Kelly hung up the phone with Kana and went to join Riley and Gen in the hospital courtyard that was built off the ICU. Riley folded her in his arms and kissed her temple. Kelly looked up at Gen, his face pale and expressionless.
“He meant to tell you,” she said.
“Why didn’t he, then?” Gen said, his voice low, throat raw and sore.
“Because he was scared.” Gen’s eyes fell on her, dark and hollow. She sighed. “When you first started talking and he was tutoring you, I advised him that he needed to tell you right away, in case a friendship developed, which was something I didn’t want at the time. I didn’t exactly have the most positive opinion of you, recall. I knew you were older and I was worried that maybe you would take advantage of him. Obviously, I was wrong and I’m very happy about that. Anyway, your relationship progressed and when he still hadn’t told you, I asked why, and he said he had tried a couple of times but it just couldn’t come out. The closest he ever came was when he was on the phone with you when you were working in your garage.”
They had been talking about Julie, how she was an early-in.
“Then, your relationship got sexual and he panicked. He said if you knew now, you’d leave him for sure and he didn’t want that. He had fallen in love with you and if you had left him because he wasn’t seventeen yet, he would have been devastated.”
Gen’s eyes closed and he pinched the bridge of his nose. “That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard,” he said.
“Which part? The leaving him part, or him being devastated?”
“My leaving him,” Gen opened his eyes, staring at her. “Why the fuck would I leave him just because he’s sixteen?”
Kelly opened her mouth to reply but he stopped her.
“Do you know what a close-in-age exemption is?”
“Uh–um–”
“If the two consenting partners are within a certain age range, and one of them is still below the age of consent, which is seventeen in this state, then there are no repercussions. It allows me and Mika to sleep together without me ending up in jail.”
“When did you learn all this?” Riley asked.
“A couple months ago,” Gen said. “I knew he wasn’t eighteen, I figured that out from the very beginning when Jolene threatened kidnapping charges. I just wasn’t positive if he was seventeen or not. If he was only sixteen, I wanted to know what I was risking. Don’t get me wrong, it’s worth the risk being with him, I just wanted to know what to expect. I read about the exemption and, since I’m nineteen, I knew I was safe. We both were.”
“So then you already knew?” Riley said.
Gen ran a hand through his mohawk, letting it rest on the back of his neck. “I’m not that great at algebra, but I can still do basic math. Plus, he’s good at verbal gymnastics, the same as the rest of my family. You have to be when you have secrets to keep. He never said how old he was when Thomas showed up, but he did tell me how old he was when he first started getting molested. I also took into account Ben’s age, he’s six, and then how long ago Yuki died. Bam…pretty little number of sixteen. Of course there were other factors I considered, but…yeah.”
He folded his arms, leaning up against the railing for the wheelchair ramp. “It just was a shock hearing it said out loud, I guess. Especially like this…”
Kelly and Riley exchanged a look. Gen rolled his eyes.
“Don’t think I didn’t worry about it, damn. I’m not a creeper, okay? I’m not into little boys.”
“We never thought that!” Kelly said, waving her hands. “Believe me, we never even considered you as one of those pervs!”
“Hope not,” Gen muttered, his gaze going over her head. “I’m in love with Mika for who he is. His age doesn't really matter at this point. Plus, I think his birthday is coming up soon, isn’t it?”
Kelly nodded. “In September.”
Gen swallowed, his Adam’s Apple bouncing up and down. “Maybe…maybe we can throw him a party…” his voice faded away and his face crumpled. His hands covered his face and Kelly took him into a hug, letting his head fall to her shoulder.
“Yeah,” she said, fighting back her own tears. “We’ll throw him a huge party.”
“I’ll do the cooking.”
Gen stood up straight, seeing his father and sister approaching him, their arms outstretched. Don held his son tightly as Gen sobbed, Kana wrapped her arms around Kelly, letting her young friend cry on her shoulder.
“It’s going to be okay,” Kana said, soothingly, trying to keep her own tears in check but failing. “Mika’s strong, stronger than we give him credit for at times. He’ll pull out of this, I know it.”
When Gen’s sobs had subsided, Don held him at arm’s length. “You’re gonna be okay, kid. Mika’s going to survive this, you know that, right?”
