Chapter 8:
(This chapter may be triggering to some readers)

[12 years ago]

It's cold and dark within the four damp walls of the small space that Caleb calls his room.

The walls are burnt and black, evidence of the incident that happened a few years back. The fact that the house is even habitable is bewildering to Caleb.

He's crouched down on his knees in the corner of his room, clearing up the latest chaos caused by Marcus.

Marcus.

Even his name brings chills to Caleb's body.

Caleb's scrawny little body is slouched on the floor in the corner of the room, wiping away the pool of blood that's on the wonky wooden flooring before cleaning the flowing blood on his skinny forearm.

He doesn't cry. Only the weak cry and Caleb was not weak. He was strong, his mother made sure to convince him of that before everything fucked up in the world.

Once he's finished clearing up the blood and glass from the floor, he limps over to the dingy little sink in the other corner of the small room and rinses the same cloth, squeezing out the dirty water that wets the cloth and dabs it on his bloody arm.

He hisses in pain when the water makes contact with the open wound thats covers the length of his arm from his elbow to just above his wrist.

How the cut didn't reach into his veins is beyond him and he starts to think that maybe Marcus had been a little lenient today.

Who knows, tomorrow could be worse.

Once he's done cleaning himself up, Caleb just about makes it to his make shift bed made of several ripped blankets on the floor before his name is shouted from downstairs.

"Caleb!"

He winces from the harshness of the voice and almost whimpers before reminding himself of his mum again.

Be strong.

"Caleb!" The voice shouts louder this time and Caleb doesn't need to be called again before he's running downstairs despite the pain it causes his possible broken leg.

He doesn't speak nor make eye contact with the man who is stood in front of him, much taller and broader than the scrawny teenaged boy which earns another slap from Marcus.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you boy!" He screams, after striking Caleb.

He's almost knocked off his feet from the blow and for the first time, he's glad for his broken leg, causing his leg to be heavier than normal and prevents him from falling.

His gaze instantly meets the scruffy man who hadn't had a shave in a while nor a haircut.

His eyes are wide and round and it's evident that he isn't drunk. He hardly ever drinks.

Marcus isn't drunk or high or mentally ill. He's just a sick human being who gets a kick out of hurting people. Someone who gets a kick out of killing an innocent pregnant woman in front of her 10 year old son by burning her to the bone.

The images flash through Caleb's mind every time his eyes set on the man who killed his mother and it makes him feel physically sick, like he wants to vomit violently.

"Is this yours?" He scowls at the little boy who is now backed up against the wall from the strike he just received.

He's holding several clear plastic packets of white powder in one of his large hands.

"No." He simply says, voice coming out more confident than it should be to the man who had been abusing him for years now.

Caleb never says more words than he needs to the sorry excuse of a man. He didn't deserve the waste of breath.

"Don't lie to me boy, if you think you're tough doing drugs- have the bravery to admit it like a man!" He barks.

There's still a safe distance between the two which Caleb is thankful for.

"I'm 14. I don't do drugs. They're not mine." Caleb calmly explains, angering the male further.

"Liar!" He bellows and Caleb just wishes that maybe this once the neighbours would hear the shouting. But evidently, they don't have any neighbours, living in the middle of no-where. "Who else's would they be?!"

Caleb doesn't answer because honestly, that was a fair enough point. The drugs were indeed his, but he never consumed them. He didn't think he had the guts to do that.

There was this one time he was allowed out of the house because Marcus was busy with a woman and he said that he needed the house to himself.

He was told that he could go out but to stay close and if he tried to run away, Marcus would find him and kill him- and it wouldn't be a pleasant death either. It'd be a painful one.

So he went and found some older boys who thought it would be funny to sell Coke to a 14 year old boy. Caleb didn't have any money but the boys didn't mind. They said that they could come up with a way for him to repay them, they just needed time.

So the drugs were indeed his, but he was planning on burying them out in the woods somewhere if he ever got another chance to leave the house. He realises that was a bad idea now.

Marcus scoffs, throwing the baggies at Caleb from across the room. "Go ahead, knock yourself out. You're pathetic. I'd be surprised if you even had the balls to take them." He hisses in disgust and exits the half burnt house locking the door on the way out.

Caleb writhes in anger. He never used to be an angry person but being abused changes a person.

Collecting the little bags full of white powder, he limps up to his room and uses an old glass bottle to grind the powder further before pouring the contents onto the floor next to his bed of blankets.

