Unbreakable Faith - 5. Chapter 5

Unbreakable Faith

Chapter 5

Ian, who had stupidly hoped for the best, was dismayed to find himself going back home with his mother that night. He’d heard from no one and couldn’t wait to get Tony alone to see if anyone had even bothered to show up at his school. Tony’s school let out half an hour later than his and since their mother always stayed late to finish her lessons it was their father’s duty to pick the younger boy up from school.

By the time Ian and his mother walked in the door at around five Tony and his father were already there like they usually were. Tony was on his hands and knees scrubbing the kitchen floor. “Ah you’re finally home.” Richard Weaver said walking into the kitchen. “Ian go show Tony how to choose a proper switch.”

Ian nodded willing to do it because he was dying to get Tony alone. He held his hand out to Tony who looked up at him fearfully but ended up putting his hand in his and following him out of the kitchen. “And get one for yourself too.”

Anger burned through him as he’d just walked in the door and was certain he couldn’t have done anything wrong already. He led Tony outside and over to the big willow tree. “Did anything unusual happen today at school Tony?” He asked as he worked at pulling two switches from the tree.

“No,” Tony said weakly as he stood so close to Ian their bodies were touching. His eyes looking over the branches fearfully.

“No one you didn’t know came to talk to you?”

“No,”

Ian rolled his eyes and cursed himself; he prayed Nathan really had called, that Nathan wasn’t just jerking him around to have a little fun. Prayed the reason he was out getting a switch wasn’t because Nathan was reporting everything he said to his mother.

They both got a good long licking that left their bottoms very sore as they endured eating then study time which lasted a good four hours like usual. Though Ian had been hoping to make a clean break and just go up to bed, Tony dropped a glass on his way to the kitchen. Their father was on him in a heartbeat. Ian turned to see Tony, his clothes already ripped off, laying across the top of the table. He tried with all his might to go in and stop his father. Tried as the belt came down over and over again on Tony’s naked back.

Choking out a sob when he realized he couldn’t do it Ian turned away and went up the stairs. After his shower and after he was dressed Tony came running and sobbing into the room and right up into Ian’s arms. Ian cradled the sobbing child in his arms as he gently rocked him back and forth. His tears came as fast as the boy’s, hating to see anyone in so much pain and hating the fact he’d done nothing about it.

Tony fell asleep in his arms, but long after he did Ian continued to hold him. Tears still streamed down his face as his body and mind were consumed with desperation and pain. He thought frantically of another plan to get them out. Thought of running away but knew he’d not be able to care for Tony, on their own, with no money. He’d never be able to live with himself if he ran away with him then something happened to Tony.

He figured after hours of brain wracking thought that if nothing happened in the next two days he’d just call the hotline himself.

Detective John Potter parked the police cruiser in front of the high school. He looked over at his partner Jane Godwin who in turn looked back at him. “This boy,” She said quietly. “This boy has lived through what Tony lived through, this past month, for fourteen years. Go easy on him. In fact, just let me do the talking.”

“Are you saying I’m cold and callous?”

Despite her dread and feelings of sadness, she chuckled. “Yeah just a little.” Her heart was still aching over seeing Tony, such a little boy, covered in welts and bruises. But Tony’s portrayal of his ‘big brother’s’ life and how long the ‘big brother’ had lived with the Weaver’s sent shivers of terror through her. That someone could live with such hideous abuse for so long. She’d spent the last two hours learning what his life must have been like, and the thought of meeting him face to face left her feeling on edge.

“How long until the other car arrives?” she asked checking her watch, wanting to end this other boy’s torture as quickly as possible. The other car would be used to transport Mrs. Weaver, who they knew worked there, to the police station after her arrest.

“They said they’d be here in five minutes.”

“So you going to let me do the talking?”

John grinned then nodded. “I’ll be good. Trust me my heart goes out to this boy too. Even if I do talk I’m not going to be my usual hard ass self.”

Ian had just bit off a piece of his hard boiled egg when he saw four police officers walk into his mother’s classroom. His eyes widened as he slowly lowered the egg back down to its baggie not sure if what he was feeling was relief or fear. He watched in awed silence as his mother was read her rights and put in handcuffs. Listened as she cursed him out right down to the day they’d taken him in. He would have liked to have told her he hadn’t done anything but truth was he had. Rather Nathan had. His heart filled with some warmth as he realized Nathan had done what he’d said after all, that his hours of doubting the guy the night before had been completely unwarranted.

