| Fan Fiction |
by Suki Chan
“…Danny! Danny are you here?” Matt scanned around the empty house and called. He ran to Danny’s bedroom. The door was locked.
“Danny?” Matt knocked and knocked but there was no response. He put his ear to the door and heard some slight sobbing, “Gosh…Danny! Are you ok?! It’s Matty here! Answer me!” Matt agitatedly shook the knob and banged on the door. The strong body bumped and kicked until the door slid open.
Danny curled himself at the corner of his bed with a pillow tightly in hug. He was sobbing and bewildering.
“What’s wrong Danny? Tell Matty what’s wrong?” Matt was horrified. He touched Danny here and there to check.
Danny was sweating badly, but his hands were freezing cold. He kept trembling and looked awfully frightened.
“They locked you here? How long have they locked you up for? Why?!” Matt rubbed his sweaty face and panicked badly, “Oh my god…tell me Danny! What happened? Gee…did they hit you?”
Danny did not respond and kept staring in the air.
“Danny! It’s Matty! Look…” Matt wrapped around him and cupped his face, “Don’t be scared. Matty is here…”
“…woo woo…” Danny helplessly fell in his brother’s hug and cried.
Danny’s tears dripped down his face, also into Matt’s heart. The adopted parents must have done something really bad to poor Danny. Matt was fuming.
Matt saw a spot of water stain on the bed sheet. He puffed and looked down, and saw the same on Danny’s pyjamas.
******************************
At the police station, Matt and Danny stayed in a small comfortable room. Poor Danny had obviously struggled through the entire night. Matt kept patting and comforting him, finally his restless sobs calmed down a bit. He tiredly leaned on Matt’s shoulder and fell asleep. Matt did not sleep well last night either and felt dozy, but he had to stay awake and alert to watch over Danny. He had to protect Danny.
In the room next to them were the Chang’s couple, a social worker, and a police officer.
“We didn’t abuse him. We really didn’t.” The Chang’s couple freaked out to be brought back by the cops.
“But the boy looks so scared. Obviously something happened.” The officer frowned, “You two better tell the truth here.”
“We really didn’t hit him or something. Swear.” Mr. Chang confessed, “Ok ok. We admit. We locked him up in his bedroom since last night.”
The officer glared at the woman. Mrs. Chang bit her lips and nodded uneasily.
“Why?” The social worker asked.
Mrs. Chang told the truth, “Last night, my husband and I were playing with our 1-year-old at the living room. Danny was by himself in his bedroom. That’s what usually happens…because…hm…we don’t want Danny to play with our baby…in case he hurts the baby.”
The police officer noted down their words.
The woman continued, “Then Danny came out and looked at us for a while. We didn’t pay much attention to him. Then…my husband and I turned around and chatted….baby crawled here and there and went up to Danny. Danny patted baby’s head and carried him up. We freaked out….Danny might drop baby or something. We scolded Danny….hm…pretty badly. Danny cried and whined and started throwing temper. Autistic kid…and he’s growing big…we were afraid…so…we got him into his bedroom and locked up the door.”
“We thought he will just whine for a while. When he gets tired he will calm down and go to bed.” Mr. Chang whispered, “He’ll be alright.”
Yes, what they thought might work on an ordinary kid, but not on Danny. They did not know what they had done to Danny could cause such big hurt to him.
“You two just left him in the room and ignored him?” The police officer asked.
“We heard him crying and screaming…but we just…let him…” The couple waved, “That’s it. We didn’t lie. We told everything.”
“How can you two do such thing to Danny?” The social worker scolded, “I’ve been handling his case for the last few years. He’s always a calm and kind boy. He probably just wanted to cuddle the little baby. How can you two scold him so badly on that? The baby is your son. But so does Danny!”
“Obviously they treat their baby as their son, but the adopted autistic kid is a nobody at home.” The police officer sneered. He was disgusted with the couple’s act too.
“No no no…” The couple denied, “It’s just that…hm…the kid is growing big…not an ordinary kid…it’s getting harder to take care of him…”
“You two knew Danny isn’t an ordinary kid since the day you met him at the orphanage. You two picked him to be your child!" The social worker was upset, “We already told you at that time it’s not an easy job! Yes we will give lots of support but the burden is on you, as his parents! But you two kept saying it’s ok and you will love Danny blah blah blah.”
“We really put our heart to Danny, at least at the beginning.” Mrs. Chang sighed, “We were married for years but didn’t have a kid. Doctor said our chance is minimal. So we went for adoption. We saw Danny at the orphanage. Gosh…what a beautiful boy. Yes he’s not an ordinary kid. But we thought…he’s a good boy and very quiet…just not very smart. We’d rather prefer that…than adopting one who’s too smart and sly and ends up…cheating our fortune.”
The social worker choked, “That was an evil way to pick a child!”
“We’re well-off. We can definitely afford to have Danny at home. I can take care of him. If not, there’s always maid, nanny etc. He’s indeed a very lovely child.” Mrs. Chang uttered, “But so unexpected…soon after Danny came…I actually got pregnant. Gee…then our attention goes to our baby…I mean…that’s normal right? We’re just ordinary human beings and as parents…”
The police officer and the social worker sighed. They could not totally disagree with the couple. It was just a misfortune….a misfortune on the poor Danny.
“Now what are you going to do with Danny?” The social worker tried to find a solution.
“We never said we want him to go. We have enough space at home and we can afford…”
“I’m not talking about money with you here.” The social worker sighed, “I know your family is rich. I know you don’t mind to have ‘a Danny’ at your house…for 3 meals and a shelter. But we need more than that for a child, especially a child like Danny!”
