Brother's Mate
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Chapter 31
"David!" Alexander exclaimed, "What? ... How? ... Uh, why are you here and what's happened to you? Come in. Mum, Dad, you'd better come here." Alexander called out as he let a dirty, wet and cold David into the house.
"I'm sorry; I didn't know where else to go," David said, shivering; with his bottom lip quivering indicating that he was close to tears.
"It's okay. We'll help you, but what's happened?" Alexander asked again as his parents and Callum all walked into the hall.
"I ran away. I couldn't take it anymore. I hate them!" David wailed and this time the tears did start to flow.
Without even thinking about it, Alexander put his arms around David and held him close. The others just stood and waited until the sobs died down. This gave John and Rose time to think.
"You need to get out of those wet clothes. Alex, take David up to the bathroom and while he's showering get him some of your clothes to wear. Then bring down his dirty stuff and we'll get it in the washer." Rose said.
"Once you're showered and warmed up a bit, we'll need to have a talk." John told him as Alex and Callum led David towards the stairs.
"Cal will you stay with David and help him in the shower while I get him some clothes and then I can take over, please?" Alexander said.
"I'm sure David doesn't need my help to shower." Callum said.
"Yes, but I think he needs your support while I'm not with him." Alexander said, and Callum realised that he didn't want David to be left alone in the emotional state he was in.
"Okay but be quick." Callum said and directed David towards the bathroom following a step behind him. Once inside the bathroom Callum moved over towards the shower and as he did so he suggested to David; "Start getting those clothes off while I get the water temperature right and then when Al comes in you can finish undressing and get in the shower."
David's teeth were chattering enough now that Callum could hear them and he quickly got the water on and warming up. "I'll not have it too hot to start with, you can turn the heat up as you warm up under the water and don't worry about how long it takes and how much hot water you use. Just get nice and comfortable again."
Callum turned around to see a totally naked David standing there with the bathroom door still wide open. His lips were blue and his eyes were wide open and looked a little glazed over. "Right, I think you'd better get into the shower now." Callum held out a hand and David just took it and allowed himself to be picked up and lowered over the edge of the bath into the warm spray. "Just let it spray on you for a while. I think you'll start to feel better soon."
"Th-th-thank you." David was shivering so much he couldn't get his words out properly but just stood there and Callum began to massage one of his hands, noticing the tips of his fingers were also a bit bluish. He had heard somewhere that this could be symptoms of hyperthermia so when Alexander came in the room with a bundle of clothes he told Alexander to strip off and get in the shower with David and rub his other hand.
When some colour returned to the fingers he had been rubbing Callum told them both that he was going to talk to his parents and would be back soon. He also told Alexander to slowly increase the hot water to help warm David up but not to do it too fast or it would feel like it was burning David. He closed the door as he left the two naked boys alone in the bathroom.
Callum took the stairs two at a time leaping the last four in one bound and found his parents in the lounge. He explained to them what he had observed and his thoughts that David was badly chilled and might need to be taken to the hospital.
"I think I had best make a phone call and get some advice." John said and reached for his mobile which was on the side table. He punched in a few key strokes and then pressed dial to call the number Mr. Castleford had given him. John relayed to him what had happened and what they knew so far and Callum's fear that David might need to be taken to the hospital. Then he listened for a bit and just said, "Thank you." And then hung up. Callum and Rose were looking at him with huge question marks in their expressions. "Mr. Castleford is coming round here and doesn't want us to question David any further until he gets here. Cal run up to Alex and tell him that please."
Callum took off immediately and dashed up the stairs, two at a time once again. When he opened the door he saw David sitting in the tub with the water still spraying down on top of him and Alexander kneeling in front of him rubbing his feet. Alexander looked up and said, "Oh good, just in time, please can you add a bit more hot now."
Callum walked over to the taps and as he did so told Alexander and David; "The lawyer who was here the other day is coming over and has asked that we don't ask David any more questions until he gets here, so talk, but not about anything to do with this situation. Talk about your grannies perhaps to help keep you under control." Callum looked pointedly at Alexander's crotch where he was sporting a full erection. David however was still limp with a blue tinge on the end of this cock. This time Callum gathered up David's wet clothing and took it out with him as he left the two boys alone again.