He remained as though glued to his chair in the exact same position as his mother, in handcuffs, was led from the room. He eyed the two officers remaining. One was a man and the other, a woman. He recognized neither but didn’t figure he would unless they went to his father’s church. It calmed him some to see they didn’t go there and hoped just maybe this would all work out okay.

The woman officer approached him as he eyed her. He got the feeling she was scared of him. She looked like she was approaching a rabid dog or something. He watched as she sat down in the desk next to his and watched as she smiled at him. “Hi Ian,” she said in a warm very kind voice which made him actually smile a little in return. “My name is Jane. We got a tip yesterday that things were pretty rough for you at home. We’ve been to Jefferson Elementary and have talked to your little brother. He confirmed our tip.”

Ian’s eyes widened a little more still not sure if he should be happy or scared.

Jane could read the fear on the boy’s face, could read it in the way he held his body. She noted several bruises on his face and neck and noted his bandaged hands one of them quite swollen. She wondered how no one at the school bothered to report anything sooner as she highly doubted it was the first time the kid had come to school having to display his wounds. “Things are going to be okay now Ian. These next few hours may be a little tough though. Because we need you to tell us what’s been happening to you since you’ve been with the Weaver’s and you are going to have to go to the doctor’s to get checked over. But keep in mind the more you tell the more you’re parents will pay for what they’ve done to you.”

Ian nodded still not able to find his voice.

“You want to come with us then please.”

He looked down at his lunch then slowly and precisely packed it back up. When it was re-packed he placed it gently on the edge of his mother’s desk then stood up. He silently followed the officers out of the classroom, out of the school and to the police car that was parked in the front. He turned back to the school as she opened the back door for him and saw Nathan standing on the top step.

Nathan smiled and waved at him and Ian swore he saw a tear falling down the older boy’s cheek. Ian mustered up all his courage and smiled back not wanting Nathan to know how scared he was. He didn’t want him to feel bad one bit about what he’d done for him. He waved as well as he turned back around and sat down in the back seat of the car.

Figuring he’d be taken to the police station Ian was surprised when he stepped out of the car in the front lot of the hospital. He silently followed Jane into the massive building. They stopped at a desk where a nurse was sitting. “I have Ian Weaver here. Dr. London is expecting us.”

Ian watched as she looked at him and smiled then looked back at Jane and nodded. “Go right in there.” she said pointing to a door across the hall. “Take him to the third bed on the right. I’ll let the doctor know you are here.”

They’d just walked through the door indicated when Ian heard his name being called. He turned to his right and saw Tony jumping down off a bed. Ian smiled for the first time since he’d got up that morning. Tony flew across the ER and jumped into Ian’s arms. Ian hugged him tight. “You do this Ian? You save us?”

Ian shook his head as he kissed Tony’s temple. “No Tony, a friend of mine did. A very good friend.”

“Young man,” another nurse said that had been standing over Tony when he’d left the bed, walking up to him. “You shouldn’t be jumping around like this in your condition.”

Tony looked over at her then laid his head down on Ian’s shoulder. “But this is him. This is my’s brother.”

Ian smiled again feeling warm all over that Tony had called him his brother.

The nurse smiled at Ian. “It’s nice to meet you hon. Do you think you could carry him back over to the bed? He really needs to finish getting treated.”

Ian nodded to her then carried Tony back to the bed and sat him down on it. “You gonna be a good boy?” he asked smiling into Tony’s cute little face.

Tony looked up at him his eyes wide with a big smile on his face. “Yes’s I be good Ian.”

Ian hugged him again then rejoined the officer who led him to another bed that had curtains drawn all around it. “I’ll ask you some questions if that’s okay, while we wait for the doctor.”

Nodding even though he was again very nervous Ian wrung his hands together. “Go ahead and sit up on the bed. There’s no need for you to stay on your feet.” Ian pulled himself up onto the bed. He let his feet and legs dangle over the side of the bed while she remained standing. He looked down at his hands while she walked over and stood in front of him. “How do you feel about your father Ian?” she asked gently.

