**If you are going through anything similar to what is described in this chapter, please call your local prevention hotline. Remember you are valid and you are loved**

*Canada and USA: call or text 988

*The Trevor Project: 1–866–488–7386

The little cafe didn't have much to pick from. But I decided to get myself a ceasar salad and got louie the veggie soup. I wasn’t sure what he liked and it seemed like the safest option for him. 

I wiped off the closest table and sat down to eat when Louies uncle walked up to me. “Hey there Corey! Were you able to get anything out of my little stubborn nephew?”

I started to poke at my salad, not sure whether or not I should tell him some of the things I had just learned, “Not particularly. We kind of just talked about me being from the city and the differences between living in the big city and a small town.” I chuckled awkwardly.

He looked me over. I couldn’t tell if he believed me or not, “Well I suppose it will probably take a lot longer for him to open up to you. I was hoping that because you two are probably around the same age that maybe he would trust you more than his family.” 

He pulled a paper out of his pocket and jotted something down, “This is my number. If you find anything out that is very dire, please tell me ASAP. I know you both will probably want to keep anything secret but as his uncle AND his doctor I kind of need to know.”

I took the paper from him and put it in my jeans pocket without looking at it and nodded at him in agreement. “I will let you know if I think he is in any sort of immediate danger. With him being here in the hospital I feel like he should be safer than at his home.”

He went to get up but I stopped him, “Oh before you leave, does he live alone? Or does he live with his family? I spent just the other day with Mrs. Abergathy and I did not happen to see him there. Although I did meet Micah and Noelle.”

“Oh no, he does not live with them but he does not live too far away.” He smiled at me and winked, “well I should probably get back to work. I still have my rounds to do.” He patted my shoulder and left back out the door he came.

Well that was a rather odd statement. There are only 5 houses on our road and there are no other houses for like a mile. He can’t be meaning he is my nextdoor neighbour could he? Why wouldn’t he just say that? I just shook my head to clear my thoughts and tried to finish my salad.

I was about to finish my salad when I saw the nurse that was in Louies room come into the cafe. She must have spotted me, it wasn't hard to do because I was one of three people eating here, and she made a beeline for me.

“Hey Lous new friend.” I nodded at her as I stood up from the table, “He should be fine for you to come back into his room. He should sleep soon though. He probably hasn’t actually slept in at least two days. He has always had problems sleeping.”

I threw out my garbage and picked up the soup I bought Louie, “I understand. I am just going to run this soup for him to eat and then I will get going. I need to track down Noelle Beck. She was my ride here and I live over an hour away.”

She gasped dramatically and covered her mouth, “Micah let her be with you alone? Oh wow you must be somethin special.” She slapped my shoulder and cackled.

I rubbed my shoulder and looked at her quizzically, “Uhmm no? She offered to bring me here to see Louie and Micah blew up on us when we came in. I just wanted to check on Louie, I didn’t know that a grown adult needed her husband's permission to do something nice for someone.”

“Oh my sweet summer child. If only you knew. I can get you a ride home if you need. Just come see me at the nurses station outside the main lobby when you are ready to leave.” She gave me a slight smile and walked off toward the food line. “Just don’t be too long. Let the poor man sleep.”

“Of course! I want him to get well as soon as he can.” I waved her off and headed back out to go see Louie.

As I was rounding the corner when I heard shouting coming from Louies room. I picked up my pace and leaned against the wall near the closed door trying to listen in on what was being said.

“LOUIE! I am going to ask you one more time! WHO has been doing this to you?! If you do not tell me, I am having mom cut you off.” I could clearly hear Louie crying. I could just barely hear Noelle in the room, possibly trying to comfort him.

Louie was sniffling and basically inconsolable. I could tell he was trying to talk but couldn’t between gasping for air and crying.

I loudly knocked on the door and pushed it open. I didn't want to wait for an answer. Someone needed to get Micah off this poor guys back. “Hey Louie, I got you something to eat. I wasn't sure what you would be able to keep down, but I got you some veggie soup.”

