Luc:
Hello there. It's been a while. A year, in fact. I've been working tirelessly. Opened my clinic. Published a book, under a different name, of course.
I sit in my office on the top floor at my desk spinning in my chair, waiting. Just waiting. I stop spinning and look at a picture on my desk. Indra and Kai, all smiles. Indra does his own thing as usual, just with Kai. It's nice to come home to them everyday.
"Director?" A clear voice said from the phone's speaker. I push the speak button.
"Yes?"
"Laura is here for her appointment. I put her in the Bowie room."
"Thank you."
I don't take many clients. Two at the most. Mainly I take people in severe situations.
I get up and walk around my desk, putting my hands in my pockets. I use my barrier to open the door and walk out, closing it behind me.
I take the elevator to the third floor and step out. The third, fourth, and fifth floors are session rooms. The sixth floor houses the cafeteria and activity rooms. The second floor is the hospital. The seventh, eighth, and ninth floors are sleeping quarters and cleaning areas.
I enter the Bowie room and Laura, a sweet brunette sits on the red couch.
She cries out of her bruised eyes and fiddles with her scratched hands.
I sit in front of her in the orange seat and start talking.
"Laura, what's going on?" I ask.
"Oh god Luc! What if he's never caught? What if he's on his way here? He'll hurt us again! I can't let Kevin go through that again!" She screamed and sobbed.
"You know what Eric said. He can't get too far. He'll be caught."
Eric is a young officer. I work closely with the new police force to help catch and put abusers away.
"No. He's here. I can feel it." I hand her a tissue from the white oval shaped coffee table in front of us.
She pats her eyes dry and sniffles.
"It'll be okay. You're safe. Both of you." I assure her.
"Why don't we go see Kevin? Then I'll go to the police station to get an update from Eric?" I smile at her.
She nods.
We get up and go to the sixth floor. We enter Activity Room 3 where Nick and other children are. He is reading to the kids. The kids are invested. I smile.
Nick looks up at me and waves. He will read to the kids and teach them after school some days.
The kids look over and begin to cheer. "Luc!" They get up and run to me. I smile and am attacked by eight kids. They swarm my legs and hug me.
"Hey kiddos. You having fun?"
"Yes!" They answer.
"Good!"
"Luc!" A small girl named Ana looks up at me.
"Yes?" I answer.
"Can you be my date to the dance?" She asks. We're having a Spring dance this weekend. We try to give the kids positive activities at all times while maintaining a sense of normalcy. I chuckle.
"No fair! I was gonna ask him!" Another little girl, Madira, squeaks.
"I'll dance with you both. How about that?"
"Yes!" The girls cheer. Nick stands and closes the book.
"Alright everyone. It's time for me to go."
The kids leave me and run to hug Nick's legs. Kevin stays with his mother.