He wrung his hands together fighting for the right words and the nerve to say them. After several false starts where his mouth opened and closed he finally spoke. “I know I don’t like him. I know I’m scared of him. But that’s all I really know.”

“What do you mean?” Jane asked looking up from her notepad.

He glanced up at her his eyes portraying his confusion then looked back down at his hands. “Well I just don’t know what to think about how he treated me, at first I was sure it was wrong, back when I was little. But then at some point I just figured that’s the way things were. I didn’t start doubting it again until Tony showed up.” He looked up at her again this time holding eye contact for a good three seconds. “I guess it’s different when you see it happening to someone else. Like you can step outside of the situation and look at it more rationally.”

Jane nodded getting an idea that this was a very bright boy she was talking to. “Did you just resign yourself to the fact that it was your life? Before Tony came along I mean?”

Ian nodded.

“Did something happen to make you do that or did it just happen over time?”

“Something happened.” he mumbled.

“What?”

He let out a long sigh and told her what he’d told Nathan in the library about the other eight hundred number he called. He decided to give her a little more detail about what had happened after the people left the house. “My dad was so mad,” he shook his head shivering at the memory. “I was locked in the basement for a week, after I had received a good long punishment. I spent the whole week mad at myself for being so foolish. For believing there was something wrong with it. For maybe thinking too highly of myself.”

Jane shook her head and put her hand on his knee which he took for about a second before he moved his knee out from under her hand. “Oh honey, I’m so sorry. Those people, the ones that came to your house. They were the ones that were wrong not you. You know that now don’t you?”

“I don’t know,” he said honestly as he shook his head again. “I’ll probably wait to see how things turn out this time until I decide on that.”

Jane nodded knowing no matter what she told him or how she tried to comfort him that he had a right to how he was feeling and decided it would probably be best for him to figure it out for himself. “How often were you punished?”

“At least once a day. Sometimes more.”

She wrote that down feeling a little sick as she’d not suspected that much. She was expecting more like once a week. “The whole time? I mean did it increase as you got older?”

“No, it was always that much.”

“And what sort of things did he say that he was punishing you for?”

Tilting his head to one side while still staring at his hands he took another deep breath. “Well, making a mess, not cleaning something good enough, leaving something out, talking when I wasn’t supposed to, not talking when I was supposed to, not learning something properly, messing up on my homework, not paying close enough attention to Services...”

“Church services?”

“Yeah, he used to quiz me after service, to see if I was paying attention. If I didn’t get the answer right I was punished.”

“What about your mom Ian. Where was she when all this was going on?”

“Sometimes she was there, sometimes she wasn’t.”

“Did she ever hit you?”

Ian nodded. “Yeah but not bad, she just used to slap me sometimes.”

“But she never tried to stop any of these punishments?”

He shook his head and looked up at her again. “I don’t know this ma’am but I always got the feeling she enjoyed seeing me get in trouble. That may just be my imagination I don’t know but it was just how I felt.”

“Did either of your parents ever tell you they loved you?” She saw an incredible look of pain come into his eyes before he lowered his head again and shook it. She looked down to his hands where one hand was picking at the bandage on the other, her heart going out to the kid.

“You told Tony that a friend called the hotline. How did that come about?”

Crossing his legs at the ankles Ian glanced back up at her. “This guy at school, he asked me one day if I was okay, if I was being treated okay. He saw something that got him worried I guess. Since he saw it he came up to me a few other times and told me I had options. That there were people that could help. At first I didn’t want to hear it. But then Tony came into the picture and I reconsidered. I asked him if he’d call. That way if it turned out bad I could honestly say I hadn’t called and hopefully, since he did it anonymously, it wouldn’t come back on me at all.”

They both looked over as a doctor walked in through the curtains. Ian grew even more nervous not wanting to be looked at though he knew he’d do whatever was asked of him. He had to try and be good. Had to show these people he wasn’t as bad as his father thought he was.

“Hello Ian,” the man said stepping up to him and holding out his hand. “I’m Dr. London.”

Ian reached out and shook the man’s hand quickly before he let go of it and put his hand back in his lap.

“How do you feel?”

“I feel alright.” He answered quietly.

