Page 33 of Heal
Going back inside, he locked the door, wondering just what the hell he was getting himself into, and for the first time in his life, not caring about the consequences.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Beau walked into the STK house, exhausted, and he still had a graveyard shift at the hospital in a few hours. He'd spent the day with Lisa and Jeff when he should have been sleeping instead, but ever since he'd told Lisa that there was a chance they would have to split her and her brother up, he'd been unable to leave them alone for long.
To say she was upset was an understatement.
Beau didn't blame her for being worried. After what the kids had gone through at the last foster home, she had every right to be scared and worried about her brother. Beau couldn't imagine what he would do if he'd ever had to watch his sister being abused the way that Lisa had to watch Jeff being hurt.
He tried to reassure her that they'd make sure Jeff was safe, but no matter what he said, she wouldn't relax. It was so bad that he worried she might hurt herself or the baby trying to end the pregnancy just so she could stay with her brother.
In his heart, he didn't think she could really do anything, but he had the nurses checking on them more often to be sure everything was okay.
"What brings you by?" Bryon glanced up from the stack of paperwork in front of him.
"I need to talk to Carter." Beau pulled a bottle of water out of the fridge and leaned against the counter.
"Everything okay?" Bryon asked.
"It will be if Carter can work some magic." Beau was sure that what he was about to do wasn't going to go over well with his friends, but it didn't matter. This was his choice, not theirs. "He here?"
"Yeah, he's in the computer room." Bryon narrowed his eyes. "What are you up to?"
Beau pinched the bridge of his nose. "Losing my mind, but I think it's the right thing to do. Let me ask Carter to come out and I'll explain to both of you. No point in having to repeat myself. It'll be easier to have you both yell at me at the same time."
"Now I'm worried. You never give us a reason to yell at you." Bryon stacked the papers he was working on in a pile and set them aside.
Beau grunted a response as he went down the hallway and stepped into the room where all the computers were set up. He kept his eyes off the screens, not wanting to risk seeing any pictures or videos that the team might be investigating.
"Hey, Doc." Trenton wheeled his chair around and smiled. "What brings you into our dungeon?"
Beau smiled. "I needed to talk to Carter about something."
"Sure, what's up?" Carter stood from his chair.
"With Bryon, if you don't mind." Beau's stomach turned nervously. The team wasn't going to be supportive of this, he was sure of it.
"Okay, I'll be back in a few, Trent. Keep an eye for a response from Dark Horse. I've almost got a meet set up with him and don't want to keep him waiting if he responds."
"On it." Trenton waved. "See ya, Doc."
"See ya." Beau turned and headed back down the hallway, Carter following closely behind.
"So what's up?" Carter grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge before sitting down beside Bryon.
"I have a favor to ask." Beau slowly sat down, still trying to figure out how to tell them what he planned.
"Okay." Carter prompted. "What can we do?"
Beau glanced at Bryon before looking back at Carter. "I need you to hack into the state systems and get me listed as an approved foster parent. Make it look as if I've been approved for a while if you can."
"Whoa!" Bryon held up a hand. "What's going on?"
"I want to take Lisa and Jeff in as foster kids," Beau stated.
"Why in the hell would you do that?" Bryon asked. "You work a billion hours a week. You're never home to be with them. This isn't feasible."
"I'll cut back my volunteer time and just work my regular shifts. I'll have more than enough time with them."
