Page 49 of Broken
“I added a little water so we don’t use up all the juice your mom brought,” Prescott explained.
The child stared at him. “I don’t like water.”
Prescott smiled. “I don’t like juice.”
The toddler laughed. “I have to go poopy.”
Prescott glanced at his mom.
“Don’t look at me Prescott McCafferty Armstrong. He’syournephew.”
“Do you use the potty?”
“I pee pee in the potty and poopy in my pull-on, then Mommy, she puts me in a new one.” Ethan wandered over to the corner where he spent a few minutes in a squat, grunting.
Prescott had to purse his lips to keep from laughing. It was bizarre and adorably weird at the same time.
“I’m done!” Ethan exclaimed. “Can you help me?”
Prescott went in search of Sally’s tote bag. He rummaged through for a diaper and wipes. Then, he laid out an old towel on the floor of the family room.
“Hey, Ethan, I’ve got your diaper.”
The tyke walked over. “Diapers are for babies. I wear big-boy pull-ons.”
“Okay, so do you lay down and I take this off you or what?”
“Uh-huh.”
Ethan laid down, and Prescott pulled off his shorts, then the disposable. “Whew, you got some stinkos, kid.”
Ethan giggled. “Poopy smells.”
Prescott cleaned up his nephew, tugged up the pull-on, then the shorts. “How does that feel?”
“Good,” Ethan replied before running back into the sunroom to play.
While Prescott was taking the kitchen trash to the garage, his phone rang. It was Hawk. “Yo,” he answered.
“Addison and Sally were shot,” Hawk said, his breath coming fast.
“What?”
“Addison was shot in the shoulder. Sally, in the back. Meet me at the hospital, but wear body armor and bring one for me. I called Z and he’s on his way. Don’t bring the kid.”
“Got it.” Prescott hung up and strode into the house.
Back in the sunroom, he pulled his mom aside while his dad played with Ethan. “I need to leave.”
She furrowed her brows at him. “Why?”
“Addison and Sally were shot.”
“Ohmygod!”
“We gotta keep things chill and not let Ethan find out. Addison was shot in the shoulder, Sally, in the back. I’m going to the hospital so I can be there when they get out of surgery. Can you and Dad stay here with Ethan tonight?”
“Of course. Call us when you know more.”