Easily seeing the boy’s fear, the doctor used his kindest voice. “Mind if I take off these bandages and have a look at your hands?”

Ian shook his head. The doctor held out his own hand and Ian held out his. Dr. London took the swollen hand and held it gently by the wrist as he reached into his coat and pulled out a small pair of scissors. He slowly cut through the bandage and then peeled it away.

Trying not to sound as shocked as he was feeling he asked. “What happened here Ian?” he asked while still looking over the red wound that went the entire way through the hand as well as the swollen tissue around it.

“My father nailed me to the cross.”

The doctor’s and Jane’s heads both snapped up their eyes wide. Ian swallowed hard not sure of what they were thinking.

“You mean he put a nail through your hand?”

Ian nodded.

“And then nailed it to a cross?” the doctor asked his stomach doing a sickening flop.

“Yes sir,”

“How long did he leave you there?” Jane asked from behind the doctor.

“I don’t know, I think it was like twenty four hours.”

“And what did you do wrong?”

“My prayer wasn’t right. I was being too needy.”

Jane made notes not missing the rehearsed sound to Ian’s words. Words she imagined he’d heard so many times he simply could reiterate the hateful words on command.

Dr. London who was manipulating the hand poked in certain areas and moved the fingers around. “Does this hurt son?”

“Yes sir,”

“Your hand is broken. I don’t think it’s from the nail. Did something else happen?”

Turning red Ian nodded. “I wouldn’t hold my hand still so he could do it.” He shook his head. “I was too scared.”

“It’s alright Ian; you are not going to get in any trouble.” Jane said sensing by his tone of voice that he was expecting to be in trouble for not obeying what his father had wanted.

“So what did he do?” The doctor asked.

“He hit it with the hammer.”

Dr. London picked up the clipboard he’d set by Ian on the bed after he’d walked in. “Well we’ll need to get this x-rayed. I’m surprised you’ve been able to use it at all. Are you right handed?”

“Yes sir,”

“And you still wrote out your assignments since this happened?”

“Yes sir,”

The doctor shook his head amazed that was even possible. Ian made the connection that that must be the reason why his writing had suddenly gotten so bad. It hadn’t been his fault at all. In fact it had been his father’s. Not entirely his father’s as Ian had been wrong to do whatever he’d been punished for in the first place but still he had to take what he could get.

After checking over his other hand the doctor walked to a cupboard in the room and pulled out a blue and white Jonnie. “Put this on, we’ll leave you alone for a few minutes.”

Ian waited until he was alone in his square of curtains then lowered himself off the bed. He peeled off his clothes in dread and slipped on the Jonnie. He wasn’t sure which side the opening was supposed to go on and took a guess it should go in the back. He folded his clothes up neatly and set them on a chair that was in the room having no idea where else he should put them. He rolled his socks up and put them in his shoes then slid them under the chair.

Climbing back up on the bed he got into the same position he’d been in before changing making sure the gown stayed closed in the back. A few minutes later the doctor and the officer returned. He noticed a camera in her hand and worked up the nerve to ask about it. “What’s that for ma’am?” he asked pointing to it.

“Evidence Ian, I need to take pictures of what condition you’re in.”

He nodded not really wanting to know exactly what all that meant.

“I need to lower this okay?” the doctor asked stepping up in front of him.

Though he wanted to say no he nodded wondering why he’d been asked to put it on in the first place if he’d planned on just taking it right back off. His face burned in shame as the gown was lowered down onto his lap and Jane started snapping pictures. The doctor poked and prodded his chest then did the same to his back. He whistled several long low whistles as he worked and shook his head an awful lot.

“Okay son I need you to lie down on the bed and roll up on your side.”

Ian lowered his upper body down onto the bed and situated himself up onto his side. The doctor walked around behind him and Ian jumped feeling the man’s hand on his butt. “What are you doing?” He asked propping himself up on his elbow and looking back at the man.

“I just need to check something son. It will just take a minute.”

Ian looked at him for another thirty seconds then going on his own advice to behave he lay back down. He curled his arms up to his chest and curled up his toes as he felt his ass cheeks being parted. Another long whistle came out of the doctor and tears started out of Ian’s eyes. He knew what the doctor was seeing and he was filled with a deep shame.