He carried the clothes downstairs and told his parents that he was taking them through to the laundry. "I think you'd better just leave them in a basked until Castleford gets here. He might want to see the state they were in when David arrived." John called after him. Callum acknowledged that he had heard and soon joined his parents back in the lounge.
Mr. Castleford arrived about ten minutes later and David was still in the shower with Alexander. After a brief chat, Callum was sent off to find out how the two were doing and if David was able to leave the warmth of the water and come down to talk to them all. Callum was happy to see that this time David was standing again and had his hair full of frothy shampoo with Alexander massaging it in. Alexander still had a stiffy and David was still limp but there were no signs of bluish extremities now and David did look more aware. Callum explained what the situation was and Alexander stepped out of the way so that David could get back under the water. Then when David was washed off the two younger boys stepped out of the tub. David into a towel that Callum was holding out for him and Alexander onto the floor where he could reach for his own towel. While Alexander dried himself Callum helped David to dry off and then held out clothes for him to put on. The three boys then went back downstairs to the lounge.
Rose wrapped David in a little fleecy blanket she used when watching television and helped him to sit down on the sofa. Alexander sat down next to him and put his hand on David's leg to comfort him. David then had to be helped to get his arms out of the blanket so that he could take and hold the cup of hot chocolate Rose had got ready for him.
"David, this man is Mr. Castleford who is helping us with our problem and I thought it was best to get him to advise us with what to do concerning you. He is a lawyer and we'd like you to be totally honest with him so that he can give us the best advice on how we can help you." John said. "Will you let him help us and you?"
David looked at Alexander who nodded his head and smiled in return. This was enough and he looked back at John and nodded his head. "Good, I think you'd best take over now Grant." While they had been waiting for the boys to come down from the bathroom Grant Castleford had suggested that it might be easier if they used Christian names to help make it seem less formal for David.
"Thank you John. David, I want to make sure you know that I want to help you as best as I can. But to do that I might need to ask you some questions which will be hard to answer. If you feel you can't answer a question then tell me that is how you feel and I will understand. Okay?" Grant Castleford began and paused to allow David to respond. David just nodded his head again.
"Now I asked the Ashbournes not to ask you anything more about how you came to be here because I want to hear it first hand from you. Take as much time as you need. Can you please tell me why you came by here so wet and cold?" Grant continued.
David again looked at Alexander who again nodded his head and smiled. Callum who had been standing, sat down on the other side of David and put his arm around his shoulders to comfort him. David began, "I ... I ... uhm ... I didn't know what to do." And he stopped.
"Well I think you did the right thing coming here when you needed help. But why did you need that help? What has happened to get you like this?" Grant gently encouraged David.
"I ... I've ... run away." David whispered the last two words.
"David, will it be alright if I use my tape and record this meeting, please? I'll need to say some formal stuff first and then we can just talk and pretend that this thing isn't here." Grant asked as he pulled a small recorder out of his briefcase and held it up for David to see. Again David nodded his head.
Grant put the recorder on the coffee table in the middle of the lounge and began to record his introduction. He announced who he was and where they were and the date and time. He then added a list of all who were present using first and surnames for each one. He finished his introduction by saying the purpose of the meeting was to interview David who had claimed he had run away. "Now I must ask that when any of you talk you speak clearly and preferably at a normal volume so that it can be picked up clearly on the tape. David can you confirm that you have given permission for us to tape record this meeting please?"
"Yes, it's okay." David said in a wavering voice.
"Thank you David; now you said before we started to record that you arrived here at the Ashbournes' home, cold and wet, because you had run away and didn't know what else to do. Is that correct?" Grant asked.
"Yes. I didn't know where to go." David said and the distress could be clearly heard in his voice.
"David, please can you tell us why you ran away?" Grant asked.
"I couldn't take it anymore. I've done nothing wrong but I'm being treated like I have." David said.
"In what way are you being treated like you've done something wrong?" Grant asked.
"My mother won't let me go outside. I have to stay in my room while I'm at home and am only allowed to come out to eat or go to the bathroom. And if I try to come out any other time I get beaten."
"Do you know why she is doing this?" Grant asked.
"She says it's because I'm too young to look after myself and if I go out anywhere the perverts will get me and make me do things that are wrong. I won't. I told her that, but she won't believe me. She took me to the doctor to be checked that I didn't have a disease because of being with Al and the others." David said.
"Do you know what disease she was having you checked for?" Grant asked.
