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005. Never Before And Yet Again
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THEY HAD FOUND HER. She was bruised and battered, but they had found her.
Bradford watched as Mr. Parish stood over Amara and combed her wild hair, a slight smile on his lips. The medics had to sedate her since she got manic again after a few minutes in the ambulance. Now, the girl was soundly asleep under the blue covers of her bed.
Dr. Sahin – the hospital's therapist – told the officers that, after she had woken up, their priority would be for Amara to feel safe, comfortable and validated; that everything else would have to wait until she did.
Like the entirety of this hospital, Dr. Sahin appeared quite stressed at the moment, ever since the ambulance with multiple police cars in tow arrived at the foot of the beige building. This was obvious. The Alhambra Hospital Medical Center wasn't small or unexperienced – in fact, Bradford was sure that they've treated abduction victims (?) before, but a kid with her social status was probably a once-in-a-decade occurrence.
Every time Frank Parish walked the halls of the hospital, a dozed eyeballs seemed to fall at his feet. He wasn't one's usual celebrity, but the Parish family was one of the most talked about political blood lines of LA, if not California.
A very niche rumor about the Parish family that mostly circulated in the police department was about Sydney and her death. It was bullshit and Bradford didn't like it, but the number of times a rookie had asked him if it were true, made him aware of how popular it was.
It had become the LAPD's own legend.
The Parish' were influential and everywhere you looked. Arthur Parish was the most famous member of the family, as he was Senator of California, apparently interested in climbing the ranks even higher and higher, until he reaches the top. Even Blake Iliad – the Commissioner of the Police – was part of the Parish clan, but surprisingly, hadn't yet intervened in Amara's case. Some officers started a betting pool, guessing when the high rank officials would stride into the department and take the case.
"Lopez and Harper are stuck at the garage," Lucy told him from behind, catching him off-guard. "We're supposed to try to talk to her, test out the waters."
Bradford shook his head. "Good luck with that," he muttered. "She's supposed to feel safe, comfortable and validated,remember?"
In other words, they wouldn't get to talk to the girl by the death of them.
He watched the father with his daughter behind the glass, hoping that some small movement – an overseen detail – betrayed the growing mystery.
Amara's eyes fluttered timidly as they grew accustomed to the bright hospital light and the streams of the sun shining through halfway closed, blue blinds. The windows of this room were enormous, and Bradford then decided that this was, most definitely, the best room of the entire hospital. He noted the endless space, an entire sofa, which seemed to be in perfect condition, and the way the floor and furniture shimmered of cleanness.
