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CHAPTER SEVEN { End Of The Line } ***
YOU WINCE. The sterile smell as you enter the hospital corridors elicits a physical reaction from you.
The scent, lingering with the harsh lighting and the ticking, whirring, and beeping of monitors, takes you back to Jude's room. A knot begins to form in the pit of your stomach, but you push it down with a deep breath, ignoring your discomfort. You're on the job. You can't be distracted.
You take a seat beside JJ at the side of Axel's bed where he lays, his frail body dwarfed by the pillows and blankets surrounding him. His eyes are wide and haunted, darting around the room as if he's expecting somebody to come in. He's still in fight or flight mode. His small hands clutch the edges of his blanket, his knuckles white with tension.
Garcia found more information on Axel, identifying him as nine-year-old Axel Robbins, a boy who went missing nine months ago. His parents are on their way, but they live three hours out of town.
"Hi, Axel." JJ says softly, her voice a gentle murmur. "My name is JJ, and this is my friend Taylor. You met her earlier. Do you remember that?"
You keep your lips pulled into a neutral smile and Axel nods slightly. There's an expression in his face that a child should never be ridden with. A mixture of fear, confusion, and uncertainty swarms in his chestnut irises.
"Axel, we want to ask you a few questions. Do you think you can help us with that?" You question
He hesitates, then nods again. His eyes land on you and flicker with a hint of recognition, then trust. He lets his guard down a bit, sitting up against his pillows and opening his body toward you and JJ.
JJ leans forward slightly, her expression kind and patient. You've never met anyone who can make victims and their families feel so comfortable, especially the kids. Having kids of her own, she knows how to handle them and their emotions, and you've learned a lot from her.
"Can you tell us about the person who kept you in that cellar?" She asks.
Axel's eyes well up with tears and you watch JJ's heart break, yet she doesn't falter. His voice trembles as he speaks, hardly above a whisper. "I don't know his name. He made me call him 'Sir.' I could never see his face."
You feel a lump form in your throat, Axel's words piercing through you. You struggle not to reach out and comfort him, knowing you have to allow him to speak at his own pace.
"He said he was going to take me to the water and kill me. He told me if I tried to escape, he'd find me and hurt me even more. That's why I hid in that man's garage when I got out."
