Home is Where You Feel Safe (Camp Camp Dadvid)

Hospital

David was sat in a hospital room, waiting for the two to wake up. They were in the same room, the hospital beds just a few feet away from each other. Gwen had gone to get food for them when they did wake. David couldn't believe that Max was here. The doctors said that he had to get stitches in his head, multiple bones in his elbow were shattered, his ankle was sprained, his spine was severely damaged, a fractured collar bone, and he was covered in bruises. The doctors accused him of abuse but David had to explain that the two of them just showed up at his house. The other kid was injured as well. David didn't actually know how to address the other child. Everything appearance-wise would point to female, but the doctors said that they were wearing a makeshift binder. David would ask what they preferred but the binder broke three ribs on the kid. They also had a fractured and dislocated jaw, broken nose, dislocated shoulder, and just as many bruises as Max. Both of them were also extremely malnourished. Why didn't Max tell me? David thought He was just suffering in silence. He doesn't deserve this. Nobody does.

David was shaken out of his thoughts when he heard groaning. He looked up to see the other kid sitting up and looking around the room. "Hello, how are you feeling?" David said as he stood up to walk over to them. The child flinched and backed away from David, their eyes only held terror and fear. David stopped moving and said in the nicest tone he could, "It's okay, you're in a hospital. You two were pretty beaten up. Do you remember what happened?" The kid then looked around the room and stopped when they saw Max. They seemed to relax after that. They looked at David and said, "Are you David?" David sat down on Max's bed and said, "Yes, and if you don't mind, can I ask what pronouns I should use for you?" As soon as the question leaves David's mouth, the kid's eyes started dumping tears as if they didn't even realize it. They put their hands to their face to try to stop the tears that won't stop. David feels guilty and asks, "I'm sorry did I-" "No! No, you're fine. It's just that... nobody even asked me that before or even considered." They finally wipe all the tears from their face and continue, "I would like to use he/him. My name is James." As he said his name, he stuck his hand out. David shook it and said, "It's nice to meet you, James. Oh! I almost forgot! How are you feeling? Sore? Does talking hurt?" James tilts his head in confusion and says, "I'm not the one hurt. Max is. You should help him first." David replies, "He hasn't woken up yet. And besides, you were hurt too. You both needed help. And by the looks of it, you both still need help." David was cut off by the sound of a sob. He looked up at James to see that he was bawling as much as before. David was about to apologize when he heard, "Great job, David. You made the second least crier to cry." David turns his head to see Max's eyes open and looking straight back at him. "Hey, buddy! You okay?" David asks. Max rolls his eyes and says, "Does it look like I'm okay?" David was once again cut off by the sound of the door opening. David knew exactly who it was, so he didn't bother turning. He was able to see that the two both flinched and their heads turned fast as the door opened.

"Oh hey, Max." David heard from behind him. Gwen then placed the food on a table and walked over to sit on James's bed. Gwen couldn't help but notice that the two children were eyeing the food that she had brought in with her. They were clearly trying not to look at it but when they did, their mouths would water a little. Gwen huffed slightly and walked over to bring the food to them. They held it and just looked at it and then James looked back at Gwen. Gwen just stares and wonders why they aren't eating. They seemed so hungry earlier. She looked at David to see that he was thinking. Suddenly, he perks up like he has an idea and then says, "You guys know that you're allowed to eat, right?" By the time Gwen turned back towards the kids, they had started devouring their food. They were eating it so fast like it was the best thing that they had ever had, even though it was just some shitty hospital stale sandwiches and applesauce.

That really made Gwen and David worry. Wherever the two of them were staying, they were not allowed to eat until told to. Or at least they were restricted. Then David wondered how they got their wounds. Those kinds of wounds couldn't have happened on accident. He thinks that maybe some of the bigger injuries could have been caused by playing or a fall, but those bruises were too prominent and there were too many of them. There was one more thing that was concerning David. It was something that the doctors and nurses didn't even notice. Gwen didn't even seem to know. It wasn't their puffy, tear-stained eyes. It wasn't the heavy bags under their eyes. It wasn't the old blanket Max was wrapped in when he first saw them. It wasn't even the fact that the two were acting like nothing unusual happened.

Even though all of those things were making David worry, nothing was as worrying as the faint scars that littered both of their arms.