AN: I really hope you all stuck around for this chapter. I've been literally so busy. My health has been really poor as well, but I did it. I got this chapter all finished.

Knock, knock, knock.

Putting down his cup of coffee, doctor Brackett tells the person to come in.

"Good morning, Roy. What brings you here on your day off?"

"Well, Doc... I've been thinking about that boy that we brought in yesterday. I was wondering how he was doing."

Doctor Brackett sighed. He knew Roy was going to be curious about this. He was the type of guy that cared maybe just a little too much about cases like this. He couldn't blame Roy for caring so much though.. It was a horrible instance. From the findings that he discovered, it wasn't just a fire that has wreaked chaos in this little boy's life.

"Roy, take a seat."

This concerned Roy. Usually, if doc has something serious to say, he just says it. This time, he told Roy to sit down.

"Do you remember when you first brought him in? How you said he was very dirty and 'out of it' ? "

"Yea.. Why?"

Dr. Brackett leaned forward on his desk. " When we contacted the local authorities to ask for information, they said that the parents had warrants out for their arrest. They were wanted to for accusations of child abuse, and fraud."

After a moment of silence, all Roy could say was " Child abuse?.."

Roy knew it was true in the back of his mind. He didn't want it to be true. When he saw the boy laying in the corner... when he saw how dirty and fragile the boy was.. when he saw that there was barely anything in the boy's room besides a toy fire truck, and a few pairs of clothing... He knew it, but didn't want to accept it..

"Do you know his name yet?"

"Well, he told Dixie his name was John Gage. "

"Doc, what's going to happen to him?.. To John?.."

"Well, He's a ward of the state now, but we're going to keep him here for a while. He's got some bad bruising on his torso. He has a broken wrist that we set about an hour ago. "

"Where's he gonna go after he's well enough too leave?"

"Well, there's no defite answers right now but as far as where he'll live, most likely foster care."

Roy took a deep breathe in. Foster Families weren't always the best places to be. He wished there was a way to help the boy.

Maybe if I asked Joanne about helping the boy.. after all, he probably can use some TLC from another person besides Dixie.

"Alright.." Roy started to stand up " Thanks doc.. Let me know how he's doing tomorrow? I'd feel awful if anything happened to him "

" I will Roy. I'd feel awful too. "

"See ya' later doc.." Roy opened the door to the office and waved goodbye.

"See ya'.." Dr. Brackett lied back in his chair, and sighed.

As Roy left the room, he couldnt stop hearing the words 'He's a ward of the state now' replayed in his mind like a broken record...