The soft beeps of Sadie’s heart monitor soothed Carter. In the past, he would’ve thought they would simply build his anxiety, but right now? They were what told him that his baby sister was still alive. That she wasn’t gone.
“She was so beautiful on that stage,” murmured Horus into Carter’s hair as he stared at the surprisingly small woman that he had watched give the best damn speech before she was shot.
“So proud of her,” agreed Percy with his hand on Carter’s back.
“Have the police said anything?” asked Nico, walking in with a vase of blue flowers.
Walt snorted. “Like they would tell us anything?”
And wasn't that the painful truth.
Squeezing his eyes shut, he forced himself to not think about what happened. How he almost lost his baby sister from a police officer thinking she was part of the group who was attacking the rally.
“...I’ll be right back,” said Carter, barely a whisper. He didn’t want to be louder than the heart monitor. He had to make sure he heard it. As he pulled out of Horus’ arms, he squeezed his boyfriend’s hand when Horus didn’t release him immediately.
Once he was out of the room, he walked toward the waiting area where he saw other families getting debriefed by the police.
Not a single officer near Sadie's room.
“Excuse me, sir?” he asked walking closer to an officer.
Carter waited until the officer finished speaking to the family, definitely regarding the same situation that had gotten Sadie shot. Five minutes later, the officer finally turned and addressed Carter.
“My baby sister, she’s down that hall, having been shot at today’s rally,” said Carter evenly, not out right stating that it had been an officer who shot her. He heard a few people around them gasp and another whimper, no doubt traumatized.
“Are you?” he interrupted. “One of your Boys in Blue shot her." Despite not wanting to talk about it, he couldn't help it. He didn't want false condolences or insincere words. He wanted answers. "Now, please. Please help me understand why she was shot when she did nothing? Help me understand why she was in the complete opposite direction than your supposed subjects that she was shot. The woman who had just given a speech in honor of the very rally we were celebrating?”
“Don’t interrupt me,” Carter spoke sternly, ignoring that Horus was at his back, a restraining hand on Carter’s chest. “My baby sister is in a fucking coma because you people are so fucking prejudiced.”
“Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to desist, or you will be arrested,” spoke the officer, taking a few steps back, one hand held forward and another resting on the gun on his hip.
“Arrest me? Don't you mean 'shoot me'?" he said almost hysterically. He'd already forgotten about those around them, not giving heir reactions to his words any thought. "Is my grief scaring you?” he continued as his tears began to fall unchecked. “Does my grief make you want to shoot me, too? Does it look like I’m going to endanger your life? It’s not my grief that you should be worried about. But the anger- the rage. The very rage that we’ve been forced to contain because we fear for our safety. You have taken our anger away from us. And now you want to take our grief? ”
Carter sobbed brokenly as all the strength in his legs left him.
“Shit!” cursed Horus, going down with Carter. He may not have been prepared for it, but he was quick to hold Carter close. “I got you, Carter. Cry, baby. I got you.”
