[Casey's POV]
I felt myself being pulled out from the fire, my entire body felt like it was still on fire from being filled with adrenaline and having to be in panic mode.
I saw Karen and Tom being put in handcuffs, making me finally feel some inner peace.
The man who carried me out of the fire put me down on a gurney, putting an oxygen mask over my mouth.
"Hi sweetheart my name is Andy, think you can tell me what happened?" She asked as the paramedic looked at my injuries.
"T-they did I-it" I said and tried pointing at Tom and Karen.
"Can you try explaining more specifically what they did?" Andy asked.
"Lighters o-on me, the alcohol a-and lemons in my eyes and rubber bands" I said letting her work out what they did with everything.
"Thank you for telling me sweetheart, I'll be back in a second" she said and left me with the paramedic who bandaged my burn injuries.
The brunette walked back to me, with a blonde girl.
"I'll go with you to the hospital, just to make sure your safe kiddo" the blonde said.
They closed the ambulance, the blonde sitting down next to me as they started driving towards the hospital.
"You go to the high-school a block away right?" She asked.
"Y-yeah" I said.
"My wife works there, Carina" she smiled.
"She's n-nice" I said.
"I'm Maya by the way, Carina told me she will come to the hospital to check on you" she let me know.
"She didn't have to" I whispered.
Later on when the ambulance stoped at the hospital, they wheeled me out of the ambulance and in to a room where they started listening to my lungs and heart, then another doctor checked the burn injuries again.
"I'm going to put some cream on this, is that okay with you?" A doctor asked.
"That's fine" I confirmed.
When he had finished putting on the cream he bandaged me up again, they let me have the oxygen mask on for a little while longer since I had inhaled a lot of smoke.
Carina arrived just as all the doctors were finished checking up on me, a worried look in her face.
"What happened Casey?" She asked.
"Tom and Karen did this to me" I explained, leaving out how exactly everything went thru. Not wanting to bother her with my feelings in this exact moment.
"I'll go talk to the doctors, I'll be back in a while" Maya said and left the room.
Carina walked over to the hospital bed, taking my hand in hers.
"You're getting help now sweetheart, you won't have to do this anymore" She reassured me.
"They will just send me to another foster home" I told her defeatedly.
Maya rejoined us in the room.
"So, the social worker is starting an investigation about Tom and Karen. In the meantime they will find you another foster home" she explained.
I turned around, facing the wall instead.
Not wanting them to see me cry and be vulnerable.
"I have to get back to the station, hope you feel better soon Casey" Maya said and left.
"You can go" I told Carina.
"I can stay if you want" she said.
"No, I'd rather be alone right now" I admitted.
She leaned over and pressed a kiss on my forehead, saying goodbye then left.
I pulled the uncomfortable hospital blanket over myself, pushing my head further in to the pillow. Letting my tears fall down freely.
"May I come in?"
"Sure" I said and wiped away my tears.
"My name is Alex, I wanted to ask if you would like something to eat? I know the cafeteria food is horrible so I can grab something else for you" he said.
"Who put you up to doing that?" I asked.
"Carina asked me to look after you, she worked here before but when she came back from Italy she started teaching instead for a while" he explained.
"Ah okay" I said.
"Did you want anything? I can get you whatever you want" he promised.
"I'm good, thanks" I said.
"Alright get some sleep then, let me know if you need anything" he said and closed the door on his way out.
I laid on the bed at least for an hour until there was another knock on the door, an older woman stepped in.
"Hi, my name is Rose I am your social worker" she introduced herself.
"Hi" I said.
"So Casey, you have been staying with Tom and Karen for two years now am I right?" She asked.
"Yes,correct" I confirmed.
"And before that you stayed with the smith couple?" She said.
"Yes" I confirmed again.
"Before that you stayed in the group home for girls but that wasn't a great fit for you and your needs, i have been looking now for an emergency placement and I came across this couple" she said.
"Okay" I said waiting for her to continue.
"Would you feel comfortable meeting them today? Or would you rather wait until tomorrow?" She asked.
"I can do it today" I answered.
"This is your choice to so if you don't feel comfortable with them just let me know and I'll see what I can do about the situation, you can only stay here at the hospital tonight then you're getting discharged so that's why I tried to hurry this process a little bit" Rose explained.
"That's okay, I'll just hope they're nice and understanding" I said.
"I will do everything in my power to make sure your safe sweetie" Rose said.
"When will they be here?" I asked.
"In the next twenty minutes, I can stay with you if you would like to" she said.
"No it's okay, I thinks it will be better if I meet them alone. You can just wait outside in the meantime" I said.
Rose walked out of my room, leaving me alone with my thoughts. The couple can not be worse than Tom and Karen, it takes a lot to be worse than them. They could be nice, not everyone is ignorant and judging.
But I still do not want to get my hopes up for getting a new family, since this is an emergency placement it's probably just for a few days. I don't think a couple would sign up for fostering a teenager without meeting them first.
"Hey Casey" Carina said.
"Hi, what are you doing here?" I asked.
"I came to talk to you" she said.
"I have a meeting with a new foster family in a few minutes" I let her know.
"I know that, that's why we're here" she said and gestures towards Maya.
