Charlie Dawson was propped up in bed drinking orange juice out of a straw. A woman with thick wavy hair to her waist, a floor length beaded skirt and dangly feather earrings was sitting in a chair pulled up to the bed watching Charlie’s every move. The father wasn’t around.
“Officers,” the woman stood when she noticed Maggie. “I’m Pamela Dawson, Charlie’s mother. She thrust out her hand and smiled at Maggie.
“Maggie Bychowski. Nice to meet you. Do you mind if I chat a bit with Charlie?”
“No, not at all. Would you like me to leave the room?”
Maggie glanced at the woman and thought for a second. “No, actually I’d prefer you stay.”
The woman smiled and sat back down. Hendricks stood near the door.
Maggie pulled up a chair on the other side of the bed so she wasn’t hovering over the girl.
“Hi, Charlie. You look better than even this morning. I’m so glad to see that. I wanted to check in again and see if you’d been able to remember anything else that happened?”
Charlie scrunched her forehead. “No,” she said in a small voice.
A tear started to form in the corner of her eyes.
“Is that normal? Not to remember?”
Maggie nodded vigorously. “It happens. Remember I told you about the blow to the head? Well it might be something else. Right before I came in here I was talking to your doctor about it. It’s called dissociative amnesia. It’s a programmed response by your subconscious to not remember what happened to you. Your subconscious is protecting you from those memories. But the good news is that your memories are still there somewhere. They could come back on their own or with therapy.” Maggie glanced at the mother, who was nodding.
Charlie scrunched her face. “What if I don’t want to remember?”
Maggie’s heart went out to the girl. “That’s understandable, too.”
The mother leaned over and squeezed her daughter’s hand. “We could get my shaman to help. He’s very wise.”
Charlie looked away, but Maggie could see the girl roll her eyes as she shook her head no.
Maggie crouched down by the bed so she was closer to the girl’s face. “Listen, Charlie. I want you to remember so we can make sure whoever did this to you never does it to someone else again,” she paused and glanced at Hendricks and the mom for a second. “But, here’s the thing, if it’s too painful or difficult for you to remember, I understand that, too. Okay? I’m not going to pressure you into doing anything you don’t want to do.”
The girl nodded, not taking her eyes off Maggie’s.
“Can you tell me more about this Shadow Man?”
The girl cast a wild-eyed look at the windows and doors. “Do you think he is going to come get me, finish me off?”
The girl kicked off her covers and was trying to disconnect her IV, clawing at her arm. “I need to get out of here. He’s going to come get me.” Her voice was wracked with sobs.
The mother rushed over. Instead of hugging her, she stood over her daughter, wringing her hands. It was as if she were afraid to touch her own kid, Maggie thought.
“Stop it, Charlie,” the mother said over her shoulder, heading for the door. “I’m calling the doctor. Stop that Charlie you’re going to hurt yourself. Stop.”
Maggie held her a palm to try to shut the mother up. The woman was becoming hysterical, which was not helping the poor traumatized kid.
The mother closed her mouth.
Maggie gently took Charlie’s hand away from her arm and helped the girl lean back down on the bed. “Relax. I’m not going to let anyone hurt you. I promise.”
Leaning into the mic on her shoulder she spoke clearly. “This is Officer Bychowski. Can you get a 10-20 for Officer Grant? He’s supposed to be at the hospital.”
“En route,” the dispatcher said.
The girl looked terrified. “Do you think he really might come get me?”
“Nah. He’s not real. But someone did … attack … you. And until we find out who that is, I think it’s best to have a guard here.”
The girl nodded, but still looked worried. Ten more minutes of gentle questioning still hadn’t gotten Maggie anywhere so she stood to leave.
“Listen, I have to go now, Charlie. If your mother stays here until Officer Grant comes, will you feel safe?”
The girl nodded solemnly. “My dad is going to be back in a second anyway.”
Maggie stood. She paused. More than anything, she wanted to ask the girl if her two best friends had stabbed her. but that would be coercion. There was no way she could plant that idea. The girl had to tell her on her own.
“Call me if you need anything. I’ll come check on you tomorrow.”
Before they left, Maggie took the mother aside in the hall.
She handed her a card. “Will you please call me if Officer Grant isn’t here within the half hour?”
“Sure,” the woman said, a frown creasing her brow.
“And listen, you are the mother. You need to be calm for your daughter right now, okay? I know it’s tough. But she really needs you right now.”
The woman nodded, but looked afraid.
In the elevator, Maggie swore.
Hendricks just nodded.
“Unless that girl remembers what happened,” Maggie said. “That Clamper is going to take the fall for the stabbing. And right now, it’s looking like attempted murder.”
“What’s next boss?” Hendricks asked.
Maggie rolled her eyes at being called boss, but threw back her shoulders.
“Let’s go see what the judge’s kid has to say.”