"Not really but I had to get naked and let the doctor look at everything. Then he took some blood." David said. He held out his arm to show the bruise where the doctor had not been too gentle with getting the blood samples.
"How does she beat you?" Grant asked.
"I have to pull my pants down and bend over a chair and then she hits me with a paddle." David said.
"He's got some bruises on his bum." Alexander said.
"How did you get to see his bum to see these bruises?" Grant asked.
"I was helping him in the shower. He was so cold he couldn't hardly stand and I was rubbing his hands and feet to take the blue out." Alexander said.
"She's always calling me a dirty boy too because she made me tell her that I had been naked in front of the other boys. I'm not even allowed to go without a shirt on at home." David said as if last few bits had not been said by Alexander.
"What made you decide to run away?"
"Yesterday I woke up early and needed to go to the toilet, but my bedroom door was locked and I couldn't get out so I started to call out. Mum came and unlocked the door and shouted at me for making too much noise so early in the morning. I told her that if she hadn't locked my door I wouldn't have needed to shout out." David started, and now it all came tumbling out. "She said I was being cheeky and she would beat some sense into me. She grabbed my ear and pulled me through to the lounge where she told me to take my pyjamas down and bend over a chair. Then she took a belt and began to hit me. I couldn't help it and started to pee which she saw. She grabbed my hair and began to rub my face in the wet carpet and then told me that was the way to train a dog not to pee on the carpet. Then she hit me some more and told me to go to the bathroom and get cleaned up and then to come back to the lounge and clean up my wee. When I had done that she took me back to my room and pushed me inside and told me to think about how bad I'd been and when I was ready to apologize then I would get some food. I heard the key turn in the lock and I just lay down on my bed and cried. I fell asleep and must have slept for some time because I was really hungry when I woke up and I called out that I was hungry but no one heard me. I tried the door but it was still locked. I called and called but nothing happened. I went back to sleep again and when I woke up I called out some more but still nothing happened. Then I heard a car and the front door opened so I called out again. My mother asked me through the door if I was ready to apologize and I said I couldn't apologize for something I hadn't done. She unlocked the door and walked in. I was still in my pyjamas and she asked me why I had not got dressed. I said I had nothing to get dressed for. She grabbed me by the ear and pulled me through to the lounge again and made me push my pants down and bend over a chair again. Then she hit me with the paddle until I started to cry and ordered me to go back to my room and think about how I should talk to my mother and how I should behave with her. When I was ready to say sorry then she would let me out. The door got locked again and I heard her leave the house again. A bit later, after it got dark my dad knocked on the door and said he was sorry mum was acting like that but if I just said I was sorry she would let me out. I asked him what it was that I was supposed to be sorry for and he couldn't tell me, so I asked him why he didn't let me out and let me have something to eat because I was very hungry. He said that would make mum angry with both of us. Mom came home and asked me if I was ready to say sorry but I refused again so she gave me another beating and locked me back in my room telling me that I was not going to get any supper now. So I put on some clothes and climbed out the window. It was very difficult and I had to be very careful not to fall to get to the pipe and slide down it. Then I went away and found somewhere to sleep. I walked around all day trying to think of what to do until it started to rain and I tried to find somewhere to get out of the rain. Then when the rain stopped I came to Al's house. I'm sorry to cause this trouble."
"Wait a bit. When last did you have something to eat then?" Rose asked.
"I don't know. I guess it was supper last ..., no day before yesterday." David answered.
"Oh, you poor boy. I'll go and get you something, you must be starving." Rose said standing up.
"Just a little bit at first Rose and nothing too heavy. His stomach is going to need to get used to having a bit of food again." Grant said. As Rose began to leave the room Grant continued, "Right young man. I believe you've told me the truth and because of that I'm not going to try and get you to go back to your home. But also the Ashbournes' cannot let you stay here more than tonight. I'll be contacting a special person first thing tomorrow and will also be informing the police tonight so that they know what's happening in case your parents report you as missing. I promise you, I'm going to try and do the best for you that I can, but because this also becomes a bit of a conflict of interest for me in another case, I will have to hand it over to the authorities who deal with this sort of incident. John will you be alright with keeping him overnight?"
"Of course, he's stayed overnight here before so I'm sure he'll feel safe here. Is that okay with you David?" John asked.
