Page 24 of Heal
Jeff shook his head.
"It didn't happen this time until almost morning. He slept most of the night." Lisa slipped out of bed and came to stand beside Beau. "I think they helped."
"We'll keep trying. Have you talked to Jenny about things?" He'd been happy to hear that Jeff was having sessions with Jenny, the counselor he'd brought in, but Lisa still wouldn't talk to anyone but him.
"Yeah, she says it's going to take time." Jeff bit his lip.
"It will. I promise it will get easier."
"Faith said she still has them and it's been years." Lisa glanced up at Beau.
He wasn't shocked that Faith had told Lisa about her own abuse, but it was good to have confirmation that she had. "I know, and she talks about them to her counselor when she goes in once a week. That helps her. Everyone is different. There is no saying how long they will last, but, like Faith, you will find ways to get through them."
"I liked Faith. Can she come back today?" Lisa asked.
Beau laughed. "She just sent me a text asking the same thing. The answer is no. She's got school. If you are still in the hospital later this week, I'll go get her after school one day and bring her by."
"I needed to talk to you guys about something." Beau motioned Lisa to take a seat in the chair beside her brother's bed. He sat down on the edge of Lisa's bed, facing them. "I'm releasing Krista and Chad today."
Lisa frowned and Jeff reached for his sister's hand.
"You two are staying at least a few more days. I promise I'll give you a warning before you're being discharged. You both know that when you leave, you'll go back to the youth center for a few weeks while they try and find you a new home." Beau's chest tightened at the thought of the kids being placed somewhere new.
"I don't want to go." Tears filled Jeff's eyes.
"I know you don't, but I don't have a choice. I can't keep you here." He already was pushing things keeping Lisa here with her brother. "But, I have met your new caseworker and he's promised me to do everything he can to make sure that you are placed in a good home. He won't forget about you like your last caseworker did. He's going to visit often and make sure no one is hurting either one of you."
"Can't we stay with you?" Jeff blinked, tears streaming down his cheeks.
"I'm not approved. Besides, I live alone and spend all my time at the hospital. They'd never allow it." He hated the pain in both kids' eyes. If there was some way he could promise them happiness, he would do it.
This was the part of the job he hated. Letting the kids go after he'd gotten so close to them was hard. His training taught him not to get personally involved with his patients, but in cases like this, it was impossible, especially when Lisa was leaning on him so heavily for support.
"They're going to split us up, aren't they?" Lisa was clearly trying to hold her emotions and fears back, but he could see the worry and doubt in her eyes.
"I've talked to Parson and he's promised to do everything he can to keep you together. We know how important it is that you two stay together. Parson would like to come in and talk to you both later today, if that is okay with you? He'd like to get to know you a bit so he can make sure he finds you the right home."
Lisa rolled her eyes. "There isn't a right home. They're all the same."
Beau fought back his anger at the system. He knew there were good homes out there, but they were few and far between. "We'll find you a good one," he promised, even though he wasn't sure it was a promise he could keep. "Will you talk to Parson?"
Lisa glanced at her brother. Some kind of silent communication went on between them before she looked back at Beau. "We'll talk to him, but I'm telling you, it's going to be the same thing."
Beau sighed, wishing he could say more, but the truth was, he couldn't promise her that no one would ever hurt her again. No matter how close an eye Parson kept on them once they'd been placed, anything could happen. "I have another favor to ask. Feel free to say no if you don't want to. I don't want to bring back memories of things."
"What?" Lisa's voice was guarded.
"You told me about others being abused, about parties?" He glanced at Jeff, unsure if he should have pulled Lisa aside to talk about this stuff.
"Yeah." She also glanced at her brother. "We were both taken to them. Jeff more often than I was."
Jeff pulled the blankets tighter around his thin body.
"I'm worried about the other kids who were there with you. Do you think you'd remember them if you saw them?" Beau tightened his grip on the folder he held.
"Maybe. It was dark in the room they kept us, but it wasn't like they hid us from each other when we were out in the main area of the home," Lisa said. "Do you think you can find them?"
"I hope so. I have to try." Beau tapped the folder. "I have pictures of a lot of the kids in the foster system. I know it's a lot, but do you think if you looked through the pictures you might remember some of them that were there?"
