Caroline|COMPLETED(L.T)

N I N E T E E N

Caroline was wide awake by the time they brought her breakfast the following morning. She tried to go to sleep during the night, but she could never seem to keep her mind at bay. Her head was filled with a bunch of 'what if's, and it kept her restless. If she did manage to get some sleep, it will only be for a good fifteen minutes before she would wake back up again. The hospital bed wasn't doing her any justice either. It was hard like a rock, and the thin sheets they gave to her allowed air to seep through it when she tried many times to seal the ends around her. The beeping from the machines kept her up as well and her mind was always messing with her, making her think the beeping was either slowing down or speeding up. She was just on edge all night, and it showed on her face and in her eyes. 

She hasn't heard from Larry all morning, but she wasn't expecting to. He was most likely still asleep, or the nurses were tending to him and giving him his breakfast. She wasn't sure if every patient got the same thing, but what she had was utterly distasteful. What was supposed to be oatmeal looked more like ground up bread and butter mixed with cinnamon. It was paired with a small container of mixed fruits and a cup of orange juice. The fruits and the juice were the only things she ate, but she didn't even eat much of it. Her appetite had gone away a while ago, but at least she was eating. 

About an hour ago a nurse came in to check her vitals to make sure nothing had changed, and everything seemed to stay the same. Now, she was just lying in bed watching television. Her body was a little sorer than it was the day before, but it was nothing she couldn't handle. It was only the second day out of a whole two weeks; she'd be okay. Larry came into her room earlier, and they just talked about anything other than the situation they were in. He came while she was eating her breakfast, and he ate her oatmeal for her. She didn't know how he could eat the flavorless grub, but he ate it like it was nothing. He constantly tried to make her laugh, and whenever he did, he just watched her in complete awe. He had a bunch of things running in his head when they were talking, and his feelings for her was one of them, but he wouldn't dare to speak on it. Given the situation she was just brought out of, he knew that the last thing she'd want to her was that he had feelings for her. Hell, she probably thought he was just like Laurent. They were blood. Not only were they blood, but they were twins. Larry knew they were nothing alike, though. Between him and Laurent, Larry had a more firm grip on what was actually reality than what his version of reality was. That's why he choose to stay separated with Laurent, and have very little contact. Laurent wasn't sane and he should've said something years ago, but it was better late than never. 

Now, Caroline was alone, and she was watching TV. SpongeBob was on, which was one of her favorite childhood shows. She never got tired of watching it, and it definitely made her morning a lot better. 

"Caroline?" One of her nurses said, peeking her head into the room. "You awake?" 

"Yes," Caroline replied, smiling as the nurse stepped into the room. "What's up?" 

"The police want to speak with you again. Is that alright with you?" 

Caroline frowned but she nodded, sitting up a little bit. "Yes, that's fine." 

The nurse nodded and she gestured for someone to come in. It was one police officer: Chief Carter. 

"Hello Caroline," he said as he stepped into the room. "How are you doing today?" 

"I'm okay, kind of," she said lightheartedly, watching as he walked over to her bed. "My ribs hurt... but I'll be fine." 

The officer's expression visibly faltered at her statement and he sighed, placing his hand on the arm of her bed. "You'll be okay, sweetheart. You'll be out of this place in no time." 

"I hope so." 

"So, I wanted to talk to you," he said, getting right to the point. "And it's about Laurent. When we went to his residence yesterday, we couldn't find him. We checked every inch of that place, inside and out, but he wasn't there. I know this isn't what you want to hear right now, but it's best if you know." 

Caroline's face fell drastically, and her body froze as she looked up at the hesitant officer, her eyes automatically welling up with tears. Her once good morning was now in shambles, and she could feel her heart drop to her stomach when he said he wasn't there. 

"W-What?" Was all Caroline managed to say, the lump in her throat keeping any other words inside of her. 

"I know this might be scary for you -" 

"Scary?" She said, cutting him off abruptly. "I'm fucking terrified. Do you know what that man d-did to me? To know that he's still out there and on the loose, it fucking terrifies me. What if he's looking for me now?" 

"I know Caroline," he said, running his hand over his beard. "That's why me and my team are still looking for him. I have a daughter your age, so I am taking this case a little personal. Even if I have to go at it alone, I will do everything in my power to find him for you. I will bring you justice, okay?" 

The officer had nothing, but truth and determination laced in his tone and Caroline nodded, blinking away the tears that formed in her eyes. "Will I go back home?"

"Actually, no," the chief said. "We went to your house yesterday to ask your mother if she knew that you were missing, but she didn't answer. We knew she was there because her car was in the driveway, and we knocked a few more times. She still didn't answer so we broke the door down and we found her doing lines of cocaine in the living room with two other people...we arrested all of them on the spot."

As bad as Caroline should've felt, she felt no remorse for her mother. Year after year, her mother abused her physically and mentally, and her only escape was going to school. Now that she wasn't there anymore, she didn't have anything to worry about. 

"So, I'm not going to live there anymore?"

"I'm afraid not. We're going to find placement for you as soon as you later discharged." 

"No," Caroline said quickly. "I want to stay with Larry. He promised to watch over me when we both got out of the hospital. He's the only person I trust right now." 

"Caroline, he's not one of your legal guardians." 

"I don't care. I'm going to be eighteen next month, there's no point in finding me placement for three weeks...can I stay with him until then?" 

Chief Carter thought for a moment, trying to figure out how the hell it was going to work. If a minor was taken from their parents or vice versa, they were to automatically be sent to Child Protective Services, unless a proven legal guardian could take them under their wing. It was against the rules to let them leave with someone that wasn't a guardian, and he could get fired for it. 

"I don't know, darling," he said, scratching the back of his neck. "That's a lot to ask. Who can say whether or not they try to take you from him?" 

"Then they'll just take me," she said quietly. "For now, I don't want to leave this hospital without him." 

The way she was speaking, Chief Carter knew she wasn't accepting no for an answer. It was a pretty risky deal, but Larry was the only person who brought her to the hospital and made sure she was okay so far. Then again, how was he to know if Larry wouldn't give Caroline's location away? That was hard to think about considering Laurent beat the shit out of Larry, too.

"Alright," he said hesitantly. "Let me get in contact with CPS, then my department. I'll get back to you soon, okay?" 

"Okay," Caroline said. "Thank you." 

The officer smiled and he turned on his heel, walking towards the door. He left her room quietly and Caroline sighed, throwing her head back against the hard pillow. Whatever he was going to speak to Larry about, she prayed that Larry wouldn't say or do anything stupid. He was her chance of getting a better life and she was going to take that chance, regardless of the circumstances.

☮️

I hope you enjoyed this one ❤️ x Rose