Gen nodded, his chin quivering, his lower lip gripped in his teeth.
“I do have some good news for you guys, for what it’s worth,” he said. Gen looked at him, expectantly.
“Thomas was arrested at his girlfriend’s house on the west side of town. He tried to put up a fight but lost. He was covered in scratches and cuts, his shirt ripped to hell and a bruise on his jaw.” He grinned. “Mika fought back.”
Kelly put her hands to her face and Riley wrapped his arm around her. Gen’s eyes lit up.
“He was taken in after the EMT’s treated him at the scene. He was pissed off and loud, but he didn’t get violent. He had some choice words to say about Mika, Jo, and you, Gen. He really does not like you.”
“Feeling’s mutual.”
“He’s being held on charges of kidnapping, torture, domestic assault, and attempted murder.”
“Wait, what do you mean ‘torture’?” Riley said.
Don lit a cigarette. “Jolene made a statement.” He looked at Gen, his eyes hard. “You’re not going to like what I have to tell you, kid. But you need to hear it. All of you do.”
-*-
Five hours before, Jolene was hurrying after Doctor Teresa Hart, calling out for her.
“Terry, please,” she begged.
“I told you, Jolene,” Dr. Hart said, her pace not slowing. “If that boy came in one more time–”
“Terry, it was an accident, just an accident, I swear!”
“--I would call the cops. First of all, I’m a mandated reporter and it’s my duty to report any suspected child abuse or domestic violence.”
“But–”
“And secondly!” Teresa cut her off, jabbing her finger in the direction Mika was having emergency surgery. “That’s my nephew in there!” She glared at her younger sister, white hot anger behind her eyes. “For years you allowed that monster to hurt him and you did nothing. You stood back and let it happen, and then played it all off to the officials that he was just an accident prone kid. How fucking stupid do you think we all are, Jo? Especially after what Thomas did to him today!”
She slapped Mika’s chart on the nurse’s station, making the woman behind the counter jump. All of a sudden, she needed coffee, she said. She got up and left.
“Dislocated jaw, busted lip, two teeth knocked out, skull fracture, multiple, multiple facial contusions.” She stared at Jolene as she continued. “Three ligature marks around his neck and throat, chest contusions, three cracked ribs, punctured lung, multiple cuts from a large cutting implement, and let’s not forget all the old scars he decided to cut open just for fun. Shall I continue?”
“Terry, please–”
“Well, if you insist! Bruises all over his back, bruised hip, cracked fingernails, one of which was completely torn off, by the way. Multiple bruises on his arms, rope burns on both wrists, broken radius in his right arm, a fractured pinky on his left hand, bruises all over his legs, dislocated kneecap, lacerations to his calves and inner thighs, and one great big intercostal stab wound that was torn all to hell when he twisted and yanked the fucking blade out. He looks like he got run over by a goddamn semi truck!” She took two steps toward her sister, getting right in her face. “And let’s not forget the burns, the whip marks, the internal bleeding, and the word ‘faggot’ cut into his stomach.” She spat the offensive word right into her sister’s face.
Jolene stood there, shaking, her lips moving with no sound.
“Tell me, Jolene Calhoun, of these injuries, which ones were caused by the ‘accident’? I want to make sure the lie is believable in my report.”
“Terry, I swear to you, it was an accident. Mika…he got in the way and…”
“You are unbelievable,” Teresa shook her head and began to walk away.
Jolene crossed her arms, her leg bouncing. She was going to lose everything if she didn’t get Teresa to change that report. But Mika…she looked down the hall to the OR where her oldest was now laying under the careful blades and sutures of the best surgeons in the state. Thomas had gone too far, she knew that. She realized she might have as well. She watched as her sister walked away from her, intent on giving Mika the care and attention Jolene never did.
She gritted her teeth. She had failed…failed miserably. For the first time in years, she decided to do the first right thing by Mika, and tell the truth. Or at least…most of it.
“He just wanted to talk…”she said weakly.
Terry stopped.
