Igniting Ash Read Online Free PDF Page B

face as he rung his hands. “Doc’s just seeing to him now, or at least trying to. He’s refusing treatment, cowering and covering his head. The usual signs. I think you might soothe him. Maybe enough for you to clean his wounds.”
    “How old?” she asked, pushing up from her seat and reaching for her notebook and pen.
    “Not sure, fourteen? Fifteen? Skinny little thing. You won’t be surprised to hear he refuses to give us his name.”
    “But he found us, huh? That’s a good thing. Did he say how?”
    Jack shook his head as they walked down the short corridor together. A few teenagers were hovering at the entrance to the day room, chatting quietly. They shifted out of the way, allowing Emma and Jack through, offering only a quick nod in acknowledgment. Emma had learned long ago that sometimes a small action, like a nod, was as good as it got with some of the centre’s guests.
    Laughter rose from around the snooker table as Nikki and a few other regulars started to dance along with the music on the radio. Laughter wasn’t something she heard often in the centre, so when it did happen it lightened everyone’s mood greatly.
    “Hey, Miss Priss,” Nikki shouted, waving at Emma.
    It was a nickname she never liked but somehow, as Nikki grew to trust Emma more, the name didn’t seem as harsh. The girl was only fourteen but had already been living on the streets for over two years. The lifestyle she’d been involved in wasn’t one Emma liked to imagine as the young girl still bore the scars. Physical and mental.
    Nikki had now been at the shelter for over a month, progressing well with daily therapy sessions. The change in her was huge, though there was still a way to go, and Emma always worried about what the future held. What would happen to her when she moved on? The shelter couldn’t house her forever, and Nikki had a track record for moving on very quickly. Emma suspected she didn’t want to be found so never stayed anywhere too long.
    “Hey, Nikki.” Emma waved back.
    “Can I talk to you?”
    Emma shook her head. “I’m sorry. I need to go with Jack. You could wait in the office, though I don’t know how long I’ll be. Is it terribly important?”
    Nikki chewed on her thumb nail, her dark eyes flitting around Emma’s face. The scar on her lip still stood out, the skin puckering tightly. After three surgeries it was the best it would ever be. Too much flesh had been cut away in the attack.
    Diverting her thoughts, Nikki replied, “It’s not super important but I could kinda use a talk, ya know?”
    “I’ll come and find you when I’ve finished this. Stay around the shelter.”
    Emma hated having to put her off, even though it was necessary. It eased her guilt a little when Jack patted her shoulder, letting her know her decision had been the right one. He placed some pressure on her bicep, leading her toward the medical room and their new guest.
    She could already hear the commotion coming from within the room and pushed open the door cautiously after knocking.
    “Just don’t fucking touch me.” The boy shrank back. “I came here for some space, nothing more.”
    The doctor held his hands up, gesturing to Emma that he was leaving the boy alone and he was all hers. Jack didn’t enter the room, clearly sensing another person would make the boy more fearful, and therefore more aggressive. They’d dealt with many kids like this.
    “I’m Emma.” She took a step closer. “Your cuts look pretty bad. We don’t want to hurt you, only make sure they’re not infected.”
    His blue eyes pierced hers, his lashes spiked with congealed blood. The cut that bisected his eyebrow was deep and definitely in need of a stitch or two. His cheek and lip had fared no better. Each of them held gashes and bruises of their own. The kid had been beaten badly, so it was no wonder he was demanding they back away. It was going to take an awful lot of knocking before this kid was going to open the door to them.
    “ He