Taking a deep breath he lowers his face towards the contents emptied out on the floor and snorts it all in one go.

He instantly feels lightheaded and mostly sick. His hands shake from the pain he feels in his nose and behind his eyes. Tears form in his eyes from the intensity of the feeling but it just makes him continue with the next bag.

It's only 20 minutes later, he collapses onto the bare wooden floor with blood trickling down his nose and empty baggies are scattered next to him, mocking his unconscious body.

• • • • •

[Present time]

Lexi doesn't leave the sanatorium straight away after her session with Caleb today.

Instead, she asks the receptionist if she is able to talk with the doctor who is in charge of treating Caleb. The receptionist is reluctant, but Lexi persists resulting in a quick meeting with Doctor Riverfield who is apparently free over his lunch break.

Lexi patiently waits for the doctor in the reception area, also jotting down questions to ask the doctor about Caleb.

She is absolutely determined on finding out what happened to Caleb in his past and she figures that his doctor must at least be able to give her an insight on what might've happened if not the full story.

The familiar doctor enters the reception area, greeting Lexi. "Miss Reid. Pleasure meeting you again." He greets, shaking Lexi's hand as she stands.

She doesn't know what it is about him, but that guy gives her the creeps. So Lexi intends on making this meeting as short and to the point as possible.

"You too Dr Riverfield. I'm so grateful for the placement you have given me here."

He smiles at her. "But I am guessing it's not going too well, Mr Castillo can be very difficult. That's why you wish to talk to me, correct?"

Lexi sighs a little. "I just really want to get through to him. And I can't do that when he's so distant all the time. I thought that maybe if I found out a little more about him, I'll be able to do my case on him a little better as well as help him along the way." She explains.

Dr Riverfield isn't too pleased about the idea though, because his face turns into a slight scowl that Lexi just about catches. "You mean, you want to know about his background?"

"Yes, I think it'll help. But he refuses to tell me anything." Lexi admits to the older man.

He turns cold at the confession and Lexi frowns at his reaction. "No-one here knows about his past Miss Reid." He says in a short, snappy tone.

Lexi's brows furrow in confusion and wants to question the matter further but she knows there's nothing she can do if no one here knows anything. "Could you at least help me with his medication. I just wanted to know why he is taking the medication he is taking."

Dr Riverfield seems to get back to normal after that question and answers it willingly. "Anti-psychotics prevent him from encountering delusions and hallucinations which are common to psychopathic patients."

"Right." Lexi already knew that. She wants to know more about the painkillers he is taking. "And he also told me that he's taking painkillers. Why does he take those?" She asks.

Dr Riverfield stares icily again. "He doesn't. They are not on his prescription." He bites back.

"But-"

"I'm sorry Miss Reid, but I'm going to have to cut this meeting short. I have very little time left for lunch." The doctor cuts her off and she's frowns.

"Uh, okay. One more thing. Is he allowed to leave his room and join the other patients in the communal room?" She asks, wondering why he never left his room like other patients did.

"Of course he's allowed Miss Reid. He just chooses not to. He hasn't left that room for 2 months so I'll doubt you could get him to leave it." He explains. "Now I really must get going."

"Oh, okay. Thank you for your help Doctor." She smiles at him before he walks off, leaving Lexi more confused than before.

She turns around the leave the Sanatorium but stops herself by checking the time. She has a class in an hour, but maybe she could just skip it today and find out more about Caleb, if he's willing.

She knows that the only way to get through to him is to be patient. And the more time she spends with him, the sooner he'll tell her.

Besides, Professor Collins can't say anything about missing class, this proves her dedication to the project.

So without the hesitancy and fear, this time she walks down the hallways to room 472 and knocks, hoping he'll talk to her after her last attempt not even an hour ago.

"Twice in the same hour? Aren't I just the luckiest person alive." The deep voice calls sarcastically from desk beside the door when Lexi opens the door and steps in.

Lexi notices that the chair is no longer on the floor, instead, upright and next to the one Caleb is sitting on.

She also notices that she has interrupted a drawing session which Caleb seems to be having using the very pencils she had given him not an hour ago. A small smile threatens to form on her lips but she forces herself not to.

"Come on. We're going to the community room." She simply states, leaving the door open for Caleb before stepping back out of the room, hoping he follows her.

• • • • •

Word count: 1940