The couple looked at each other.
“Danny needs parents; parents who will spend time with him, read a book with him, teach him manner, bring him to the amusement park; parents who will hug him, pat him, chat with him, and listen to him.” The social worker said firmly, “Are you two willing to take those responsibilities? Are you two going to make such commitments as his parents? Are you two going to love Danny and give him as much as to your other child?”
The couple was speechless.
****************************
A police officer opened the door and asked the two boys, “Let’s go.”
Danny already woke up. He stuck at Matt and grabbed tightly to his arm.
Matt carried him up. They stepped out the room.
The Chang’s couple and the social worker also walked out at the same time. The couple saw Danny and dropped down their heads with utmost guilt.
Whatever the couple had done, the naive Danny still treated them as his family. He thought he was going home with his adopted parents. He went up to them and wanted to pick up Mrs. Chang's hand like before.
Mrs. Chang shifted away.
“…we will pack up Danny’s stuffs.” Mr. Chang whispered to the social worker.
“…mommy…daddy…” Danny confusingly looked at them.
“We’re so sorry, Danny. You’re a very good boy.” The couple shamefully patted Danny’s head.
Matt understood what was happening. He was shocked and furious, “You two are cruel and selfish and irresponsible! Evil! Do you know how much you’ve hurt Danny?!”
The couple could not deny their faults.
“If you two didn’t love him, why adopted him at the first place?!” Matt painfully wrapped the helpless Danny in his hug and yelled at the selfish couple, “Why gave him the hope for a warm family and snatched it away?! Why pretended to love him and then tell him it’s all fake?! Why do you have to this to my brother?!”
*****************************
Danny was once again back to the orphanage. Although it was the policy that Danny should be sent to a foster home, they decided it was better for the boy to stay with his brother at his difficult time.
Danny had not said one single word since the moment he saw his adopted parents leaving the police station…leaving without him. The restless and fear never faded away from his face. Matt stayed by his side the whole time. When night fell, Danny barely fell to sleep in his brother’s tight hug.
“…what’s wrong…”
“…whoa….”
Early morning, Matt heard some noises in the bedroom that he shared with other 5 boys at the orphanage. He rubbed his eyes and peeked around and down the bunk bed underneath where Danny was sleeping at.
The boys were around Danny’s bed and pointing here and there.
“…Danny don’t you know you have to pee in the toilet and not on your bed?”
“What’s happening?” Matt jumped down and checked on Danny, “Are you ok Danny?”
“Matt! Look what your brother did! Something’s wrong with him!” The boys pointed.
Danny was curling at the corner of his bed, frightened by the crowd surrounding him.
“What’s wrong?” Matt looked and was stunned by the wet spot on the bed, and same on Danny’s pyjamas…once again, “Danny are you sick?! Tell Matty are you ok?”
Danny looked scared and ignored everyone, including his brother.
**************************
“Danny is sick, not physically but psychologically.” The doctor said.
Sister Maria accompanied Matt and Danny to the clinic. She asked, “What does that mean?”
The doctor explained, “From what you have told me about what happened at the adopted family, that experience was definitely a nightmare to Danny. He treated them as his parents and even the baby as his little brother. But in return, he was deeply hurt. He must feel betrayed. His adopted parents abandoned him. Everything got stuck in his mind but he cannot express his feelings. That’s a common problem with autistic kids for not able to communication with the outside world. He’s not happy; he’s sad, but he can’t say it out and share with anyone.”
“Danny was really quiet when he was little. But as he grows up, he improved a lot already!” Matt was stunned, “He would chat with me…to the best of words he could use. And he’s not that shy to talk to strangers anymore.”
“Maybe the feeling has been piling up for some time. He’s not been happy at the adpoted home for a period of time. This incident just triggered his emotions more. The hormone changes in puberty might be a factor too. I have to say, his condition is now pushing him backward. It made him lost his confidence and self-esteem. He did not know how to handle it, so he decided to hide himself….once again.” The doctor shook his head, “He lost all the self-esteem. He doesn’t think “he can do it” anymore. He lost the ability to take care of himself. He lost the courage to deal with other people.”
Sister Maria felt bad, “Poor child.”
The doctor advised, “It will take him a very long time to recover. Therapy is a must. And he must be taken good care of, ideally by a close family, so that he knows he’s being loved and protected.”
****************************
Matt knew well the poor condition of Danny. He stayed with Danny every minute, and got alert and defensive every time an adult approached. Matt was afraid that Danny will be taken away once again. He had to protect Danny. He cannot tolerate to see his brother suffer and hurt again.
“…Danny.” Matt climbed on the bed and whispered softly.
Danny hid at the corner of the bed and faced the wall.
“Matty knows you are upset. Come on, you can’t keep everything in your heart. It’ll make you sick.” Matt begged, “Tell Matty huh?”
Danny poked the wall and kept himself in his own little world.
“You used to chat with Matty. Why not anymore?” Matt helplessly rolled down a tear. The pain on his twin brother was also the pain on himself, “Can you tell Matty about your favourite Mickey Mouse story again? Can you hug Matty again like you always did before?”
Danny did not respond. He kept curling to the wall; it was the safest spot for him.
“…no….Danny…” Matt sobbed.
The other kids at the orphanage surrounded the room and looked. They could be naughty and bully Danny sometimes. But when it comes to serious big problem, they actually united and stayed together. Sister Maria always taught them; they were one big family and had to support and help each other.
“…ooo…that’s sad.” A girl named Sabrina whispered.