“Thomas, he just wanted to talk. About the divorce and the custody arrangement, all of it. He came over last night after everyone was asleep. He said it was to make sure it could just be us and the kids didn’t have to be disturbed, you know? Well, we started drinking and…” she gulped as she saw Terry’s shoulders tense but she pushed on. “He went into Mika’s room and just…he…he just started punching him, calling him names, telling him what a worthless piece of shit he was, that he would make him pay. Thomas hates Gen, I don’t know why, I really don’t. Gen is so good to Mika, he loves him.”
Terry slowly turned around as her sister talked, her eyes wide.
“He strung him up, strangled him with a belt, whipped him over and over again…” She swiped at her face as tears appeared. “Thomas broke his arm with his hands…just grabbed and twisted. He punched his knee so hard it dislocated. He brought a knife with him and…well…you saw…” She looked away, shame in her eyes. “Mika managed to get free this morning and tried to call Gen, to be saved…but Thomas stomped on his hand, took the phone and slammed it into the wall until it was in pieces.”
She took a deep, ragged breath. “Finally, when he was done with Mika, he turned on me. He slapped me, pushed me down, and then he took the knife…he came at me…he was going to stab me…but Mika, he pushed me out of the way and Thomas stabbed him instead. He didn’t even care, he just twisted the knife out and stepped back, laughing.
“Mika was beaten, bloody, and broken, and he still managed to keep me from getting hurt.”
“Tell me something,” Teresa said, her eyes hard, arms crossed. “While your son was being tortured half to death for hours, where the hell were you? Just sitting on the couch, eating popcorn, asking Thomas to keep the noise down?”
Jolene recoiled at that. “No! I was trying to keep my children safe! They woke up when they heard what was going on and were absolutely terrified, screaming and crying the whole time!”
“You were protecting Ben and Ana, but never once thought to protect MIKA?! You just let it happen? Are you fucking kidding me?”
“He was going to hurt us, too!”
“You are disgusting, you know that?” Teresa looked honestly revolted. “Ever since that man walked into your life, he’s been nothing but a threat to that boy, beating him black and blue, destroying his skin with scars, molesting him, and you did absolutely nothing to stop him. Why, Jolene? Tell me why! Why have you let that creature cause Mika so much pain that he never deserved in the first place?” She put her hands on her hips. “What does he have on you?”
“What?”
“Thomas must have something on you for you to continue to defend his actions, otherwise you wouldn’t let him hurt your child. At least, I would seriously hope not.”
Jolene swallowed, eyes wavering. “He doesn’t have anything on me,” she said weakly.
“So then you’re just an evil bitch.” Teresa nodded and turned away again. “You have allowed Mika to come to harm just so you don’t get hurt, is that it? To thine own ass be true, Jolene, just like always. Yuki would be ashamed.”
“Don’t you dare say his name,” Jolene snarled.
“Oh, so now you’re upset!” Teresa rounded on her. “You spilled crocodile tears for your teenage son, but God forbid I mention your late husband. Yuki cherished, loved, and adored that boy. Mika was everything to him, and you’ve treated him like trash since the day his father died.”
“You have no right,” Jolene said. “I loved Yuki, too.”
“Did you really? Tell me, where were you the day he died? Oh, I remember!” Teresa raised a finger in the air. “Dropping Mika off at my house so you could go fuck some other guy. How could I forget.”
Jolene stiffened. “That’s not–”
“You didn’t deserve him!” Teresa jabbed her finger in her finger’s face. “You stole Yuki from me because you were jealous and wanted him for yourself. You’ve always been so fucking selfish! You only married him because you got pregnant with Mika. Now you’re making him pay for your sins with his life!”
“Shut up! Shut up! Shut uuuuup!” Jolene screamed at the top of her lungs, several heads swiveling in their direction. Teresa grabbed her arm and pulled her into an empty room, slamming the door shut. Jo got into her older sister’s face, furious. “You have no fucking clue what I’ve been going through, how dare you!”
“You want me to feel sorry for you, is that? You betrayed a loving husband and father and the moment he dies, you go looking for someone to replace him, finding the absolute worst person in the world.”
“He’s not! He takes care of me and our children! Okay, yes, I have been weak in protecting Mika, I’ll own that, but he’s not a terrible man when he’s sober!”
“He raped Mika in front of you!”
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