Aware that he was fading in and out of consciousness, Coleman focused on breathing in and out. Inhale. Exhale. Again. The pain from feeling his foster father's foot kick his stomach was nearly enough to make Coleman cry out. He felt like it was never going to end. Recently has been worse than ever. It used to not be so bad: a slap or two a day, a punch in the stomach here and there, being pushed around and called worthless, but recently it's been escalating. Coleman expects a beating every day, and not just punches and slaps anymore. It's not over until Coleman is covered in countless bruises and blood has spilled. Today seemed almost worse though. Coleman's foster father, Brian, seems to enjoy aiming for his stomach, and the kicks land on top of old bruises, making the pain even more unbearable. Coleman learned long ago not to cry out, that makes it worse. Any sign of weakness makes it worse, so he grits his teeth, and he prays he'll make it to his room alive.
"Coleman can I see you for a moment?" Mrs. Smith asks him as he is walking out of class the next day. Coleman looks at the clock. If he is late his beating could be worse than it already is going to be.
"Are you doing okay, Coleman?" she asks him, her forehead wrinkled in concern. Coleman nods, assuring her he is fine, and she shouldn't worry about him. She nods, seeming to know he is lying, but not pushing him further. As she is offering her support to him, he begins to politely excuse himself and walk out of the room, but bumps into the corner of a desk on the way out. He inhales sharply, trying not to cry out. He hears Mrs. Smith get up from her chair. Looking up at her, he attempts a smile, which he is sure comes out as more of a grimace. His stomach is throbbing, where Brian had hit and kicked him numerous times in the past week or two. Mrs. Smith sees Coleman holding his stomach, and insists on taking him to the nurse. Refusing, Coleman shakes his head, attempting to leave quickly. Mrs. Smith gives him a stern look, and he collapses into the desk he bumped into a few moments ago. He lays his head on the desk, heaving out a sigh.
"Coleman, I want you to go to the nurse, or I will call an ambulance." There's no way she'll let this go. Thinking he can make up a story that will appease her, he pulls up his shirt slightly, showing her the nearly black bruise, and the surrounding bruises that are various shades of purple, blue, and some yellow. She lets out a small gasp, her hand flying up to cover her mouth.
"It's okay Mrs. Smith, it looks worse than it is," he lies, "I just got into a fight the other day, no big deal." He doesn't know what to do. How could he have been so careless?
Mrs. Smith continues to insist he goes to the nurse, threatening now to call the cops. He relents, allowing her to escort him. The nurse is getting ready to leave for the day, but agrees to see Coleman's injuries because Mrs. Smith is there and won't take no for an answer. Coleman takes off his shirt, looking up to see the nurse's worried eyes. She wastes no time, giving him one Ibuprofen, which is not nearly enough to ease Coleman's pain, but it's all she's allowed to give him.
"You know we're required by law to report this, right?" Mrs. Smith says in a small shaky voice. Coleman shakes his head. He pleads with her not to say anything, that it was a one time thing, that he just got into a fight with some guy at the park, and it's fine. She shakes her head apologetically. Coleman sighs in defeat. How is he going to get out of this? If Brian finds out about this, or God forbid, gets reported and arrested, Coleman is a dead man, literally.
About fifteen minutes pass before an ambulance and a cop car arrive. They load him into a stretcher, which Coleman thinks is ridiculous, but at this point he doesn't have a choice. The cop stays at the school to question Mrs. Smith and the nurse, telling him that a cop will be waiting for him at the hospital to question him. He continues to protest, but soon the ambulance doors are shut, and they're speeding off toward the hospital. When they arrive, Coleman is carried off the stretcher, and taken to the ER section of the hospital.
