Runaway Train

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Chapter 3

Change

That scream had made Derek's blood run cold and he could feel his heart beating out of his chest as he stared at his wife trying to soothe his sister.

Addison had managed to wake Amelia up from her nightmare but it wasn't enough to calm her as she immediately broke down in sobs, clinging to her sister-in-law.

He just sat there frozen staring at the scene playing out in front of him. Amelia was covered in a thin layer of sweat and was shaking like a leaf. He barely registered the 3rd voice in the room at first, but the voice was talking to them. He looked up and recognized Mark, realizing Addie must've told him to stay. The weather was terrible after all. Derek himself really should've stayed at the hospital but he wanted to go home and be with his wife for at least a few hours before she went in for her own shift.

He knew she wasn't going to be going into work now; not for a few days anyways. Addison always moved heaven and earth for Amelia and sometimes he couldn't understand why. Like tonight.

When Derek had first brought Addison home he was so happy that she got along with his baby sister. He mentioned he was bringing her home to meet his mom and the only sister still living at home. He had forgotten to mention just how young his sister was. Addison was surprised but went with it. She took to it like a duck in water. By the end of that first visit it was like the two knew each other their entire lives. Addison had offered, if it was okay with their mom to take Amelia out shopping another day. She wanted to spoil the girl who she knew would become her sister.

Everything was going so well as far as Derek thought, until about three months after their wedding when Amelia had started acting out.

At first they thought it was a phase but when Derek had found his prescription pad in his sister's bedroom one day. He just knew. He had kept trying to get her help but she always refused. His mom had pretended there wasn't a problem until it became brutally clear that there was.

Four months ago, while high on pills, Amelia had stolen his car and she had crashed it into a tree. She had been lucky and had no damage outside of a broken leg, a minor concussion, and a few bruises. It had been close enough for the family and they had insisted on sending her to a rehab facility to recover. It was after she returned that all the fights started at home.

To Derek it seemed obvious that Amelia was the problem. She was an angry teenager with addiction problems and she was the common denominator in all the fights with mom and at school.

She was still getting high and even worse Derek had unfortunately discovered that his 14 year old sister was no longer a virgin. He practically chased the boy out of the house. Amelia had taken his old bedroom nearly 8 years previous, not wanting to stay in the room that for a brief period of time all 4 of his sisters shared. That was something he still didn't understand. How the four of them did not get along. Derek just didn't understand and tried to stay out of it but now he was realizing why. Amy IS a problem child. Maybe things would be different if dad was still alive but he somehow doubted it.

The cherry on top of it all? Just last week Amy had gotten caught with oxy in her pockets at school which resulted in immediate expulsion. He honestly had no clue what was going on with her or what mom did with her. He was telling himself he didn't care what was happening with her because he didn't believe for one second that she was clean. But now? Hearing his sister's terrified screams, he was regretting everything. Maybe Addie was right. Maybe she did just need someone on her side. He wasn't sure of anything anymore.