"Yes. Thank you." David said. "Yeah, you can stay with me in my room." Alexander said. For the first time that day David smiled as he looked at Alexander.
Grant turned the tape off. "David, I know you and Alexander have done some stuff together. I must ask both of you to make sure you don't do anything like that tonight. That way, if something comes from David staying here tonight he can truthfully say that he had nothing of that sort happen to him. It will be much better that way."
"Okay. I promise I'll not let David have any fun." Alexander said.
This got a grin from Grant. "Thank you Alexander. You keep that promise. Now I feel it is time for me to go and get on with sorting this matter out. Good night all."
The others all chorused their greeting but John followed Grant through to the hall way, "Goodnight Grant and thank you for your help with this. Send me the bill and I'll pay it." "There'll be no bill. My payment will be the satisfaction of seeing that woman sorted out." Grant said and stepped out the door. With a little wave he was gone.
Rose had heated up some soup and made some toast fingers for David and once David had polished them off she suggested Callum and Alexander take him upstairs to get the room ready with an air mattress while she got on and prepared their tea.
Grant Castleford acted fast. He got hold of the police and informed them of David's whereabouts and also of the abuse he had suffered seemingly at his mother's hand which was not stopped by the father. As he made his report to the police he thought he got a hint that the policeman he was talking to knew more than he was letting on. He did. Grant was talking to the same police detail who had visited the Ashbournes when the false accusations were levelled against them by Susan McAllister. As a result he asked Grant if the Ashbournes had briefed him to bring a case against the woman. Grant said that he was not working for the Ashbournes but for the school their children went to. He then got hold of a person he knew in the social services who dealt with cases like this and told her all that he knew including where he had arranged for David to stay for the night. He asked her to contact John directly in the morning once she had got plans in place for the care of David.
Despite having had soup and toast a little over an hour beforehand, David managed to eat a moderately sized serving of the dinner Rose prepared for them, pleasing Rose no end. The three teens sat with John and Rose for a bit in the lounge watching the tv and David dropped off to sleep leaning against Alexander. Rose suggested to Alexander that he wake David up and the two of them go off to bed, telling Alexander he could read or something until he wanted to go to sleep himself but to let David sleep. She was sure David had not rested well the night before with a hungry stomach and being cold and miserable. The two younger boys headed upstairs while Callum remained with his parents for a bit longer.
Once he was sure David would not hear him Callum asked, "How can a mother treat her own son like that? I mean I'm not Al's father but even when I thought the worst of him I would still have looked out for him."
"That my son is a mystery even the best psychologists struggle to understand. I can't imagine treating any child like that." Rose said.
"That's why I've accepted the risk of letting him stay here for the night. At least he will be safe and warm and know he's loved." John added.
"Do you really mean that? You love David?" Callum asked.
"Yes, I believe I do. Not in the same way that I love your mother or even the way that I love both you and Alex. But he's a nice kid who's been dealt a bum hand. Look at how much he appreciated us giving him that little birthday party a while back. I just hope the scars of this don't spoil him for his life." John said.
Rose got up from her chair and sitting on the arm of the chair that John was in she put her arms around him and said; "and this is why I love you so much. You're the most caring person I know and I wouldn't want any other man for my husband and to be the father of my children."
"I couldn't do it without your love and support too, darling. You know we're a team and always will be." John replied.
"And I'm so glad you are. I think Al and I have got the best parents in the world. Thanks for being my mum and dad." Callum joined in the praise.
Quite where that conversation would have got had the phone not started to ring is anyone's guess. Callum got up to go and answer it but John stopped him. "I think you'd better let me answer the main phone for a bit, at least until this mess is sorted out." He advised, getting up and leaving the room.
John picked up the receiver and simply said, "Hallo." He was being careful not to give anything away.
"John, I'm glad you've answered the phone. This is Derwent. David's gone missing and when I contacted the police they told me they knew where he was and that he was safe but they couldn't tell me because there have been allegations of child abuse. Now please don't tell me where he is if you know. I don't want to prejudice anything. But if you are able to get a message to him I would appreciate it. I've been a witless fool and a coward. I hadn't realised just how bad Susan had got with David until she came home and discovered he had got out by a very dangerous route. It was only when she refused that we go looking for him because he would come crawling back the next day when his stomach told him he was hungry. And yes I stuck with her on that I'm ashamed to say. Well she then began to tell me all that had been going on the previous few days and I got more and more worried. Please can you tell David that I'm going to leave Susan and find somewhere else to stay and that I would like him to come and live with me because I really do love him and I don't exactly agree with all that Susan has been doing and saying. I think we're in for some hard times because it wouldn't surprise me if we are taken to court over some of it. John, please tell me that you can get a message to David." Derwent sounded quite distressed and John felt some of his pain.
