"Can you tell us again what led you to that abandoned building?" the thin deaf police officer asks again for maybe the fucking fifth time. I glare at him and kept silent. If he thinks I have time for this bullshit, he has another thing coming for him.
"Tobi." My mom says softly. I sigh loudly through my nose.
"I said, I traced a child to that abandoned building, I thought-think the child is being abused. I don't know what went wrong from there."
The man raises a brow. "you just trace a child to an abandoned building without bringing anyone with you?" he inquires with a condescending expression marring his ugly face.
I grit my teeth, trying to reign myself in. "I didn't think it would be dangerous."
He looked down at his note pad, scribbling something there before turning back to me. "so did you see the face of the attackers?"
"no I did not."
He writes something down again. Only God knows what.
"What of their voice? What did they sound like?"
I shrug. "I don't know. Like smokers. The one that spoke to me sounded like he lived and breathed cigarettes."
Writes.
"were you able to gauge how many they were?"
"no I wasn't."
Writes.
"Now, this child you were hoping to save, did she reach out to you or anything?"
"no she didn't."
"so why then did you decide she needed your help?"
"I just got a vibe from her videos."
"a vibe you say?" he asks looking smug. "what about this video gave you this vibe?"
I glare at him, picking the mockery that begins to rear it's head. You even gave this fool job? And why does he seem to dislike me this much? I don't believe I've ever crossed path with him. I turn to my parents hoping to see a reaction to at least prove that I'm not imagining the negative vibes I'm getting from this adult fool, but their just seating there fully focused on what the fool is saying.
"its just her overall demeanor." I shrug. Finding the correct choice of words from the anger bubbling deep within me.
"that won't do. You stalked a little girl on tik-tiktok you said right? You then traced her to an address you paid someone to find for you. Do you what that seems like to the public?"
I glare at him at first in confusion, wondering what he's blabbing about, then with realization at what he was insinuating. The fucker. My parents gasp and my mom jumps to my defense before I can.
"What nonsense are you insinuating. My son." She moves to me and places her palm on my shoulder. "Tobi will never do something like that."
The stupid guy looks apprehended. "no ma'am, I'm not insinuating anything. I'm just saying to other people, this will sound weird, you know."
"no we don't know." I snap. "you are trying to paint me as a bad person when I clearly risked my life to get a girl out of the abuse she is clearly going through." I glare at him so hard before adding. "Now I know why this bloody country is so unsafe and it is because we have fools and coward protecting the lives of the people."
"Hey Tobi, it hasn't gotten to that." My dad admonishes while the policeman scowls as if there's a fucking thing he can do about it. I know he's one second away from walking out the door but I'm surprised he chose to stay and finish the interrogation.
The police left twenty minutes ago, but I'm still here stewing about what he implied. That fucking bastard.
"Son, but you know the policeman is right. People might see things the wrong way if it gets out." My dad says.
"of course" I growl. "That's why it's still pissing me off."
"just calm down. Your father and I will work things out." My mom walks to me, gives. Me a brief hug before she and my dad leaves the room to go see the doctor. Thankfully, they're letting me out today.
My sister comes in a little while after.
"Hey bro, what's up. How are you doing?" she placed a big bad on the table. "I brought you your favorite meal." She waggle her brows. She must have noticed my sour mood. "What's wrong Tobs?"
I drop down on the bed and let my head fall in my hands. "I'm not even sure. I didn't think things through and the fact that it can cause more harm to me than what has already happened is pissing me off."
She place her hands on my head to run her fingers through my hair trying to soothe me. "I'm sure you're just overthinking it."
"I'm not Titi. The police man just insinuated that I am a pedophile. Me, Titi." I scowl.
She hugs me. "Don't worry, I'm sure our parents will sort it out."
I clench my palm on the hospital gown trying to regulate myself.
"what are you going to do now?"
"about what?"
"the kid. Are you going to stop-"
"over my dead body. You think I'll let myself get attacked for nothing?"
She chuckles. "you're the most stubborn bastard I've ever come across Tobs."
I roll my eyes. I'd sooner die than to let them win. If I wasn't desperate before to save the kid, am now. I'll do everything within my power to get the kid.
My sister's fingers on my hair worked magic to calm me down. My head falls on her stomach as she plays with my hair.
"so, what's up with-"
There's a knock and the door opens. It's Gabe.
"hi Gabe." My sister greets him and shifts away from me. And he murmurs a greeting back. She grabs her purse before turning to me. "Tobs, make sure you eat your food and have a lot of rest. No harm worrying over what hasn't happened okay?" she kisses my forehead. "I'm going back to work." She says before leaving.
When the door shuts I turn to Gabe standing by the door looking guilty.
I sigh. "what's that face for?"
He shrugs. "you didn't tell me you were in the hospital. I had to find out when went to your office today Tobi and I had to come here as fast as possible."
I look at him feeling confused. "you said you didn't want to be friends anymore, why then should I tell you I was injured?"
He looks baffled. "because I didn't mean it!" he shouts drawing closer. "you should have known that." He adds softly.
"Why then would you say what you didn't mean?"
"that's not the point!" he looks on the verge of breaking down. "you were hurt and you didn't even tell me." He looks down. "I thought we are best friends."
I study him a bit. fuck. people are so bloody hard to deal with. "I thought about calling you though. You crossed my mind."
"but you didn't."
"yeah I didn't." I stand up and walk to him. I know I've been a shitty friend since fucking forever and Gabe has never for once treated me bad. As much as it hurts me to apologize, I know I have to. He's a good friend, it'll be a terrible thing to loose him. "Look, I'm sorry okay. I'm sorry for everything, for withdrawing from you, for lashing out at minor inconveniences. I'm sorry Gabe."
Shock is stamped all over his face. He's so still I fear a little breeze and he'll float away into nothingness. I poke him with my forehead finger. Did I finally break him?
"That's the first time I've heard you apologize in all the years we've been friends." He whispers.
I roll my eyes. "better don't get used to it." I grumble.
He laughs and I see a single tear spill. Shit. I didn't know he was this hurt. I pull him into a hug. This is probably the third time we've fully hugged In all the time we've been friends. The first was when he lost his parents and the second was when he got his first stable job.
He pats me on the back before pulling away from me, his brown eyes shining with emotions. "time to fill me in on why you look like someone a bulldozer ran over and who I need to beat up." I laugh because I know Gabe can't fight for shit. He's my height but painfully thinner than me.
"Yeah I'd definitely be on a front roll seat to watch the fight."
He laughs and punch my arm lightly as we go sit down and I fill him in.