A Child's Haven - 39. Chapter 39

I called dad and left a message with his secretary. “She said she’d tell him as soon as he’s finished with the case before him.” I told Murray and O’Shea, “You should go out to the house to make sure nothing is disturbed.” They left without drinking their coffee.

Tony looked at me, “I’ve got that feeling again. I hope that boy is still alive.” Tony looked at me, quizzically. “He has already contacted his lawyer, and I’m sure he’s probably in on it as well. They’ll try and move that kid, and heaven knows what’ll happen to him.”

“Brad, you scare me with those feelings. I hope you’re wrong.”

Tony and I waited for what seemed like hours. We must’ve drunk at least two pots of coffee. After 4 hours, there was a knock on our door. I looked at Tony. When I opened the door, there was Murray, and he was crying, “Come on, the kid’s at the hospital.”

“I’ll drive. We’ll follow you.”

Tony brought the car around, I got in, and we followed Murray and O’Shea with the sirens sounding.

I rushed into the hospital’s emergency room and asked about the boy the police just brought in. “I’m sorry, sir, we can’t give out that information unless your family.”

“I’m the only family that boy has.” As I was finishing, dad called. “Dad, we found another boy who was sold as a slave. The guy the police brought in this afternoon from the play had another boy locked in his basement, feeding him dog food. When I found this out, Murray and O’Shea went to the house and interrupted him being killed. The police have those men, and the boy is in the hospital. They won’t tell me anything. Dad, that boy needs treatment.”

“Give the phone to the nurse.”

“Here, my dad wants to talk to you.”

“I’m sorry, sir we …. Yes, sir, I’ll see to it immediately!”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Williams, I’m only following my orders.”

“Can you tell me where he is, and are there doctors attending him?”

“He’s in room 42, and he hasn’t been assigned to any doctors because we couldn’t find his next of kin.”

“I don’t care what you do, but you get the best doctor you can and get him here by the time I reach his room! If he dies, I’ll sue this hospital for every penny they have and fire the staff. And if you think I can’t do that, then you’re mistaken!”

“Tony, get a copy of the Board of Directors, the administrator, and the name of every doctor in this hospital. If they won’t give you that information, call my dad and get a subpoena and then notify every paper in town.”

I ran to room 42. When I entered, I cried, big sobbing tears, a nurse came in, “I’m sorry sir, you can’t be in here.”

I gave her a look that could kill." If you value your job, you have two minutes to get a doctor in here. Bring me a basin of warm water and some wash clothes and towels NOW!”

She ran and yelled for security, what a mistake. Murray and O’Shea showed up in uniform. “There’s a mad man in there; he told me to get a doctor here in 2 minutes and washcloths and warm water, he’s mad.”

“Lady, if you want to continue nursing, I’d do as he says, or your career is over, and if that boy in there dies, you’ll be arrested for malfeasance.”

Murray and O’Shea stood outside the door to room 42. A minute later, the nurse came running with a doctor and some towels and warm wipes. “Are you a doctor?”

“Yes, I’m head of pediatrics.”

“You better save that child, or you will lose your position in this hospital. That man will spend his millions ruining your career and the hospital’s reputation.”

The doctor looked at Murray as he entered the room. Then, they heard a loud “Nurse” from the room.

“Nurse, what the hell is going on; this boy is critically traumatized. Why is he so dirty? Someone should have cleaned him?”

Brad took the wet clothes and gently wiped the boy’s face. “You don’t have to worry anymore. You’re safe now. I’ll take care of you.”

“Sir, I’m Dr. Franks, the Chief of Pediatrics. Could you please step aside so I may exam the lad?”

Brad stepped aside and watched as the doctor began to exam the boy. “Nurse, I want a MIR on this boy, a full blood workup, a rape kit, and a sample of his stomach. Tell the lab I want it within the hour, or I’ll come down there. Why are you standing there? Move and send in another nurse!”

“So you’re Judge Williams’s son, can you tell me what had happened.”

“There has been a child slave operation running in the city. I run Sanctuary, which takes these kids in and essentially keeps them safe. Yesterday, I took the kids to see Lion King, while they’re one of my kids identified a man who was an active participant in the slave trade. There was a kid with him who he treated very badly. A few of the kids identified the kid. I told our police security; they made the arrest. We took the kid to Sanctuary, and he told one of the other kids that there was a boy in the basement. His description was so accurate I sent our security police to the man’s house, and they found some men who were trying to eliminate the boy.”

“I’ll personally take charge of this boy. I’ll keep you informed.”

The door opened, and two guys came in. They carefully lifted the boy onto the bed and wheeled him out of the room. Murray, O’Shea, and I went to the visitor’s room. “Tony, go back to Sanctuary. Someone needs to be there for the boys. Please don’t say anything about finding the boy.”

Tony hugged me, “Don’t worry, he’s in good hands.”

I sat down, and Murray handed me a large black coffee. I knew it was going to be a long night. I must have drifted off. Murray shook me, “The doctor’s coming.”

“Mr. Williams, we’re going to keep him here for a while. The MIR showed some bowel problems, and we’d like to clear that. He has a few broken ribs, which happened recently. There are no internal injuries, but he does have some serious infections showing up in his blood work. A rape test showed some tearing but no semen. He does have a serious case of worms.”

“What kind of infection, is it HIV?

“No, it isn’t, but it’s a transmissible disease associated with sex, and it’s curable.”

“So, how long will he be here?”

“At least two weeks”

“I’d like a private room and a 24-hour nurse. I’ll provide 24-hour security. He has a lot of valuable information, and the people in this racket are rich and powerful. Will that be a problem?”

“No, we have a special wing for security reasons. I’ll assign nurses to be with him 24 hours, and yes, you can provide private security.”

“I also would like to limit visitors to myself and anyone I bring with me. Don’t be surprised if I spend a few days here. You’ll keep me informed of his progress?”

“Certainly, and if you have any questions, you can call me. Here’s my card.”

“Brad, come on, we’ll take you home, and then after you have slept a while, we’ll bring you back.”

I let Murray and O’Shea take me home. When I entered Sanctuary, Tony was waiting for me with Jeff. I brought them up to date, and they helped me to my cocoon. I didn’t want to fall asleep, but I was too exhausted to refuse. Tonight sleep was a blessing. It seemed I just fell asleep when Tony woke me. “Brad it’s 3 in the afternoon, get a shower and have something to eat, and Murray will take you to the hospital.”

My body didn’t want to move, but I wanted to get to the hospital to determine if there were any changes. I took a shower, which helped, shaved, and went to the dining hall for coffee. When I entered the dining hall, all the kids were there. Jeff brought me a coffee and a plate of eggs, toast, and bacon. Even Sandy was there. “Tony, why are all these kids here?”

“Because, they’re worried about you; you’re their father, the only parent they have had. When you are sad, they feel that. You need to say something to them even if it’s you telling each child you love them.”