Jane appeared in front of him and set the camera down on the table by the bed. She put her hand on his head and ran her fingers through his hair. “Its okay hon, this will be over in just a little while okay?”

Ian nodded not able to stop the tears that dripped across his face and onto the pillow. He felt only marginally better when he was covered in a blanket a few minutes later. The doctor reappeared in front of him and stood by Jane. “Well I’m going to need you to stay here at least for tonight. I think you’ve got several bruised or fractured ribs. You need x-rays and you need some more tests. Do you want to tell me what happened to your bottom?”

Ian shook his head his shame billowing around him again.

“Can you tell me if it was your father that did it?”

Ian nodded.

“Did he use part of himself or something else?”

“Something else.” Ian mumbled pressing his face further into the pillow.

“Was it a one time thing or did it happen often?” Jane asked.

“Just once.”

“How long ago?”

“About a month.”

“Okay,” the doctor patted his leg. “You rest up here for a little while. I’ll come back and get you when the radiology department gets an opening. Shouldn’t be too long. Are you hungry?”

“No sir.”

“Well just let someone know if you do get hungry.” The doctor walked off but Jane stayed behind.

“I’m going to call social services. You’ll be assigned a caseworker that will find a nice place for you to go. She should come and see you this evening. Do you have any other questions for me now?”

Ian shook his head again. “No I don’t think so.” He just wanted to be left alone for a little while, to try and overcome his deep feelings of shame and regain a little composure.

He spent the afternoon being poked, prodded and x rayed. It was well after dark by the time he was wheeled to an actual room and given some dinner. He barely tasted it as it went down as the afternoon’s events had made him even more fearful than he’d been that morning. He didn’t know what to expect, didn’t know where he’d be the next day and after an afternoon of being gawked at by doctors and nurses wasn’t so sure he’d made the right decision at all.

His hand had indeed been broken and he found it very difficult to maneuver his knife and fork with the large cast that covered his arm from his elbow up to the base of his fingers. His torso was also wrapped in bandages as he had several fractured ribs. He assumed from the incident with the board the night he’d refused to go cut a switch to be used on Tony.

The doctor had said he had several other badly healed bones and would have to have operations to correct them. But that could be done sometime in the near future.

When his social worker, whom he’d met the day before showed up the next morning he was all dressed and waiting for her. “Where’s Tony ma’am?” he asked having not heard a thing about him since seeing him the day before.

“Tony was taken to the children’s home last night.”

“The orphanage?” Ian asked his heart filling with pain.

“No, the children’s home is a little different. Much more cheerful. They only take in kids between the ages of three and seven. They’ll find him a foster home or adoptive parents. He’ll be just fine I promise.”

“Will I get to see him again?”

“If you want hon.”

Ian nodded. “I do want to.”

“We’ll work it out.” Betty Cohen said smiling at him. “Now you are going to be going to a group home.”

“What’s a group home?”

“It’s another place where kids go that are awaiting foster placements. The kids are ages 13 to 17. There will be seven other boys in the house you are going to. The house parents are very nice. They live right here in town so you don’t have to worry about changing schools. In fact you probably already know most of the boys there from school.”

“Is my mother still teaching at my school?”

“No, she’s been suspended pending a trial. I’m sure even after the trial whatever the results she will not return there.”

The doctor came into the room and gave him some last minute instructions. “I’m giving you some pills for pain but don’t take any more than four a day, one every six hours. I want to see you again in two weeks for a follow up and at that time we can talk more about the surgeries. I don’t want you to participate in any sports or phys ed for the time being. We can re-evaluate in two weeks and go from there. If you have any problems at all, if something starts hurting more, if you feel dizzy or nauseous then tell one of your house parents. I’ve written out a list of instructions for them and they’ll know to call me.”

Ian nodded trying to take all this information in. The doctor smiled at him and laid a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“You’ll do fine I’m sure. You are a very strong person. I can’t believe you were functioning at all with the wounds I saw yesterday. I have no doubt you’ll fully recover, you’ve already gotten through the toughest part. The only thing you have to do now is heal.” He removed his hand from a blushing Ian’s shoulder and handed a white bag with the pills and instructions in it over to Betty.