Work Text:
Sheldon didn't even try to fall asleep. He knew what was coming. He'd started to wait for it.
His parents were fighting, again. At this point his father yelled more than he talked, mostly at him and his mom.
He didn't yell at Missy or Georgie, Sheldon supposed that he liked them better than him, something about his smarts set him off for hours and hours.
It was just another Saturday night, and another yelling session. He sat on the edge of his bed listening to the argument, but he couldn't make a word of what they were saying. Something about beer probably.
Then his door slammed open. He jolted, straightening his posture.
"Get out here. Now." His father barked in an angry tone.
Sheldon bit the inside of his cheek "Y-yes sir."
He looked down at the floor, slipped his slippers on and did as he was told.
His father roughly grabbed him by his arm and pulled him to the living room where his mom was.
"You leave him out of this, you hear me George!" She yelled.
"Shut up!" He turned to Sheldon. "Now since you love yer' mom here so much," He yanked him forward. "Yer' gonna take it for her" he snarled.
Sheldon didn't say anything.
"George, you let go of him right now-!"
He whipped around and smacked her. "I said shut up!"
She stopped talking.
"Roll up yer' sleeves,"
Sheldon did as he was told. He knew what was coming, he'd gone through this enough to know not to fight it. If he did, it would be worse.
His father left for a moment and returned with a ruler. Sheldon held out his trembling arm and turned his head away, bracing himself.
His father raised the ruler above his shoulder, then brought it down with such force it made a crack, like a pistol going off.
Crack
A moment then, Crack
Crack
Crack
By the end blood was slowly trickling off his arm and he could feel the stinging in his eyes.
George turned around. "Go clean up boy, you got church tomorrow." He said coldly
Sheldon grabbed his arm for support. "Yes sir.." he said shakily and then turned into the bathroom and locked the door.
He washed the wound out under the faucet, then he had to do the worse part. Disinfecting Alcohol. He laid his arm above the sink then dumped it on.
He hissed in pain, watching the wounds froth.
Then he wiped it dry and wrapped gauze around it.
He sighed, unlocking the door and silently heading back to his room. When he opened the door his mom was already waiting for him, sitting on the edge of his bed.
"Shelly, sit here, will you?" She said softly, patting the spot next to her.
Sheldon didn't say anything, but he nodded.
He sat down and she looked at him with those saddened eyes that always made his heart ache.
"I'm so sorry moonpie," she started, pulling him up to her side. "I'm so proud of you, my brave boy" she rubbed comforting circles into his back.
"I'll tell you what, tomorrow, after church. I'll take you to RadioShack, how does that sound?" She asked.
Sheldon looked at her and, didn't smile, but he curled the corners of his mouth up. "Thank you, mom" he whispered.
She smiled at him and patted his back "You go get some rest now."
Sheldon, as always, did as he was told.