Someone? Anyone?

Saved

Meril heard the call on his radio and he knew it was Dakota.
Lights on.
Siren on.
Peddle to the meddle.
Since he was already patrolling that area he was there in record time.
Same cute house, quaint little fish pond, random crap in the yard.
A woman laying unmoving on the ground.
Dakota was on the ground too. His head snapping back and forth with the blows of the man sitting on his chest.
Meril flew out of the cruiser drawing his taser.
"Police! Step away from the boy!"
The man looked up at him.
Holy crap! He was an older and bigger version of Dakota. They looked just alike.
He would never understand how a man could treat his own child this way.
"I said get away from the boy!"
The man stood and took a few steps away.
"That's my son!"
Rage boiled inside of Meril.
"He's your victim. Get on the ground! Put your hands above your head!"
Thankfully the man was cooperative as Meril slapped his cuffs on and put him in the back of his police car.
Both Dakota and the woman he recognized as the boys mother's were in bad shape.
The girl was unconscious and Dakota was barely keeping with it.
"Dakota? Can you hear me?"
The boy looked at him but didn't respond.
"Dakota I need you to stay awake. Can you do that?"
He spoke calmly to Dakota trying to keep him awake until the paramedics got there. Then he stepped out of the way as they loaded the boy and his mother into the ambulance and took them sirens wailing to the nearest emergency room.
Meril looked around the yard only now starting to process what had just happened here.
Men like Dakota's father were the lowest scum of the earth.

****

Kally woke up slowly. She felt a little woozy.
When she opened her eyes all she could see was white. White walls, white lights, white bed sheets, white floors.... Pail green curtains.
She threw her eyes around the room instinctively looking for her son. Panic rose in her when she didn't see him.
Where was Dakota?
Was he ok?
Oh my gosh! What had Jason done?
"Oh. Your awake."
The nurse stepped through the curtains smiling at her.
"How do you feel?"
"Where is Dakota?"
The curvy Hispanic woman held up a calming hand.
"Your son in our Intensive Care Unit. I'll see if I can get his doctor to come talk with you. Do you need anything right now?"
A tear slid down Kally's face.
"No. I just want to see my son."
The nurse nodded and handed her a tissue.
"I know sweetheart. I'll see what I can do ok?"
Kally nodded and the nurse squeezed her hand gently.
"Ok. I'll be back in a minute."
"Thank you."
"Of course."

****

The nurse walked away from that room with a heaviness in her heart. That poor dear.
All of the staff assigned to them had been briefed on the situation leading up to their hospital stay so they would know to be sensitive.
She had seen the boy and he was in rough shape. Worse than his mother by far.
She had grown up in an abusive home so it had been very hard for her to see that but she could sympathize in a way the rest of the staff couldn't.
She closed her eyes for a moment forcing back the tears along with the memories then went to call the boys Doctor.