tilted his head, narrowing his eyes in concentration.
"He won't do this to anyone else. He never hit Rebecca, my little sister, not ever." His words were defined and clear. It was what he believed, and he wouldn't be moved on it.
"Okay."
"She wasn't a disappointment to him." Wasn't a faggot like her brother, weak, useless, unnatural.
"What if that changed? What if she grows up and finds a boy from the wrong side of town? Or a girl, even?
What if she becomes something your dad doesn't want in the family?"
Shit, he couldn't even contemplate that. She was
much smaller than Zach, so tiny, and so very much younger, and innocent. She wouldn't last as long as Zach did, not physically or mentally. He wriggled
87
The Christmas Throwaway
RJ Scott
uncomfortably, a sudden need to be with her knifing at him, immediately dismissed by the memories of the fear he had brought to his house just by being gay. As long as he stayed away, she would be fine; he was convinced of that. He had to be.
Now, to open himself up to the hurt of accusing his father, what was that going to solve? He didn't know what to decide, standing, waiting, thinking.
"Okay," he finally said, turning his back to her.
Then making the decision that it was all or nothing, he dropped his jeans past his hip bones and to mid-thigh, so she could get photos of all the scars. Marks that crossed and lined from neck to thigh and from throat to stomach, some faded to almost nothing, some raised and raw, all of them vicious-looking.
"Most of these will disappear with the right treatment," she murmured, taking the digital photos as quickly as she could. He saw her wince, felt sorry for her, thinking that it must be awful having to deal with the pain of other people and yet have to remain detached.
"Zach, could you lie down so I can dress your wounds?" Zach did as he was told, laying himself carefully on the sofa, as much as his long frame would allow, and bit his lip in concentration as her firm and knowing hands 88
The Christmas Throwaway
RJ Scott
began to gently explore the pain in his lower back. "I'm going to numb the area, have a look for debris. I'm going to have to open it up and drain it, remove the infected flesh and splinters. I would rather be doing this in hospital."
"No hospital," Zach responded instantly.
"Are you sure?"
"Don't worry, I'll be fine."
She used Donna's magnifying glass to check
closely. "I should really be doing this at the surgery," she muttered, and Zach winced again as the needle scratched his skin.
"Can you tell me?" Tell me what you are doing.
"I'm cutting open the wound and draining any fluid there, then I will be using thin tweezers to pull out any slivers in your back," she offered carefully.
"Is there much?" He heard the camera click as she was obviously cataloguing each stage.
"Not enough to worry, Zach. I'm just going to apply some antibiotic and bandage the area."
She finished and helped him to stand and then
waited as he pulled up jeans.
"Thank you," he said, unable to put into words all his gratitude for the care she had given him.
She nodded a you're welcome . "You're going be 89
The Christmas Throwaway
RJ Scott
sore a bit later when the local wears off. If you need them, take some acetaminophen. Are you allergic to anything?
No? These antibiotics are sample packs, but they'll do the trick. Five hundred milligrams; four times a day." She handed him five cardboard sample packs and stood back.
"I'll file the photos with the police department as a closed record, Zach. That doesn't mean the police won't see them, if there is a need." By police, Zach assumed she meant Ben, and he shuddered inwardly. Great.
"I understand. Thank you, Doctor."
"Melanie is fine. Now, let's clear this up and get the rest in here. It's Christmas, and since I can't drink when I am on duty, I am in serious need of thrashing you and the boys at Trivial Pursuit."
90
The Christmas Throwaway
RJ Scott
Chapter 8
Ben raised his
"He won't do this to anyone else. He never hit Rebecca, my little sister, not ever." His words were defined and clear. It was what he believed, and he wouldn't be moved on it.
"Okay."
"She wasn't a disappointment to him." Wasn't a faggot like her brother, weak, useless, unnatural.
"What if that changed? What if she grows up and finds a boy from the wrong side of town? Or a girl, even?
What if she becomes something your dad doesn't want in the family?"
Shit, he couldn't even contemplate that. She was
much smaller than Zach, so tiny, and so very much younger, and innocent. She wouldn't last as long as Zach did, not physically or mentally. He wriggled
87
The Christmas Throwaway
RJ Scott
uncomfortably, a sudden need to be with her knifing at him, immediately dismissed by the memories of the fear he had brought to his house just by being gay. As long as he stayed away, she would be fine; he was convinced of that. He had to be.
Now, to open himself up to the hurt of accusing his father, what was that going to solve? He didn't know what to decide, standing, waiting, thinking.
"Okay," he finally said, turning his back to her.
Then making the decision that it was all or nothing, he dropped his jeans past his hip bones and to mid-thigh, so she could get photos of all the scars. Marks that crossed and lined from neck to thigh and from throat to stomach, some faded to almost nothing, some raised and raw, all of them vicious-looking.
"Most of these will disappear with the right treatment," she murmured, taking the digital photos as quickly as she could. He saw her wince, felt sorry for her, thinking that it must be awful having to deal with the pain of other people and yet have to remain detached.
"Zach, could you lie down so I can dress your wounds?" Zach did as he was told, laying himself carefully on the sofa, as much as his long frame would allow, and bit his lip in concentration as her firm and knowing hands 88
The Christmas Throwaway
RJ Scott
began to gently explore the pain in his lower back. "I'm going to numb the area, have a look for debris. I'm going to have to open it up and drain it, remove the infected flesh and splinters. I would rather be doing this in hospital."
"No hospital," Zach responded instantly.
"Are you sure?"
"Don't worry, I'll be fine."
She used Donna's magnifying glass to check
closely. "I should really be doing this at the surgery," she muttered, and Zach winced again as the needle scratched his skin.
"Can you tell me?" Tell me what you are doing.
"I'm cutting open the wound and draining any fluid there, then I will be using thin tweezers to pull out any slivers in your back," she offered carefully.
"Is there much?" He heard the camera click as she was obviously cataloguing each stage.
"Not enough to worry, Zach. I'm just going to apply some antibiotic and bandage the area."
She finished and helped him to stand and then
waited as he pulled up jeans.
"Thank you," he said, unable to put into words all his gratitude for the care she had given him.
She nodded a you're welcome . "You're going be 89
The Christmas Throwaway
RJ Scott
sore a bit later when the local wears off. If you need them, take some acetaminophen. Are you allergic to anything?
No? These antibiotics are sample packs, but they'll do the trick. Five hundred milligrams; four times a day." She handed him five cardboard sample packs and stood back.
"I'll file the photos with the police department as a closed record, Zach. That doesn't mean the police won't see them, if there is a need." By police, Zach assumed she meant Ben, and he shuddered inwardly. Great.
"I understand. Thank you, Doctor."
"Melanie is fine. Now, let's clear this up and get the rest in here. It's Christmas, and since I can't drink when I am on duty, I am in serious need of thrashing you and the boys at Trivial Pursuit."
90
The Christmas Throwaway
RJ Scott
Chapter 8
Ben raised his
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