Ch 6 The Killer Within

Chapter 6

“There is no way we can release him to your custody, Mrs. Kelly, the attack was just too violent.” The police sergeant explained. “He’ll need to stay here until he goes before the judge tomorrow morning, at which time bail will be set.”

“You don’t understand, he needs to be home, he needs to be with me.” Bruce’s mom pleaded through tears.

“I understand your frustration, m’am, but the kid is obviously ‘on’ something. We’ll take a blood sample, fix him up with a nice warm meal and a cot for the night, and he’ll do just fine. You really have to understand how violent that attack was on his teacher. You should want him to be where he can come down off whatever made him go off like that.”

“He’s not on anything! She protested vehemently.

“That’s even more reason for us to keep him in custody, by tomorrow we’ll have the results of his drug screening and will have some contacts for you to get him some help.”

“I am all the help he needs, may I talk to him now?”

“As soon as intake is done we’ll take you in there.” The sergeant concluded. “Until then, please have a seat in the waiting area.”

The sergeant knew mothers like this one. Their kids were never to blame, it was always others that ‘made them do it’. Sounds like this kid just might have been using drugs to escape his mother’s claws. The sergeant had no use for coddling and over-protective parents…back in his day kids that age were earning a living already, not socked away in private schools with everything handed to them.

“I have to have a drug test?” Bruce meekly asked the intake officer as the nurse stood by with the syringe and sample tubes.
“It’s just a part of the drill, kid.” Smiled George Zenowski. “Nothing personal.”

“I never take drugs.” Said Bruce quietly.

“No one is saying you are kid, it’s just something’ we gotta do to everyone who comes through here.”

“Then can I go home?”

“Don’t know, son, I just work here. No one lets me make any decisions, I just follow my rules, you ‘ll just follow yours.” George stood by as the nurse drew blood and looked at Bruce as he sat and watched the blood oozing into the tubes. Until that moment the kid’s eyes were dull and lifeless.. The sight of blood nearly lit them up like a neon sign. “Perhaps the kid is just afraid of the sight of blood” George thought to himself before he caught a glimpse of Bruce’s faint smile. Goosebumps rose on George’s arms and he visibly shuddered.