Act Natural!

Chapter Two

Josie drove the kid and me to the hospital. I never felt the need to ask for his name because I didn't feel that it mattered. The kid just got his ass handed to him, and who was I to start pestering him with questions? He was barely keeping eyes open while we drove into the emergency room. Josie and I stayed behind in the lobby. She was practically asleep but I was too riled up to even sit down.

"Are you his family?" the doctor asked me. 

I bit down on the inside of my cheek till it hurt. "No," I said quietly.

"Oh," he said and shifted uncomfortably on his feet, "Well, do you know if and when they'll be showing up?"

"No," I said and looked at Josie. She was still fast asleep and there was even drool starting to drip down her chin. Part of me wanted to scare her awake and laugh at her expression while the other half just wanted to fall asleep next to her. 

"Okay then, I suppose I'll just have to explain the extent of his injuries to you. He's fractured three ribs, a dislocated wrist, and a fractured jaw. Also, we can't seem to find any files on him in the system. As far as we can tell, he's never been in a hospital before." he said while flipping through pages of messy handwriting. 

Never been in a hospital before? Lucky him, I guess. 

"He'll need to be a full checkup and vaccinations before we can release him. That might take up to three days. We can keep him in care for those days but once he's done he'll be put into the foster care system since he's only fourteen years old. Would you like us to notify you of his progress?" He said and finally held the clipboard at his side instead of flipping through more pages.

Fourteen years old and he was fighting with a bunch of old boneheads? What did he do to them? Where are his parents?

"How old does one have to be to adopt or take in a foster child?" Josie said. She was fully awake now. Of course, she was. Sleep for the injuries and wake up to take in a child. 

The doctor switched his attention to her and looked between us. "You'd have to be at least eighteen or older," he said in a matter of fact tone. 

Josie is twenty-one and I could tell she was deciding on something evil by the way she smiled. She was smiling from ear to ear and sitting on the edge of her seat. "Perfect. We'll take him in as soon as he is okay to be let go, and until his parents come looking for him."

My jaw dropped to the floor and I struggled to say something. That was very sudden-- even for Josie. She was impulsive and often acted on her first thought like an old computer that could only process things fast when you wanted her not to. 

The doctor chuckled. "You'll have to go through the system to get him. Even if you do go through the system you probably won't be able to get him until he's been brought up to speed on language, manners, health, etc."

"Right," I said when I found my voice again, "We don't even know him, Josie."

"You are the one that saved him, Poppy," she said.

I cringed when she called me that old nickname. It was an old name I was called because my name's Persephone. 

I was about to snap something back at her when the doctor cut me off. "We would like to be sure that he doesn't have any family before giving him away to foster care. He could be a runaway, too."

"He's not a runaway," I blurted out. The doctor and Josie stared at me like I had grown a third eye. "I mean, he doesn't look like a runaway."

The doctor sighed. "Looks can be very deceiving. We can't dismiss that option. If he is, we'll have to contact social services and he could be sent to juvie."

"Of course," Josie piped in with scary enthusiasm. "Can we see him?" She asked, obviously changing the subject. 

"Sure, but I doubt he'll be awake because of the anesthesia," he said and clicked his shoes as he turned and walked towards the double doors. Josie and I followed him about three meters behind. 

"We aren't really going to let him put the kid in the system, are we?" Josie whispered into my ear.

I slapped her on the shoulder. "What a naughty thought. Too bad, you thought of it last." I said and walked ahead of her when she stopped and stared at me with her mouth open. A smile played on her lips as she caught up with me.

"I'm glad you're not a good person." she cooed.

A few people read my first story and I hope you'll continue to read throughout the week. If you like this you might also like my other story A Forbidden Kiss

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