Gen. 5.17-Matthew

I sat at my desk taking a quick quiet moment. Work was the one place I could be on top of things. Most days the store ran like a well-oiled machine. I had reliable people that really stepped up while I was gone. Today, however, was not one of those days. My shift manager called in sick because her daughter was up all night running a fever. Because she needed to be out, I had to come in and open since the cashiers and other department personnel didn’t have keys. Chuck was thirty minutes late due to a flat tire so that left me having to help with the registers since we were unusually busy right at opening. I was lucky that Shannon was able to come in earlier to accommodate my change in schedule.

Before Aunt Hope and Uncle Caleb left, I’d had them help me sort through the applicants for the in home nurses. With their help, I hired Shannon Collier. She’d been with Helping Hands In Home Care for six years and some of her previous jobs had been with elderly patients with onset Alzheimer’s. During the interview, she was the one that seemed best capable to handle Kia’s needs since the other applicants were more nanny orientated.  She’d been with us now for nearly two months and things had been good. Well as good as could be since Kia didn’t like her. She kept insisting I was trying to replace her and take Cameron from her, at least on the days she could remember Cameron.

Kia was getting worse. They’d changed her meds because the first combination was doing more harm than good. She couldn’t eat and had lost nearly ten pounds in a matter of weeks because of it. The new ones weren’t any better. Kia was cranky and her memory was getting worse. It was almost as if the medicines were speeding up her disease instead of slowing it down. In a fit of anger, Kia flushed her meds last week and refused to entertain any talks of trying any more. She was changing so much and I was scared of the unknown with her.

There was a light knock at my door before Annette popped her head in. “Um…Mr. Solo sorry to bother, but…there’s a um…there’s a cop here looking for you.” She stepped to the side and the officer stepped in. From the look on his face this was not going to be anything but bad news. News I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear. One…two…three…four…five…six…seven…eight…nine….

“Mr. Solo did you hear me?”

“Huh? Yeah...um…”

“Come with me sir, I’ll give you a ride to the station.”

The station? I was going to the station. I stood and grabbed my keys. Where was my phone? I patted down my body, not feeling it in my pockets and it wasn’t on my desk. I must have left it in the car. I followed the officer through the store, I couldn’t remember his name. He looked familiar he might have been the same one that’s responded to the house when Kia has called the police on me. Once outside, I headed towards my car but the officer stopped me.

“I think I should drive, sir.”

“My phone, I…it’s in the car.” He nodded his understanding before walking me to his patrol car.

I got in the passenger’s seat and he retrieved my phone for me. He talked during the short drive but his words barely registered.

As soon as I walked through the doors Shannon rushed towards me. “Matt I’m so sorry. She jammed a chair under the knob when I went to bathroom. The police had to let me out when they came to the house looking for you. I’m so sorry.”

“Ha…have they found him yet?” The words sounded foreign to my ears even though I’d spoken them. She dropped her eyes and shook her head. One…two…three…four…five…

“Mr. Solo this way, I’ll take you to your wife.” He lead us past the reception area, through a secured door and up the stairs to another part of the building.

“One…two…three…” I started counting softly; the cop looked back at me, but said nothing. “…four…five…six…” My legs were heavy, my head pounded. “…seven…eight…nine…” I tried to focus on the officer in front of me instead of the whispers and looks from the others in the station. “…ten…eleven…twelve…” I passed by a woman complaining, as she cradled her baby close.

She was telling the detective how this crazy woman snatched her child and was screaming at her and how she feared for her life and the life of her child.

“…thirteen…fourteen…fifteen…” I heard frantic yelling and I knew her voice before I saw her. Kia paced back and forth in the small holding cell.

“Let me out of here! I’m going to be late for class!”

“…sixteen…seventeen…eighteen…” I could feel the increased pounding of my heart as I approached the bars “Kia.”

 She cocked her head to the side as she looked at me. “Are you in charge? Can you tell these rude people to let me out of here?”

My throat was tight. My hands gripped onto the bars. “I…I’ll see what…Kia where’s Cameron?”

“Cameron? I don’t know any Cameron. Now let me out of here. What are you even holding me for?”

“Kia! Your son! Our son!” I yelled. All heads turned towards us. “Where is he? Where did you take him?”

Kia stumbled back. “I…I…what? I…I don’t…” She started mumbling to herself, hitting her palm against the side of her head. “Matt…” She turned and looked at me. “Matt!”

“Yeah Kia, it’s me. I need you to think. Please!”

“I…I…”

“This isn’t happening. Please this cannot be happening,” I muttered to myself. A knot twisted in my stomach. There was a burning in my throat as I fought down the urge to vomit. My son was missing, my wife took off with him and left him behind.

“He’s small and helpless and…” I looked up at Kia, she sat on the bench sobbing saying she was sorry over and over. I felt a hand on my shoulder.

