Special Needs

Chapter 24: The Pills

When we returned from shopping, Theodore appeared, surprising me with his unexpected presence. He never came to just visit.

"What did you do today?" He asked, trying to be friendly to Harry but Harry didn't trust him; I could see it in his eyes as he glanced uncertainly to me and then back to Theodore. "Buy anything fun?"

Harry had gotten a few fun things for himself, a t-shirt and a journal, and of course, I had gotten the telescope for him. I had also bought some books for Harry and me to read together; biographies, in fact, about real-life heroes who fought for equality and freedom: Martin Luther King, Jr., Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi.

Theodore took note of the books and raised an eyebrow at me. "Planning on some light reading?"

"Not at all," I said, proving that at least one of us could handle straightforward communication. "I'm teaching Harry to think for himself and to develop his own values."

"With political propaganda," he huffed. He leaned in close to my ear and snarled, "If you turn him against me, it will the be the last thing you ever do."

I was shocked at his bold threat, but unfortunately for him, Harry was already against him. He knew his father didn't truly care for him. I ignored him and went to put my things away. I heard him tell Harry that it was time for his bedtime medications. By the time I returned to the kitchen, he had taken them all; I could only hope that Theodore hadn't slipped something extra into his nightly cocktail.

After that bizarre encounter, I turned my attention to finding out more about Harry in any way I could. I racked my brain trying to come up with a way to get access to Theodore's files. I could plan another day out so I could possibly pick Clive's brain about Theodore's travel habits, but I didn't even know if Clive was his primary driver.

I absolutely hated being locked up in this suite. It felt so inhumane. I had spoken to my parents and sister about it and they all agreed, but there was no real solution except to talk the boss into leaving the door unlocked. I doubted that would ever happen. My family knew about Theodore's strange behavior - including his most recent threat - and his unrealistically low standards for Harry. They had attempted to persuade me, more than once, to just quit and come home, contract or no contract. I already had $20,000 in the bank, so I could live on that for a few months while I tried to find another job. And of course, my parents were always happy to offer me my old bedroom, rent-free, in case I needed it while I got back on my feet.

But I couldn't leave Harry. He was suffering a great injustice and I was the only one who knew it and felt the urge to advocate for him.

Not only that, I felt a certain...passion...about him, for lack of a better word. That seemed an inappropriate way to describe a minor who was in my charge, but I couldn't really come up with a better way to explain my feelings for him. I was fiercely protective over him since he'd never really had anyone to protect him the way a parent should. But I was also in love with his heart, his spirit. It was amazing to me that he could still be so pure-hearted after all that he'd been through. He was also funny and clever, and I genuinely enjoyed his company.