However, John also felt that Derwent should have taken a stronger stance against his wife and tried to help David more so he decided to make him sweat a bit. "Well I'm not sure if I can get a message to him and I'm not that sure that he's going to want to listen to any message from either of his parents. I don't know the whole story but I think he must be going through hell right now. The very people who are supposed to love him the most and look after him are the ones who've let him down the most. Treated him like a baby but wouldn't give him a thirteenth birthday party."
"I know. I've been absolutely terrible by letting Susan make all the decisions and not standing up to her when I've thought she was going overboard with everything. If I lose David, it'll be because I deserve it, but I do really love him and I want to try and make some amends for what I haven't done to help him but should have." Derwent was clearly remorseful and very low himself. John recognised that it takes hitting rock bottom to make a man admit to someone he doesn't know that well how bad he's been.
"I'll do what I can, but it's in the hands of the authorities now and both you and Susan will have to take the consequences for your actions." John relented.
"Thank you John. At least I know David's safe and away from his mother." Derwent said.
"Goodbye Derwent." John ended the call without waiting to hear if Derwent would say goodbye too.
Back in the lounge John said, "That just makes me sure. From now on, until things are settled neither of you two boys are to answer the land line phone. Your mobiles are still yours but leave it for your mother or me to answer the main one. Cal, do you think you can go and see if Alex is still awake and tell him that too, please?"
"Sure dad." Callum realised that his father wanted to tell Rose some of the conversation he'd had with Derwent. Callum checked in on Alexander and David and saw that David was fast asleep but just in case he asked Alexander to come out the room. Alexander got out of bed revealing that he was naked and the two of them moved down the passage a bit to get away from David. Callum then spoke in a low whisper explaining what had gone on with the telephone call and what John had asked of them.
Alexander might have been the youngest in the family but he was also wise enough to know that his dad did not put this kind of restriction in place for no good reason and so he broached no argument knowing that most of the calls he'd want to take would come to his mobile anyway. However being safely out of the room now there were some questions that Alexander had, and he decided it was a good opportunity to go downstairs and ask his parents those questions. But he was not prepared for the first question he got asked before he could get any of his questions in.
"Alexander, why are you naked downstairs when we have a guest in the house?" John asked him.
"He's sound asleep and won't know I'm downstairs naked." Alexander answered.
"That makes no difference. The rule still stands whether the guest is asleep or not. Even if the guest was blind the rule would still stand." John said.
"Sorry, actually I forgot I was naked. I was already in bed when Cal asked me out of the room and then I wanted to ask you guys something and didn't even think about it." Alexander explained. Then getting an impish look on his face he added, "But it is a secret that he's here tonight so maybe he's not really here and then it's okay."
"Nice try, young man, but it doesn't cut. Now ask your question and then get back upstairs and into your room and remember to put something on before leaving it again." John said. By that he showed Alexander that he had been given a reprieve.
"What's going to happen to David?" Alexander asked.
"We really don't know. The social services will sort all that out. I'm guessing he's going to go into care and will be placed with foster parents initially at least." John said.
"Couldn't we foster him?" Alexander asked.
"Somehow, I don't think we would pass the test to become a foster family. I think letting you boys go naked would count against that to start with." John said.
"Please will you ask them to let David stay with us?" Alexander begged.
"Firstly, your mother and I need to discuss that. Then Callum would also have to agree to it and then the authorities would have to agree to it as well. I don't think we have much hope." John warned Alexander in the hope that Alexander wouldn't get his expectations up too much.
"And now it's time to take your naked self up to bed. We're not going to get anything further done tonight anyway." Rose told him.
Alexander moved to her and gave her a hug wishing her good night and then did the same with Callum and John before running up the stairs and going back in his room. Climbing into his bed he left the covers down while he took care of his daily need and used some tissues to clean up the mess. Then he settled down and soon was as sound asleep as David.
Tomorrow would be another day.
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Rick