risk// 5SOS

8

Calum

"You need to be really quiet, and gentle. Rider and Sage are really tired,"

"Okay,"

"And if you talk about Sage, you should refer to them as Rider's sibling, and use they or them in the same way I use she and her for you,"

"I know that already,"

"Oh, okay. Well we can't stay too long,"

Now at the end of my shift, I had asked Luke to bring Gia in. Rider kept getting unsettled by the environment, and had begged to see her after her had eaten. I took Gia into the room and she sat at the end of Rider's bed, swinging her legs. The painkillers had made Sage drift off to sleep, and Rider himself was a little sleepy now.

However, he perked up and a wide smile appeared on his face, his hands reaching out to Gia.

Close up, you could really see how tiny he was.

And Sage, well it was hard to tell what the accident caused, but I knew full well some of the bruises and cuts were there before.

Both of them had been so scared of their parents as well.

I couldn't believe school hadn't picked up on it, either of them. Which was terrifying. It's how Gia got the help, and found her way to me, and there would be so many kids who needed the same thing.

"I had Mac and Cheese,"

"Who gave you lunch?"

"I did," I said, "Guess what?"

"What?"

"Rider gets to stay at school after all!"

She clambered over and laid beside him, hugging him tightly like he would disappear. He shut his eyes and melted into her hold, silent tears streaming down his face.

"Hey, buddy," I said, moving down the bars on his bed to crouch beside him, "Are you hurt?"

"No, I am happy, and sad,"

"Yeah, that's understandable,"

"And I missed Gia,"

"I missed you too. Are you going to have a scar?"

"Yeah,"

"Twins," she said, "Dad, I am happy you met Rider. He is like my brother,"

I hadn't realised quite how close they were, and though my heart ached when Rider dropped the bomb that Gia was bullied, she had a best friend, and that's what had kept her going while keeping it locked away from me.

"Where are you living now?"

"With grandma and grandad,"

"Oh,"

"I will have Sage too,"

"Good,"

"We can play all lunch," he smiled, "I am happy,"

"Brilliant! Unfortunately visiting hours are over bud, so we have to go, but you'll be okay. Try and have as much sleep as possible,"

"Okay, come back tomorrow,"

"We will,"

"Who will protect us while you go home?"

"Protect you from what?" I asked, helping Gia off the bed.

"Grandma and grandad,"

"If you can tell me why you need protecting then they won't come at all,"