Date: Thu, 08 Jan 2004 20:51:28 -0800 From: Liquid Dream Subject: Final Acts/ Chapter 2 Disclaimer: This story is completely fictional. All similarities with this to actual people or places is purely coincidental. Harry Potter is a registered trademark of J.K. Rowling and all references to her works are done so without official recognition. Message from the author: Well, I'm kinda speechless as to what to say about the response I got for part 1. I've never spent that much time answering fan mail... I hope that this series can achieve what everyone expects of it. And without further adieu, I give you part 2. Final Acts Part 2: Tears Like the Rain The day was gloomy and the rain poured from a sad, grey sky. Anthony was driving, faster than he had really intended on, down the freeway in his Toyota pickup. It was about 2 in the afternoon when he arrived at the hospital. The old wooden sign that said "Rosewood Children's Hospital" was overgrown with crawling ivy, and the flower bed that had once stood there held only a few dried stalks of once living beauties. A grim reminder that a hospital was not only a place of saving life, but death. Anthony drove around for several minutes looking for a parking spot. When he finally found one, he grabbed his files out of his passenger side seat and locked up his car. Walking through the automatic sliding doors, that immaculate yet dirty smell that hospitals have assaulted his nostrils. This was the smell of death. He approached the front desk where stood a rather burly woman with thick horn-rimmed glasses. "Excuse me, I'm Anthony Gregorio with the CPA. I'm here to speak to Trenton Skyler?" he said, knowing that all hospital staff knew the proper protocol for a CPA worker. "Oh, so you're the one they sent. Alright. Come this way," the woman said, her voice seemingly deep because of her massive size. The woman, who's name he had learned was Francene from her name tag, led him down the western hall to room 652. She stopped him before entering the room and in a low, but rumbling voice spoke to him. "Trenton is the sweetest child I have ever met, Mr. Gregorio. What happened to him is absolutely horrendous, and he still doesn't complain about it. He is completely blind, as I'm sure you could tell from that picture we sent to your agency. He is very well spoken, so you should have no problem talking to him. He has terrible bouts of pain in his eyes from time to time, and can call us to administer pain killers any time. If he should have one of these while he is with you, please try to talk to him soothingly until we arrive. Oh, and one more thing, don't stare at his eyes. He's blind, but somehow that child knows when someone is staring at him, and I know it can't make him feel too good," Francene said, her brutish appearance disappearing quickly, to be replaced with a seemingly caring aunt or grandmother. "I understand. Thank you," Anthony replied. She gestured toward the door and made her way back to her post at the front desk, lumbering down the hall. Anthony stared at the handle for a couple of moments, took a deep breath, and entered the room. The room was dark. The curtains were drawn, the light was off, and all that could really be made out were the lights on medical equipment. "Hello? Francene? Is that you?" a small, frail voice came from one end of the dark room. "No. Trenton? I'm a social worker. I was asked to come and speak to you," Anthony said, not sure where he should be placing his eyes. "Oh... I'm sorry about the lights. I think there's a switch right behind you," he said, politeness in every word. Anthony turned around and groped the wall. He flipped on the switch and the room came to life. There laying in the small hospital bed, covered in a blue sheet, was a beautiful little boy, a bandage wrapped around his head to cover his eyes. Anthony noticed a chair next to the bed and went to sit in it. Next to the chair was a table with a book on it, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone". "Trenton, my name is Anthony Gregorio, you can call me Tony if you like. I work for the Child Protection Agency. If you don't mind, I'd like to ask you a few questions," Anthony said, the standard mantra of every beginning case. "Alright," the boy answered simply, his head turned towards Anthony as though he were staring at him through the bandages. The next hour was occupied with standard questions. The boy went through the entire story without once choking up. He went on to reveal that his father routinely abused him, burning him with cigarette butts, forcing him to hang from a rope for hours at a time, and if he let go, he'd be beaten with a stick. At the end, Anthony was closer to tears than the boy had been. Now that the technicalities were over, it was time to go. As Anthony was about to get up, the boy sensed what was happening. "Please don't go. I'm really bored in here. My friend came the other day and started reading Harry Potter to me, but I can't expect him to come every day. When I was going to school, I used to laugh at everyone who read Harry Potter, but when Brian read part of the first one to me, I understood why everyone loved them. Would you read to me a little? I can't ask the nurses. Francene said she'd love to, but she has to work," the boy pleaded. Anthony looked at the boy in bewilderment. None of his cases had ever been so happy to open up to a case-worker. After thinking for a couple seconds, he decided he would read to Trenton until he dozed off, then quietly leave the room. "Alright. I'll read to you," he said gently. "Thank you so much," the boy smiled. Anthony picked up the book on the counter and opened to the dog-eared page where he assumed Trenton's friend left off. He began to read. Anthony turned the page and realized that he had just finished the book. He looked up at the clock. It was 7 o'clock already! "Listen, Trenton, I really have to go now," Anthony said truthfully. Trenton smiled up at him, still seeming as though he could see Anthony's every movement. "Thank you, Tony. I really like those books. I can't thank you enough," he said happily. "It was my pleasure, Trenton. I may be back later on to get a follow-up report, ok?" Anthony asked. "Ok. I hope I see...I mean, I hope you come back soon," Trenton said, catching his own irony. "Goodbye," said Anthony. "Bye," replied Trenton. Anthony left the room and quietly closed the door. He smiled warmly at Francene as he left the hospital and got into his car. There he sat for a couple of minutes, reflecting. "I really like those books..." those words kept echoing in his mind. A moment later, he was on his way to the local bookstore. Note from the author: Like I said earlier, I was amazed at the amount of mail I got in response to chapter one. I can only hope you guys like this one as much as the prior. As always, be brutal with your critiques. Hot_n_sexy1290@hotmail.com ;) Liquid Dreams ;)