You are still alive

Chapter 25

Ares Cruz POV

I bring her to my office and let her sit on the couch. She lays down hugging her arm as close as possible to her chest. I smile at how cute she looks. I sit down across from her.

"Oaklee, can we talk?" She looks at me and nods, I take off my white coat and stethoscope and get comfortable on the couch across from her.

"What happened?" I point to her arm. She still has her sweatshirt off and I can see old bruises and cuts. Her t-shirt is kinda white and I can see the whips marks on her back and some bruises on her ribs.

She looks at me, then to her hand. She does this a few more times. I stay quite letting her take her time explaining exactly how that happened. She looks deep in thought for a few seconds before looking back down to her cast.

"I got punished." She finally says. Punished? 

"Why did you get punished?" I ask.

"I came home late." I sigh.

"Oak, you do realize this isn't right?" She nods as she closes her tear filled eyes. "This isn't punishment sweetie, this is abuse and I need you to confirm who is doing it so we can help you."

She nods again, I don't know what she's nodding at.

"I need you tell me using words or else I can't call CPS and get you a better home."

"I know." She whispers. She looks down at her cast again.

"Come here." I say softly putting my hand out for her. She looks at me and then slowly puts her hand in mine as she gets up. She keeps her cast close to her chest and out of reach for me. I smile.

"Do you want to sit next to me or do you want to cuddle?" I ask her and then realize how wrong that sounds. "I mean I just want you to be comfortable, do you want a blanket and something to eat or drink?" She looks at me for a few seconds.

"Can I have a blanket?" She asks in a whisper. I nod and smile. I stand and go through my cabinets until I find a baby blue blanket that is super fluffy. I go back to her and hand her the blanket. She wraps her self in it.

"Do you want sit back down?" She nods and then sits down in the corner of the couch pulling her legs up to her chest and hiding her cast in between her chest and legs.

"We can talk about anything you want." I'm not a therapist but I've picked up on some of Carters ways. 

"You think my parents loved me?" She asks playing with the end of the blanket.

"Well, I didn't know your parents and I'm correct that they died right?" She nods. "And you live with your aunt and uncle?" Another nod. "I'm sure they loved you." 

"Then why did they have to go?" She asks her voice cracking.

"Oak, everyone has a purpose and maybe they fulfill theirs and in the end everything will be ok." She nods again.

"I think you did know my dad, unless theirs another Ares Cruz he always talked about." She whispered thinking everything through.

I thought about this for a while. Who might I know who died sometime in the last 10 years or something. My brain comes up empty.

"Who might your dad be?" I ask. She looks up at me and with tears in her eyes and a small smile says.

"Dr Lucas Monroe, worlds greatest pediatrician or at least that's what New York times said." 

That's when it all hits. I remember him. We were going to meet but then he died and I never got to meet him. Lucas Monroe. Damn I should have known. This is Lucas's kid. He was a doctor so why's she so scared?

"I remember now, we were planning on meeting. We tried so many times but something always came up and then I never got to meet him and his family." She nods.

"I don't really like my aunt and uncle, I wish my parents were back." I nod in understanding.

"Do your aunt and uncle hurt you?" I ask.

"Y-yeah." She whispers out. 

"I know that was hard but thank you, do you want a hug?" She shakes her head. I nod.

"I'm gonna call CPS and their going to come talk to you, ok?" She nods. I go to my desk and call them.