Abe or The Goldfinch

Chapter 12

Earth-4076361

Rebecca and Amir looked at their son who was lying in the hospital bed without saying anything, she asks -don't you want to sleep for a while honey?-

But he shakes his head, after what seems like an eternity he finally says -I'm scared to do it...- then he asks -and Boris?-

His mother answers -he stayed at home... with your grandparents-

Abe looked at them in amazement and they just shrugged their shoulders.

At the house with everyone sitting at the table, Boris mentions -and that's when I was told that Jews don't get tattoos, I was lucky, any other tattoo artist would have just charged me and that was it, lol-

Benjamin seemed slightly disturbed by the story, although Salim and Aida seemed very amused by it.

Then Boris mentions -and I was also a Muslim at one point in my life- then Salim and Aida's faces were the ones that went blank.

While Benjamin said amused -don't tell me... tell us more-

Dr. Park and a new blond doctor with blue eyes and a scruffy beard enter the room. She introduces him - he is Dr. Chase, head of the diagnostic area-

They quickly introduced themselves and the new doctor mentioned - if you don't mind, I think it's better if Abe tells us what he felt at that moment in his own words - noticing that they were tripping over their words when trying to explain the incident.

He approached the boy and asked - well Abe, please tell us what you feel about what happened - after a few moments of silence, Abe said - I heard them, Tommy, Jo, Otis and the other two who didn't say their names –

They let him continue as they rarely did and he said -the other time in the alley, it was like my body went into autopilot, like I disconnected from it, but now it was different, they WERE there, it was like being chained with my head fixed on a screen... a screen where you couldn't change the channel, or close your eyes...-

Amir and Rebecca were biting their mouths to not say anything, finally everyone left the room leaving Abe to rest, who flatly refused to be given any kind of sedative.

With everyone already in the hallway Rebecca mentions -they said the pills would make the hallucinations disappear, but only...-

Chase answers -Mrs. Odeh...- but she immediately replies offended -Solomon-

The doctor says regretfully -Mrs. Solomon, we understand, seriously, but you have to understand that this is a new symptom, and therefore you have to...-

But Rebecca offended says -she started speaking French...- totally frustrated.

Amir adds -and not like Ladybug fans do, it was a French guy with a strong accent like an... a village's old man-

Park then comments -look, the best thing you could do now was bring him, now we...- but Rebecca still worried says -he keeps getting worse and you don't tell us anything-

Amir says -besides, his tests said everything was normal-

When suddenly a voice behind them said -and they still are, which is ridiculous since it's obvious that this boy hasn't slept well for months- it was a man with a beard and several gray hairs who approached them with a cane.

The parents looked at each other and Amir asked skeptically -and you are?- an African-American man who approached said -I'm Eric Foreman, the dean of medicine, he's an advisor who we SOMETIMES call, but not this time... and that's why he was leaving-

The man with the cane says -yes, yes, I was leaving, but first answer me, is the child his?- directing the question to Rebecca, pointing at Amir.

Both of them angrily ask -excuse me?- to which Chase says angrily -House, get out-