Bad Things Happen

Therapy!

A/N: This chapter is going to start revealing things about Laurens' past. Warning: angst as usual. Abuse, and mentions of abandonment.

Washington had scheduled for Laurens to start therapy after school. John was dreading it, but Washington said it helped Alexander and Lafayette. He could at least give it a try.

After school, Laurens went into the courtyard by his tree to draw.
Martha had already picked up Alex and Laf, John was just waiting for Washington to finish. He would take him to his session later.
He finished drawing the picture he had started when he thought he was going to Boston. It was amazing, he was very gifted.
Washington finished and made his way to his car. When Laurens saw him, he jumped up and followed.
The entire car ride there was silent. Washington knew Laurens didn't like to talk, and didn't want to have a one way conversation with himself.

When they arrived, Laurens went in and sat down in the lobby. Washington went to talk with the receptionist, before returning and sitting next to Laurens.

"Don't worry, Dr. Reynolds is a good man. He's the same one who treated Alexander and Lafayette. You can relax." Washington tried to calm the boy, he was clearly nervous.

A few moments passed before a man walked through the door.

"John Laurens?"

Washington and Laurens got up and walked through the doorway. It lead into a hall where another man met them.

"Hello John, my name is Dr. Reynolds. Would you be so kind as to follow me?"

Laurens nodded and walked into a room with him. The room wasn't very big, but it wasn't exactly small either. It had a few arm chairs, a sofa, a bookshelf full of stories and toys, and a small table with three chairs in the corner.

"So it says here that you like to go by Laurens and that you don't really speak much. Have you considered a speech therapist?"

Laurens was annoyed with the same question Washington had asked him the other day. "I can speak just fine." He gave the same answer.

"Well, then. Let's start there. How come you don't talk, is there a reason or do you just like to keep to yourself?"

"I've lived in many places where I wasn't allowed to speak." Laurens sighed. 

"Ok," Reynolds said as he wrote in a notebook. "How come you go by Laurens?"

"I had a foster father named John. He didn't want an orphan being called his name."

"Did he actually tell you that?" Reynolds asked.

Laurens nodded. He was sad on the inside, but he learned to get over it. Everyone he ever knew had let him down. He was used to the rejection at this point.

"What about the foster system, can I hear some stories?"

Laurens shook his head.

"Can you tell me about your father?"

Laurens kept his head down. He knew he would have to go out of his comfort zone with this, but he hated having to talk about his father. After everything he did to him. How that man abused him since he was two years old.

"Ok, why don't you wait here, and I will be right back." Reynolds suggested. He then got up and left the room.

The man went back into the waiting room where he saw Washington.

"Mr. Washington, could I have a word with you?"

Washington got up and followed Reynolds to his office.

"I'm having some trouble getting to him. I'm afraid he's not opening up as well as I had hoped."

"What do you mean?" Washington asked.

"Well you see, Lafayette, opened up to me very quickly. He was only in the foster system for almost two years before he went to live with you, and he didn't have as much abuse to cope with, some but not a lot."

Washington nodded his head, remembering when Lafayette was in therapy.

"Alexander, had a much harder time opening up to me, it took me weeks before we figured out something. He was in the foster system for three years, and since he is such a...." Reynolds searched for the right words. "Strong willed, young man. He went to many more homes, and had to deal with many more problems."

Washington wasn't quite sure where he was going with this, but continued listening.

"Laurens has been in the foster system for twelve years. He has been to countless homes and has dealt with much more than a boy his age should have to endure in a lifetime. He's been beaten, yelled at, cursed at. He is not ready to be reliving that quite yet, and I don't know where to start. He seems like he's in a constant state of fear."

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that." Washington said disappointed, he really hoped Laurens would talk to a professional.

"I'm sure in time we will figure something out, I can start experimenting tomorrow."

Reynolds went back to the room where he left Laurens. They walked back to the waiting room and Washington talked with Reynolds one last time before they left.

"What did he say?" Laurens asked once they were in the car.

"Well, he told me what you told him, and I'm sorry for trying to get you to go to a speech therapist. He also told me why you go by Laurens." Washington answered his question.

Laurens stayed quiet for the rest of the car ride home. He felt different, but not in a good way. Like as if he hadn't been helped at all. He didn't know what Washington and Reynolds talked about when they were in the doctor's office. Laurens wishes for the same thing he did everyday. That his mother was still alive.

963 words.