“We’re canvasing the park where,” the officer paused then lowered his voice before continuing, “where she tried to take the other baby.” He stepped forward to open the cell door. “Miss, come with me please.”

“Wait! Where are you taking her?” I asked, rushing towards Kia.

“Relax, I’m going to let you two go into one of the offices…for more privacy.”

I put my arm around Kia as I followed the officer. Somewhere in the background I heard the other woman fussing about Kia being let go and how she was a danger and needed to be locked up.

This wasn’t right. “One…two…three…” I needed to be out there looking for my son. “…four…five…six…” Kia was still crying, saying she was sorry and I wondered if she even knew what she was sorry for. “…seven…eight…nine…” I wanted to be angry at her. She’d done this, but I couldn’t.

As much as I wanted to be mad at her, I only felt pity and sorrow.

The officer opened the door, Kia looked up at me and smiled. “Matt, why aren’t you at work?” She looked around. “Where are we?”

The officer looked at me. I opened my mouth to reply, but quickly turned to the trashcan by the desk instead. My head was pounding, my ears ringing, and I heaved until I had nothing left. A paper towel was being held in front of my face. I muttered a thanks as I took it.

I looked over to see Shannon consoling Kia, I could tell Shannon had told her what was going on. The officer handed me a bottle of water before taking the trash can and leaving the room.

“Matt,” Kia said softly as she approached me. She reached out for me and I stepped back. “Matt…I’m sorry…I…I didn’t do this on purpose,” she cried.

“Why Kia? Why did you do it?”

 

“I…I just wanted some time without being watched. It just felt like you didn’t trust me.”

“I don’t!” I screamed. “Not with my son. I don’t. I’m sorry, but with you…like this…how could I?”

Kia’s face crumpled. The truth of my words hurt her, I could see that clearly, but I didn’t have that urge to apologize. Cameron was out there because of her selfish actions.

“That’s all you care about? Him! You’ve never cared about me! You’ve never wanted any of this! Never wanted me, you only wanted the baby!”

“Don’t! Don’t you dare say that about me. I’ve tried and you’ve been fighting me every fucking step! I’ve been there for you, Kia! My family has been there for you and still…still you do this! Cameron is missing because you wanted time?! You’ve left him before. Twice before, so no I don’t trust you. I can’t. I hired Shannon to help you. To help us and this is what you did. You knew, in that moment, you knew what you were doing yet you did it anyway. Cameron is out there and we may never see him again! So was it worth Kia? Was it?” I shouted.

  

Kia broke down into tears. I should have felt bad, I knew it wasn’t her fault, but felt the pressure grinding on me. I was terrified something horrible was happening to Cameron. The thought of never seeing him again gnawed at me. I took a deep breathe, letting out a slow exhale. 

Shannon walked over, putting her arm around Kia just as the door opened. The officer walked in followed by an unfriendly looking woman.

“Mr., Mrs. Solo this is Norma Logan, she’s from Child Protective Services.” The officer gave me an apologetic look before exiting the room.

One…two…three…

“I know this must be a difficult time for both of you,” she said, but her words didn’t seem sincere. She looked at both Kia and I as if she was judging us.

I looked over at Kia who was still being comforted by Shannon before answering. “Yes, very. Can I ask why someone from CPS is here?”

She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “It’s procedure considering the circumstances.”

Five…six…seven… “Um, circumstances? Do you know anything about where my son is? Has he been found?”

Ms. Logan put down her briefcase and took a seat, directing me to do the same. She pulled out her tablet, turned it on then handed it to me. “Is that your son?”

“Yes! Is he okay, where is he?” I asked, feeling the slightest bit of hope for the first time since Annette knocked on my door. Kia looked over, running her fingers over the screen of the tablet.

Ms. Logan reached forward, taking the tablet from me. “I have a few questions.”

“Questions? Where the hell is my son? Is he okay?” I questioned, jumping up from the sofa.

“Do you always have such a temper Mr. Solo?” she asked.

“Temper? No…my son is missing, you obviously know something but won’t say. I’m stressed, and worried Ms. Logan so please just tell us if Cameron is okay and where he is!”

She looked down at her skirt, brushing off air as far as I could tell. “My apologies. Cameron is fine. He’s at Mercy General right now. A woman dropped him off but left before the police could question her. He’s been checked out and appears to be in good health.”

Kia let out a sigh of relief, but although I was happy to hear Cameron was safe, I knew with her here, we weren’t out of the woods yet.

“When can we take him home?” Kia asked.

“You can’t,” Ms. Logan replied bluntly. 

**A/N**

Thanks to Daijah for the use of her police station. The build is Fremont Police Station as seen in her story The Midnight Kiss. It's been altered by me for my story needs as always. :) The link may not include the CC. If you want/need it, send me a PM so I can give it to you. :)