Throwing Away my Past, Contemplating my Future

Fifteen

ADRIENNE'S POV

As I walked back to the living room, I vaguely heard Jackson shouting. I open the door to see him beating a soon-to-be unconscious Lauren. I ran over and pushed him away while shouting for Billie to get in. He rushed in and ran straight to Lauren as I held Jackson back. He checks for breathing and then carries her to the car. "Come on, we're going to the hospital" he says to me. I sit in the back with her in case she wakes up and panics, and watch as Billie goes back into the house.

BILLIE'S POV

Before I got into the car, I made my way back into the house and said to Jackson, "How dare you abuse a child like that. Lauren deserves none of it and you have no right to give her that sort of treatment. I don't care if you're drunk or whatever but you should not be drunk enough to think that's how you treat a child. Fuck you". I say through gritted teeth, my eyes tearing up and my fists clenched. I speed walk back to the car and drive to the hospital as quickly as possible.

***

"Lauren has no signs of broken bones, but she may have a concussion. She will be able to go home tomorrow and I'd recommend keeping her indoors for at least a week", the nurse briefly explained to us after 25 minutes of sitting in the waiting room. When she left, Adrienne and I entered her room. I dragged a chair beside her bed and sat down.

"Well now I understand why she didn't want to live with her dad" I said, breaking the silence. Adrienne nodded in agreement. "I just don't understand how a parent can do that to their child. Lauren seems to be a good child. It's hardly like she deserves any of it" she replied. "I mean, even if she did deserve it, she shouldn't be punished with abuse. Ground the child or something. Take her phone away. Don't punch her and give her bruises. Disgraceful behaviour. They need to be put in jail" she continued. I nodded.

I'd love to put those bastards in jail, except one of them is still taking care of a child, and that child seems to be very fond of him. It'd break my heart to see her upset from losing someone she loves. But putting their mom in jail, oh how I'd love to do that.

My thoughts were interrupted when a doctor entered the room with a clipboard. "Mr and Mrs Armstrong, may I speak to you outside?" he asked. We got up and followed him out into the hallway.

"I've just been informed that the girl, Lauren, was put in hospital due to a beating by her father. Is this correct?" he asked. "Yes. We were visiting her father earlier today, and when she and him were in the room alone, he abused her. I came into the room to see what was happening and called for my husband" Adrienne replied. "Yeah, and then I pushed him away, took Lauren out to the car and drove her here" I finished.

"I see. And do you know if this has happened before?" he asked. "We don't know about her and her father, but her mother abused her", Adrienne answered. "Well, going with the bruises on her body, you two have the authority to arrest them. That's all the questions for now, I'll let you discuss things", he explained and walked into another room.

"What do you think we should do?" Adrienne asked me softly. "Megan's living with Jackson, and they get along really well. I don't wanna split them up, even though what he did to Lauren makes him 100% deserve it y'know?" I replied. "But with her mom, yeah. We should get her arrested. Definitely."