headed for the door, phone clutched in his hand, ignoring his name being called, the other students whispering.
The hallway was almost empty. A janitor was at the other end, wiping the windows.
He connected the phone call and brought it up to his ear. He tried to speak, but all that came out was the smallest of noises.
“Nicky?” Cap asked.
Nick nodded, and then immediately felt ridiculous. “Yeah?” he managed to say.
“I need you to listen to me, okay? Listen to my words. Don’t speak until I finish, okay?”
No. No, no, no.
“He’s okay. I need you to hear that, above all else. He’s okay. He’s … he’s in the hospital, Nick, and I’m not gonna lie. It’s gonna look bad. These things often do. But he’s gonna get the best help, the best doctors. I’ll make sure of it. And I promise you, he’s going to be okay. I’m sending a patrol car to get you right now. I want you to wait for them in the office. They’ll bring you to me, and we’ll deal with this together. Do you understand?”
No. No, he didn’t. He didn’t understand any of this. It was getting hard to breathe, and at some point, he’d squeezed his eyes shut tight as if that would keep all of this away.
“Nick,” Cap said sharply. “Tell me you understand.”
“Yeah,” he croaked out. “I understand. Office. Patrol car. Will take me to you and—” He couldn’t finish the rest.
“I want you to hang up and go there now. I’m going to call them next, okay? They’ll be expecting you. Move, Nicky. Get to me.”
Nick moved.
* * *
A lady from the office met him halfway.
The principal was waiting in the front office. He put an arm around Nick’s shoulders, leading him toward another office. He sat him down in a comfortable chair. He spoke, but Nick barely heard him. He nodded where he thought he should.
A small paper cup was placed in his hand.
Someone tried to take his phone.
He jerked it away.
The water spilled.
Nick tried to apologize, but he couldn’t get the words out.
He was told it didn’t matter.
* * *
Someone brought his backpack.
Nick said thank you.
* * *
It felt like hours before a cop showed up.
Officer Rookie.
Nick tried to be brave.
Officer Rookie hugged him.
Nick cried.
Officer Rookie promised not to tell anyone.
* * *
He didn’t have to sit in the back of the patrol car this time.
“You don’t smell as bad,” Officer Rookie told him.
Nick nodded.
Officer Rookie sighed and closed the passenger door. He rounded the front of the cruiser.
Nick looked down at his phone.
Maybe …
He highlighted a name.
Connected the call.
It rang once.
Then:
“You’ve reached Seth’s voicemail. I’m probably busy. And nobody calls anyone anymore unless it’s an emergency. Send a text. Unless it’s an emergency.”
“I need you,” Nick said simply.
Officer Rookie got into the driver’s seat as Nick hung up the phone. “All right?”
Nick shook his head.
“Yeah. Stupid question. Sorry, Nick.”
* * *
Officer Rookie was good.
He was really good.
No matter what Nick asked, he refused to answer any question about what happened. All he would say was that Nick’s dad was going to be fine, he’s going to be fine, Nick, I promise.
“Cap told you what to say, didn’t he?”
Officer Rookie shrugged. “Told me you’d be persistent.” He glanced at Nick. “He’s right, though. Your dad is going to be okay. Kid like you? All the more reason to get better as quickly as he can. I doubt he’d want to leave you on your own for long. Probably end up burning the house down.”
Nick choked on a laugh, though his eyes were wet. “He’s pretty much the only thing standing between me and total annihilation.”
Officer Rookie chuckled. “I haven’t been around long, Nick. Still on probation. You know how it is.”
“I know, Officer Rookie.”
“But your dad. He … I don’t know everything that happened. Before. People talk, but I don’t listen. You know? Not my thing.”
“Yeah,” Nick said, staring out the window.
“All I care about is that I trust your dad to have my back anytime. Okay? No matter what. He’s a good man.”
Nick nodded, leaning his head against the cool glass. It was still raining.
“I don’t know him all that well, but I do know him enough to say he’s proud of you. I know you’ve been through some crap. The both of you. And I get it, probably better than you might think. But you can always tell how proud he is of you. Talks about you all the time.”