I pushed Micah to the side and knelt down at his bedside, placing his soup on the side table. “I am sorry it took so long to get this to you. I am sure you are so terribly hungry.” I grabbed some tissues off the table and handed them to him and gave Noelle a knowing look.

She nodded at me and patted me on the back and mouthed thank you, as she tried desperately to placate Micah, who was now rapidly approaching me looking like he was going to clock me.

I stood up quickly and squared my shoulders and tense my jaw to prepare for him to punch me in the face. Unluckily for Micah, I still worked out and probably had 40 lbs of muscle on him.

Noelle was basically pulling on him with all her might and yelling at him to just drop it when Louie was finally able to speak. “MICAH! Stop this! I do not care if you tell mother to cut me off! I don’t care anymore! I don’t ever want to see you ever again. You need to get out of here right away before I call your father and have you barred from the hospital.”

Louie was shaking violently and was trying to stand up. I knelt back down and forced him to stay laying down. I whispered to him, “No Louie, don’t force yourself you will just get hurt. I will be okay. I am not afraid of him.”

He grabbed my hand and gave me a pleading look as I stood back up and stared Micah down. He was clearly taken aback by Louie's outburst, “Micah I suggest you go home. Louie needs to heal. You screaming and shouting at him and throwing sh!t around this hospital room is NOT going to help him.”

Noelle was pulling on his arm trying to get him to leave the room. “ Who the hell do you think you are?! You are no one! Just some stranger who is sticking his nose in other people's business. This has NOTHING to do with you.”

Louie was crying again and was squeezing my hand. I cracked my head and rolled my shoulders preparing myself just in case I actually had to fight this fool, “Micah I will tell you one more time. Just leave Louie alone and let him sleep. If you know what is good for you, you will leave right now.”

He started getting closer to me. We were basically touching noses, “I may be new to this small @ss town and I may not know anything about Louie, but the same goes for you. You know absolutely NOTHING about me. I can tell you right now I have dealt with bigger guys with you and they were the ones who ended up in the hospital at the end of the day.”

He spit on my face and pulled his arm back, getting ready to punch me when someone came busting into the room.

Lucky for him doctor Beck came into the room with a security guard. They both pulled him away from me. He was trying desperately to get out of their grasp. 

The officer drug him out of the room while doctor Beck locked the door. “I am so sorry about my son Corey. I should have known he would come back and try to cause more problems.” He looked over at Noelle, “I thought I asked you to take him home. He is just going to hurt Louie more.”

Noelle was crying now pulling on his arm now, “I’m so sorry father. I really tried but he drug me back here insisting Lou tell us everything that happened last night. I swear I tried so hard.” She was wailing at this point.

The doctor patted her head and held her close, “Shhhh. I know. I know you did. He never listens to anyone. I should have never asked you to do it. I should have done it myself."

Louie was shaking like a leaf next to me and was crying uncontrollably. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. I pulled him in close and hugged him and rubbed small circles into his back, trying to ease his crying and calm his breathing, “Shh it's okay. Take deep breaths. Just listen to my breathing.”

After sitting like that for like 5 minutes his breathing started to equalize and I stood back up and smiled at him softly, “I know this has all been very hard and overwhelming but Micah is gone now. The doctor is here now.” I nodded over at him and he came over and checked his vitals.

“Lou I am so sorry for my sh!tty son. I am going to have him banned from the hospital while you are here. And I will talk to your Jan-Jan when I get home.” He patted him on the head and looked over to Noelle, “Honey I want you to go to your mams house today. Micah isn’t in his right mind. I will call Alec and let him know what's going on. You know Micah wont do anything stupid with Alec there.”

She nodded at him slowly and whispered something to him that I couldn’t hear then spoke up, “Lou I am going to leave now. We will make sure Micah won’t come back, I promise.”

The doctor and Noelle nodded at me and said their goodbyes to Louie. Leaving us alone in the now destroyed room. The air in the room was very awkward. Neither of us really knew what to say after that fiasco.