Turmoil | Spruceworth 5.1 (#Wattys2018)

Chapter 46

Chapter 46

Holden

       Work sucked.

       Like always.

       With all the stress I had been going through the past couple days had been causing my memory to not be that great, so I was forgetting a lot of orders and even forgetting to write down orders. Thankfully, my boss did know about my condition so he didn't get mad with me constantly messing up. He just sent me home early and then gave me the next two days off so I could relax a bit.

       I definitely needed it, especially since my little brother was being labeled as a murderer and a liar. Most people honestly didn't care what was happening with the whole Julian-Cassidy-Shaw situation. But there were some people who wouldn't stop talking about him. Saying how he was the most selfish and cruel person living in the village; how he killed someone and was willing to let another person, a father to three kids, go to jail.

       And I really didn't like how people, mostly strangers, were saying this about someone who was so messed up because of the things Cassidy caused. He used to be this happy and cheerful and funny guy. And now he was just quiet and sad.

       It really hurt us Eatons seeing Julian like this.

       I didn't want to just stand off to the side while Julian struggles so I had to do something about it. Well, not really me since I didn't know exactly what he was going through, but someone who could really sympathize with him.

       While I was walking home from work, I pulled out my cell phone and called Shaw. He shortly answered, saying, "Alright, Holden, why are you calling during work? You do remember you can get in trouble from it, right?"

       "Yes, I'm quite aware of that," I said. "To answer your question, I was messing up a lot of orders so I was sent home and I get the next two days off."

       "Is everything okay?" Shaw asked.

       "Yeah, my memory just isn't the greatest right now," I said. "Which is kind of why I'm calling you. I've been so stressed the past couple of days seeing Julian so... broken. Not himself. And out of every single person I know, you're probably the only one who can actually relate to him."

       "So you want me to talk to him and try to get him to go back to his normal self?" Shaw asked.

       "Or at least close to his normal self," I said. "Please?"

       "Yeah, of course I will," Shaw said. "If I had someone talk to me that understood what I was going through at that age, there would be a lot of things I wouldn't have done that I regret so much."

       "Thank you," I said. "You are the..." I stopped both walking and talking when I thought that I heard a certain sound. I listened carefully, and the sound was clearly there in the alleyway I was standing by.

       "Holden?" Shaw asked. "Are you okay?"

       "Uh, yeah, I'm fine," I said as I walked into the alleyway, following the sound. When I found the source, I crouched down in front of it. "Can you meet me at the hospital?"

       "The hosptial? What's going on? Are you sure you're fine?"

       "Shaw, I am fine. It's not for me. Just... Meet me there, okay?"

       "Okay, I'll see you there," he said in a confused tone before hanging up.

       I placed my phone in my pocket, looking in front of me at the crying baby laying in a box with nothing but a blanket wrapped around it. The baby couldn't have been over a week old.