A Splatter of Other #Wattys2015

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Ember stands in the doorway, eyes wide as she takes in the situation before us, me on my knees with a boy cowering behind me, and a large man with blood dripping down his chin stalking towards us. She quickly gets the gist of it, runs over and grabs him from behind, wrapping her arms over the top of his and dragging him back. She snapping in his ear, her tone dangerous as she jerks him back another step and releases him. He shouts at her, gesturing to me angrily, Ember says something else coldly, then he throws his arms up and stalks out, tossing something bitterly over his shoulder as he goes. There's a moment of collective silence, then babies begin to wail, and toddlers sob.

"Wonderful, just perfect. Thank you Franceska, not only do we have to try and console thirty-two children, we're also stuck with him now!" Margaret snaps furiously waving a hand at the boy behind me.

"What do you mean?" I demand as I pull the quivering boy against my side.

"I mean, that was his Father, and he just announced that we could keep him, he doesn't want him anymore!"

"Good, a man like that doesn't deserve a child," I growl.

"You have got to be kidding me!" She cried, distressing the children even more.

"Margaret," Gwendolyn hisses, furious.

"No, Gwen, no. He is useless and he is impacting on everyone else's learning! We do not want him," she turns to me, her eyes flashing, "if you care so much, you take him, but we are not looking after him anymore." She turns away, and I feel a sinking feeling as none of the other women meet my eyes. Ember is still standing near the entrance, and unreadable expression on her dark face.

"Fine," I snap, "if you're really going to abandon a child that needs extra help because he can't talk, then I will take him. I just feel sorry for whatever children you have," I stand and scoop him into my arms, and he presses his wet face into the crook of my neck. I glare at the other women as I walk past and silently Ember follows. She walks with her hand on the small of my back, guiding me in the quiet darkness. I can hear my breathing, sharp and agitated, and am starting to feel the pain in my right hand.

"You've barely been here two days and you've already made several enemies," Ember laughs suddenly, "and you've got yourself a child!"

"I can't believe them!" I snap, still furious, "To just, abandon a child like that because it's going to take a bit more effort to teach and understand him."

"They can't understand him," she soothes, "they've never had to deal with a disability like this. I'm sure once they've calmed down they'll let you take him in and teach him, they may even help. You just need to be patient."

"They're the ones that need to be patient," I grumble, before turning my head to press a kiss to the soft hair on Artie's head. "It'll be okay, Artie, I'll take good care of you." I ignore the sinking feeling I get as I think about how I'm possibly going to get out of here with a child, but I would, I wasn't going to leave him behind in this nest of vipers.

"Are you hungry, Artie?" Ember asks, and he looks up at her momentarily to nod before dropping his head back to my shoulder. "Good, because we're going to get dinner right now." We make it to the hall, and once again the big armed guard stops me.

"You are required to sit at the head table," he glances at Artie, "he cannot go."

"Like hell he can't." I growl, my temper rising. Ember interrupts before I can go all angry Momma bear on his ass.

"Just let it be, Langdon," he glares between the two of us before grunting and gesturing for me to follow. He takes me down the middle, and this time they do fall silent and stare with open hostility and curiosity, mainly the former being expressed. They clearly weren't happy about my being there, but that meant we had something in common, because I certainly wasn't. A long table on a raised platform overlooks the hall, and seated at it are several men and women, with Archer and Enoch in the middle, and an empty seat to Archer's left. He gives me a raised eyebrow look as he sees Artie, but simply takes note as he nods at the space next to him. Head raised high I climb the steps and make my way to my seat. I sit down, and manage to coax Artie out of my hair and into a seated position on my lap, facing the table.