Give In

Date/Timing: 18 February 2007
Setting: various locales around Port Macquarie, NSW, Australia
.
== Logan's POV ==
Voices outside the door.
Logan hugs his knees closer, presses himself more tightly into the corner.
Observation slot /shiffs open, closed.
Key in the lock, bolt /ka-clunks back.
""—fight to bring him in,"" says the duty officer.
Door creaks open.
""If you need anything, just knock. Or yell.""
Door creaks closed.
Bolt /ka-chanks into place.
Fabric rustles.
""Hello, love,"" says Nanny quietly.
"Will he be alright?"
""He'll heal up good as new, but he'll probably have a bit of a scar.""
Logan cringes. "Din't mean to hurt him. Mum and Dad—I just couldn't ... /see."
""I know, love. You made a terrible mistake.""
Scoffs, "Another one, you mean."
""You've got a tough road, but you've been doing well.""
"Maybe I'm just getting better at not being caught."
A soft sigh.
Logan braces— 
""I thought the new therapist—""
"She's really easy to fool." Shrugs. "Tell her what she wants to hear and she stops pushing, yea?"
The beads of Nanny's bracelet /click-click.
Logan swallows, mumbles, "Mum's right: I can't be normal. I've tried, but—" Lifts his head. "—I can't /not hurt people." Forces a smile. "I should probably just give in and be proud I'm the monster Dad says I am."
"Logan, you're no monster." Nanny's eyes are shiny.
He laughs and it comes out high and squeaky. "I nearly killed my baby brother. How'm I /not a monster?" Drops his head to his knees, laces his fingers on the back of his neck. "I'll be lucky not to be locked up 'til I'm eighteen for this."
""It won't come to that.""
"Maybe it should."
""Logan ....""
He takes a deep breath. "Why're you even here?"
""Because I love you and I want you to be happy and safe.""
Grits his teeth, spits, "Give up."
""I won't.""
"I'm a /sociopath. We don't get better. Ever."
""A sociopath's first question wouldn't be about Derek's health.""
"Maybe I'm acting."
""You're good, but not /that good, dear.""
"I'll get better."
/click-click
""Logan, take a deep breath for me.""
He does.
""We can work with your brain, even if it is atypical.""
Digs his nails into his skin, mutters, "It's not worth it."
""You're worth everything."
"Nanny. 'm bro—/wrong."
""If your parents are telling you that, /they're wrong.""
Logan snaps up, full of fire. "I don't—I don't! fucking! /feel!" Glares. "Can we fix /that?"
"We can work with that," Nanny says calmly.
Logan's eyes slide from her face to the tile at her feet and he shakes his head.
"May I hug you?"
"Sure," he whispers.
Nanny scoots over, pulls Logan into a gentle hug.
He sags against her.
She squeezes.
And he squeezes—just a tiny bit—back.
== Nanny's POV ==
After services, Holly slides behind the wheel of her—
Mobile squawks.
—fumbles it out of her purse, tucks it to her ear.
""What's going on?!"" yelps Jack from the other end.
Holly shifts the device further from her ear. "Take a deep breath, love."
Jack does.
"Now, what's got you so upset?"
""I just woke up and there's a note on the mirror that says to call you and that someone's at the hospital and I'm the only one in the house and—"" Deep breath. ""—I have no /idea what's happening.""
"I'm sure there's a simple—"
""Oh my god. There's blood on the floor!"" Jack squeaks. ""Oh my—""
"Jack," interrupts Holly, calm as can be. "Is anything in sight disturbed? Out of place?"
""N-no.""
Holly exhales. "Someone's probably only had a little accident, then."
A /thump as Jack sits on the floor. ""O-okay.""
"Love, I'm going to hang up with you and call your father to see if we can't figure out what's happened. Stay put and don't touch anything near the mess, alright?"
""S-sure.""
"I'll call right back."
""Thanks, Nanny.""
Holly disconnects, immediately pokes her son's contact.
Michael answers just before his voice mail picks up. ""What, Mum?""
She frowns. "Jack just called me in an absolute panic—"
""Logan threw Derek down the stairs,"" spits Michael. ""He's in surgery having his spine pieced back together.""
Holly covers her mouth. "Will he—"
""He's lucky he's so young. Should come out with only a scar from the surgery.""
Exhales, "Thank goodness."
Michael grunts.
"Is Logan with—"
""Of /course not! The beast took off running as soon as Derek hit the floor—""
Holly flinches.
""—called the police to find and hold him until we can deal with him.""
"You and Kathleen are staying at the hospital?"
Derisive sniff.
"May I check on Logan?"
""If you want to waste your time on him, go ahead,"" Michael snarls. ""You're the only one he sometimes listens to, anyway.""
Muffled voices, as if the microphone is covered with a hand.
""Doctor's coming back. 'bye.""
A chime.
Holly takes a deep breath, taps Jack's contact.
He picks up on the first ring.
"Jack, love, it's Nanny."
Voice muffled, Jack greets, ""Hey.""
"You've gotten yourself something to eat?"
""Mmm."" A swallow. ""Yea.""
"Good. Your father tells me Derek and Logan had a bit of an accident. Derek's in good hands and I'm trying to find Logan."
""Is ... is there something I can do to help?""
"Finish your breakfast, do your homework, and keep your eyes open for Logan."
""Nanny ...."" Jack inhales deeply. ""If it's an accident, why's Logan missing?""
"I'll ask him when he turns up, dear."
""Oh, okay."" A shuffle. ""Can I clean up the, uh, blood? 's kinda freaking me out.""
"Go ahead, dear."
Relieved sigh.
"I'll call back when I learn something more."
""Thanks.""
"Take care, Jack."
""You, too.""
Holly disconnects, rubs her eyes. A deep breath and she calls the first police station in her contacts list.
Three calls and thirty minutes of driving later, the duty officer escorts her to the station's holding cells.
"We put him in here for his and our safety." The officer slots in the key. "Put up a /hell of a fight when we tried to bring him in." Swings open the door. "If you need anything, just knock. Or yell."
Holly nods, steps into the bare room.
The officer closes the door behind her.
Logan huddles in the farthest corner, hugging his knees to his chest, forehead resting against them.
She eases herself to the floor beside the doorframe, smooths the fabric of her trousers. "Hello, Logan."
"Will he be alright?" Logan murmurs.
"He'll heal up good as new, but he'll probably have a bit of a scar."
Logan cringes. "Din't mean to hurt him."
"I know, love," she says gently. "You made a terrible mistake."
He scoffs. "Another one, you mean."
"You've got a tough road, but you've been doing well."
"Maybe I just haven't gotten caught lately."
Holly's heart twitches. "I thought the new therapist—"
"She's really easy to fool." Shrugs. "Tell her what she wants to hear and she stops pushing, yea?"
Holly worries her bracelet.
Logan swallows. "Mum's right: I can't be normal. I've tried, but—" Looks up, eyes bloodshot. "—I can't /not hurt people." Weak smile. "Maybe I should just give in and be proud I'm the monster Dad says I am."
"Logan, you're no monster."
He laughs, a little hysterically. "I nearly killed my baby brother. How'm I /not a monster?" Drops his head to his knees. "I'll be lucky not to be locked up 'til I'm eighteen for this."
"It won't come to that."
"Maybe it should."
Category:Ficlet
Category:Nanny
Category:Nanny (ficlet)
Category:Jackson
Category:Jackson (ficlet)
Category:Conversations on phones
Category:Michael
Category:Michael (ficlet)
Category:Derek (mention)
Category:Logan
Category:Logan (ficlet)
Category:Kathleen (mention)
Category:Ficlets with images