didn't need to share it with anyone. The last thing he wanted to do was put the images of the abuse into someone else's mind. "Thanks." He tucked the card in his pocket with no intention of using it.
"Seriously, call her. I know what you're thinking. I was the same way, but I promise Katie is good at this. Nothing you can say will shock her. She's heard the worst of it. She's helped me and many others deal with things, not to mention many of the kids go to her and she helps pull them through the personal hell they are facing." Beau stared across the table, his eyes pinned on Parson. "Don't be ashamed for needing to talk. If you won't go see her, then call me when it gets to be too much. I'll listen. I just can't promise I'll be able to help you through it the way she can."
"If I need to talk, I will." He needed to change the subject. "Anyway, here are the first batch of photographs I have been able to print. I'll do more when I can, but I have to be careful at work. If I get caught, I'll lose my job. Hopefully, Lisa will be willing to help. If not, I'm not sure where we go from here."
"Sometimes there isn't anywhere to go and we just have to wait. It's not easy, but I believe in time, we'll get hold of all these monsters and lock them up." Beau thumbed through the file for a moment before setting it aside. "Hopefully, I'll be releasing two of the kids tomorrow. You're welcome to come to the hospital early if you like and talk to them, or wait until I release them and talk to them once you get them back to the Center. I assume you won't throw them right back into a home."
Parson shook his head. "They have to go through our counseling program first. It could be a week or two before I even have to worry about placing them, but sadly, sometimes the Center is worse than a new home. I'll do what I can to protect them and find a place where they will be safe and hopefully able to heal." He wasn't too hopeful, honestly. He'd looked at the available foster homes and there wasn't a single one he was comfortable putting these kids into. "Do you think I'll be able to talk to Jeff or Lisa in the morning?"
"Let me see how they're doing. If I think it's not going to cause them too much emotional trauma, I'll let you talk to them, but keep it basic. Don't rush them to talk about things or figure out what the future holds. Right now, Lisa is worried about being pregnant. I left her with a bunch of information to read over and told her we'd talk more in the morning. It's not going to be easy for her."
"I will dig a little tomorrow before I come in and see what the regulations are on pregnancy. If I recall, unless a foster home agrees to raise the baby also, Lisa will be left at the Center, and that means her brother will be placed in a home without her." Parson couldn't recall ever dealing with a pregnancy case before, but he knew they'd happened in the past. He remembered other caseworkers dealing with them.
"That will destroy the two of them." Beau sighed. "I know there is nothing we can do, but I hate seeing them torn apart while recovering from this."
"So do I," Parson said. "I'll do everything in my power to keep them together, but I can only do so much."
"And once I release them, I can't do anything more either." Beau reached for the check. "We can talk more tomorrow and see where we stand. I'm at the hospital at seven, but it will be noon or so before I'm ready to release Krista or Chad, so there is no rush coming in. I'll also talk to Lisa in the morning about these." He patted the file of pictures. "I'll leave it up to her. If she refuses, I won't push."
"I wouldn't want you to." Parson nodded to the check. "Can I offer to pay?"
Beau waved him off as he stood. "Don't worry about it. I invited you."
It made it seem like a date more than a business meeting, but Parson bit back his argument. It was just a dinner, one they both could afford. "Thanks." Parson followed Beau out, waiting as he paid. As they stepped outside, Parson glanced over at Beau. "Do the kids need anything? Can I bring something for them?"
Beau smiled. "Food is always good. Burgers or pizza is a hit. The hospital food isn't cutting it for them, and honestly, they are so thin right now that I'm happy to fill them up with anything I can."
"I can do that. I'll stop for something on the way in. Anything else?"
"Not that I can think of. Just be patient with them. They're going through a lot. None of them are very talkative or open about anything right now. Give them time. The best thing you can do is be honest with them. Work as a team and let them learn to trust you." Beau offered his hand. "I'll see you in the morning."
Parson shook it. "Thanks for dinner. I'll see you then."
As he walked to his car, he prayed he could find a good home for the kids. With the options he had right now, it was a good thing that they were going to be staying at the Center for a while. The last thing they needed was another bad home.
No matter how bad he thought his childhood was, these kids had it worse. Somehow, he'd make it right. He might not be able to make things perfect, but he could at least make them better than what they had before.
CHAPTER NINE
Beau smiled at his phone as he made his way down the hallway of the hospital. Faith was texting, trying to talk him into coming to get her so she didn't have to go to school. She knew better, he was more serious about her schooling than even her fathers were. He quickly messaged her back using a brain emoji and a stack of school books.
He laughed when she sent back a sleep emoji.
After messaging her to call him when she got home from school, he shoved his phone in his pocket and headed toward Lisa and Jeff's room. He would have loved to have Faith with him again today, but she had school, and he wouldn't ever let her miss school to hang out with him. She'd spent nearly all-day Sunday with the four kids. They'd all crowded into Lisa's room, talking, watching movies, and acting like kids for a change. It was exactly what they'd needed. He noticed Faith and Lisa talking a lot away from the others, but neither had offered any clue to what they'd discussed, and he wasn't going to ask. Faith would come to him if there was a problem. It was more important for Lisa to have someone to trust and communicate with. He'd bring Faith back later in the week if Lisa was still there, but school had to come first.
Beau knocked on the door and opened it a few inches. "Can I come in?"
Both kids looked up and smiled.
"Morning." He made sure the door was shut before coming to stand between the beds. "Sleep well?"
"Nightmares." Jeff frowned.
"I wish I had a cure for those." Beau touched the young boy's head. "The sleeping pills didn't help?"
