Dodge felt bad that the child didn’t respond to him. Almost as if Dodge wanted and needed the boy to grab on to him. That’s what I thought because that’s how I felt.
I needed assistance to stand because the child wouldn’t let go. In fact, he didn’t let go all the way back to the house. He sat in the front seat with me, his chest to my chest, head down against me.
After the initial shock of finding him and the emotional breakdown on the floor of Walmart, we were able to assess what all that small child had done. We don’t know how he ended up at Walmart, although in the parking lot of the Big Bear Grocery store, right across the road was a huge military aid station. Maybe he was there and everyone died?
We didn’t know. He went to where he felt safe. Action hero figures. He had crackers and drink boxes, loads of drink boxes. A mask that lit up and a bunch of dead cell phones. I only guessed he used them until they died, maybe a light source or something.
How long he was there, we didn’t know either.
We didn’t know anything because the boy didn’t speak.
“I don’t think he ever will,” Dodge said in the car.
“He’ll speak again.” I then aimed my voice to his ear. “You’ll speak when you’re ready. If you spoke before this, you’ll speak after.”
“The shock may have done something. We don’t know what he saw.”
“I can only imagine. But he still went to a safe place, found food, and drinks. He was surviving on instincts. He’s going to be fine. Won’t you sweetie, you’ll be just fine.”
His arms tensed up around my neck.
“This is unbelievable. This is the best find of the day.” Dodge reached over and laid his hand on the boys head.
The child didn’t respond to the touch.
Dodge retracted his hand, rolling his fingers and making a fist while puckering his lips sadly.
“He’ll come around,” I said. “You’ll see.”
The house wasn’t far, and I hadn’t even thought about the next step with the child. As usual, Dodge did. Once we pulled into the house, I had barely stepped from the car when Dodge started stating what we’d do.
“Fire up your grill and start heating up water. Use the stuff I took from the water heater. There are six jugs in the kitchen.”
I nodded and saw him walking in a different direction. “Where are you going?”
“Your neighbors had a turkey fryer, I’m gonna use that for water. We can get five good gallons there too. He needs to be cleaned up, he’ll feel better.”
I agreed, the child did need to be bathed. He still hadn’t spoken or responded and I carried him into the house and straight to the kitchen.
“I have to set you down. I want to heat up some water so you can take a bath.”
He shook his head.
“I need to put you down, baby, you stay right by me, o kay?"
His grip relaxed and I set him to the floor. I adjusted the blanket over his shoulders and looked at him. For the first time I saw his face in the light.
His skin was pale and he had dark circles around his eyes. Lips dry and cracked, and mucus was encrusted around his nose, and his dirty hair was matted with something. It was so dirty, I couldn’t determine the color. It was going to take a while to get him clean. His stared at me with his big blue eyes, so sad.
“Are you thirsty?”
He nodded.
“I’m gonna get the water started, and then we’ll get you something more to drink. We’ll eat after you get a bath.”
I know that sounded trivial and feeding the child should have been first but he already was so germ infested, I hated the thought of him even minutely consuming anymore.
The child stayed close to me and when Dodge returned, firing up that turkey deep fryer, I sent him back down to a house three doors away. I knew they had young boys and the child needed something to wear.
Dodge won over the boy when he not only returned with clothes, but a couple toys as well.
“Yeah, I got him,” Dodge said, so pleased with himself.
I knew it wouldn’t
I needed assistance to stand because the child wouldn’t let go. In fact, he didn’t let go all the way back to the house. He sat in the front seat with me, his chest to my chest, head down against me.
After the initial shock of finding him and the emotional breakdown on the floor of Walmart, we were able to assess what all that small child had done. We don’t know how he ended up at Walmart, although in the parking lot of the Big Bear Grocery store, right across the road was a huge military aid station. Maybe he was there and everyone died?
We didn’t know. He went to where he felt safe. Action hero figures. He had crackers and drink boxes, loads of drink boxes. A mask that lit up and a bunch of dead cell phones. I only guessed he used them until they died, maybe a light source or something.
How long he was there, we didn’t know either.
We didn’t know anything because the boy didn’t speak.
“I don’t think he ever will,” Dodge said in the car.
“He’ll speak again.” I then aimed my voice to his ear. “You’ll speak when you’re ready. If you spoke before this, you’ll speak after.”
“The shock may have done something. We don’t know what he saw.”
“I can only imagine. But he still went to a safe place, found food, and drinks. He was surviving on instincts. He’s going to be fine. Won’t you sweetie, you’ll be just fine.”
His arms tensed up around my neck.
“This is unbelievable. This is the best find of the day.” Dodge reached over and laid his hand on the boys head.
The child didn’t respond to the touch.
Dodge retracted his hand, rolling his fingers and making a fist while puckering his lips sadly.
“He’ll come around,” I said. “You’ll see.”
The house wasn’t far, and I hadn’t even thought about the next step with the child. As usual, Dodge did. Once we pulled into the house, I had barely stepped from the car when Dodge started stating what we’d do.
“Fire up your grill and start heating up water. Use the stuff I took from the water heater. There are six jugs in the kitchen.”
I nodded and saw him walking in a different direction. “Where are you going?”
“Your neighbors had a turkey fryer, I’m gonna use that for water. We can get five good gallons there too. He needs to be cleaned up, he’ll feel better.”
I agreed, the child did need to be bathed. He still hadn’t spoken or responded and I carried him into the house and straight to the kitchen.
“I have to set you down. I want to heat up some water so you can take a bath.”
He shook his head.
“I need to put you down, baby, you stay right by me, o kay?"
His grip relaxed and I set him to the floor. I adjusted the blanket over his shoulders and looked at him. For the first time I saw his face in the light.
His skin was pale and he had dark circles around his eyes. Lips dry and cracked, and mucus was encrusted around his nose, and his dirty hair was matted with something. It was so dirty, I couldn’t determine the color. It was going to take a while to get him clean. His stared at me with his big blue eyes, so sad.
“Are you thirsty?”
He nodded.
“I’m gonna get the water started, and then we’ll get you something more to drink. We’ll eat after you get a bath.”
I know that sounded trivial and feeding the child should have been first but he already was so germ infested, I hated the thought of him even minutely consuming anymore.
The child stayed close to me and when Dodge returned, firing up that turkey deep fryer, I sent him back down to a house three doors away. I knew they had young boys and the child needed something to wear.
Dodge won over the boy when he not only returned with clothes, but a couple toys as well.
“Yeah, I got him,” Dodge said, so pleased with himself.
I knew it wouldn’t
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