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When Bill woke up he noticed straight away that something was wrong, he rolled over to where Campbell normally slept and the spot was empty. “Campbell?” Bill moves out of the bed, pulling on a dressing gown. “Campbell, are you in the bathroom?” He calls into the bathroom, resting his ear against the door. “Campbell.” He knocks on the door, moving his hand to the handle and pushing the door open. “Are you o-.” Bill stops, looking around the empty room; no Campbell. “Let’s stop this hiding please.” Bill calls out into the house, moving into the living room. He looks around the room in every Campbell hiding space. “Shit.” Bill curses under his breath, worry building.
The phone rings a few times before the person on the other side picks up.
“Joe. Oh thank God. Has Campbell gone to yours?” Bill asks, he didn’t usually pray but in this instance he felt it was needed. “No. Um I don’t think it’s anything to worry about yet. He just isn’t in the house… I’ll let you know.” Bill hangs up the phone, letting out a shaky breath. He moves to sit on the sofa, head in his hands with no idea what to do.
The phone rings, making him jump.
“Campbell?” He says hopefully but that was taken away when he hears Virginia’s voice.
“Joe just called, is it true?”
Bill clears his throat. “I don’t know where he would’ve gone.” Bill says, looking over to the empty bed. “His side of the bed was cold.”
-----
Bill sees that the lights at the office were on when he drove in, he thought maybe Campbell had gone there.
“Sir, you’re gonna wanna see this.” Jane says as he opens the car door.
“What are you doing here? It’s 6am.”
She looks over to the building. “The same reason that you are here I’m assuming. Campbell?”
Bill’s attention is fully on her once she says his name. “You know where he is?” Bill starts, looking over to the office and then back to her.
“The alarms were set off. I got a phone call and came over straight away. It took a lot to convince the police to.” She gets interrupted by Bill who had just noticed police cars.
“Where is he?”
Jane nods. “He’s in your office.”
Bill moves quickly into the building, pushing past a policeman to get to the boy. “Campbell?” Bill whispers, trying to get the boy’s attention.
He was curled up in a ball, sitting under Bill’s desk.
“Smashed that window and climbed through it. Little shit. The girl asked us to wait for you. Do you want to press charges?”
Bill shakes his head. “He is not a ‘little shit’. Don’t think you can assume that.” Bill moves under the police tape, stepping over some broken glass and sitting down next to the boy. “Campbell. It’s me.” Bill notices that the boy had cut his leg on the glass, the soles of his feet dirtied and pyjamas ripped.
-----
Almost an hour later and Campbell still hadn’t moved from under the desk.
“Campbell, bud please.” Bill looks over to Jane and now Virginia who were standing looking at the clock as it creeps closer to when the first patient was going to arrive.
It was obvious that Bill was not in the right state of mind to work after all of this.
“Buddy, just look up okay. Look up at me.” Bill moves a gentle hand to Campbell’s cheek.
“Bill we can rearrange the appointments.” Virginia tells him but the man shakes his head.
“Just let me… give me a second.” Bill says, brushing a thumb over Campbell’s cheek. “Could you leave? Go get some supplies to fix up his leg.” He looks up to the two women who scatter quickly. “Please baby boy.” Bill begs, feeling a tear fall onto his thumb. Campbell whimpers, leaning into Bill’s hand, the first movement he has made in hours. “Daddy is here.” Bill whispers, moving to pull Campbell into his lap. “I’m here now.”
Campbell nods weakly, rubbing his eyes as he nuzzles his face into Bill’s neck.
The knock on the door startles Campbell, making him whimper.
“You’re okay.” Bill keeps a hand on the boy’s back.
“I bought the supplies.” Virginia whispers, but Bill motions her over.
“Do you have some water and maybe a snack? He’s exhausted.”
-----
“One more I promise.” Bill holds onto Campbell’s leg to keep it still.
Virginia was sat holding the boy’s hand, passing him the occasional biscuit.
Campbell watches as Bill stitches up the last bit of the wound.
“I don’t want to leave him today.” Bill looks up to Virginia who nods.
“I can get Jane to reschedule some things so that you two can get home.”
Bill ties the stitch, starting to wrap a bandage around it knowing Campbell well enough. “I’m going to stay here, see my patients.” He says confusing the woman a little bit.
“I don’t…” Campbell whimpers, pulling his leg up a little too quickly.
“Alright bud.” Bill moves up to him. “We can set Campbell up in here, he’ll sleep for enough time for Jane to get some of his stuff from home. Look in the cabinet over there, I’ve got some of his pills. He hasn’t taken his morning ones.”
Virginia moves herself up off the floor to grab the pills. “What do you need Jane to pick up?” She passes Bill the pill pot.
“His book, he’s reading Sherlock Holmes at the moment. His lunch is in the fridge and also some clothes.” Bill rattles off, encouraging the boy to take his meds which was more him pushing the pills into the boy’s mouth and rinsing it down with water. “There is a spare key under the mat.” Bill says. “Let’s get you to this chair, you can have a nap.” Bill kisses the side of his head, helping the boy into the chair that sat in the corner of the room.
“You’ve had a busy morning.” Jane walks in with a pot of coffee and a mug. “Virginia is going to sit by the phone whilst I am getting Campbell’s things.” She tells the man, looking over to Campbell who had passed out quite quickly. “Bless him.”