And they're finally done. Bryce relaxes, both hands holding Roman, until the nurse speaks.
"Reagan," the nurse says voice a little too sweetly gentle, "We'd like to speak with you alone, now."
And there goes any relief he felt about this being done. Roman seems to pause under his hand. Shit, is Bryce going to have to step in? How can Bryce step in without making things worse? Or should he just accept the consequences? Hope that Boss's influence on the law-abiding citizens of this area will stretch to cover this problem as well?
Should he just tap, ask Roman in their subtle language that only covers yes/no if he is truly okay with this?
But Roman suggested it in the first place.
Oddly, Bryce realizes he has no concerns at all about what Roman might say. He's not even worried about what Roman might inadvertently reveal. He's just protective, paranoid, and, yes, clingy.
"Alright," Roman says after a long moment.
Bryce helps him to the chair, and then forces himself to let go.
"I'll be in the waiting room when you're done," he tells Roman, projecting a calm he's quite sure doesn't fool Roman.
Bryce helps Roman get back into his wheelchair and Roman resents the loss of reassurance as Bryce has to let go.
"I'll be in the waiting room when you're done," he says, and Roman can tell the calm is false.
Part of him wonders how much of the underlying concern is because Roman is going to be alone, and how much of it is concern that Roman might say something wrong.
"See you soon," Roman replies, fighting back his own anxiety and trying to sound calm as well. Bryce steps out and Roman's shaking comes back more than he'd like to admit.
"Let's step out into an exam room, okay?" And the nurse puts a hand on his chair like she's going to push him.
"Don't. I can move myself." There's more bite in his voice than Roman intended, but... oh well. The nurse backs off, at least.
"Sorry. Follow me." She steps into the hall, holding the door for Roman and then taking him into an exam room.
As the door to the room closes, Roman wonders how much he should say to them... Probably nothing, right? Not really, anyway. That's what he's always done about these questions. Answer with one word. It's easy to know all the right answers that won't get you removed from the home you're in.
"Wait here for just a moment, please. I'll be right back." The nurse steps out, and Roman is alone.
Alone isn't goodā Roman honestly kind of hates itā but being with a nurse isn't really any better. He would rather be with Bryce than anything else...
With the nurse out of the room, Roman's thoughts wander. His situation is different now than it was last time he was in a situation like this. When was he last in a situation like this..? Had to have been the last yearly checkup he went to as a kid, right? Seventeen?
Every time he went to one of those stupid checkups since he was old enough to remember, they always did something like this. Sent his mom or dad out of the room. Asked him if he felt safe at home. The real answer was always no, but when you don't want to be ripped away from everything you've ever known, that turns a 'no' into a 'yes' real fast.
Roman had some early memory of Archer coaching him on what to say and what might happen if the doctors thought they weren't safe at home. Neither of them wanted to be separated.
Roman didn't want them to be separated...
After Archer left, why did Roman keep telling everyone things were fine at home..? If he's honest with himself, probably for the same reason he stayed with his parents even after he turned 18.
He couldn't make himself go.
It wasn't just because he didn't have the means to leaveā he could have if he really tried. He was... too scared of the unknown... of what came next.
He supposes he was right to be scared of that. After all, just look what happened when he finally did go...
The nurse comes back after a few minutes, and there's a man with her now. The man's badge has the letters 'LCSW'. It's a social worker.
"Hello, Reagan, isn't it?" The man extends his hand as if for a handshake. "My name is Paul."
Roman ignores the hand, trying to use his irritation at his treatment to block out his anxiety and the resurfacing of bad memories. "Can you just ask your questions. I would like to go home."
"I know this may not be a conversation you're interested in having, but some of what we've seen since you've come in has raised a couple of concerns. You can answer my questions with as much or as little as you're comfortable with, alright?" The man doesn't look offended as he puts his hand down, and that, too, irritates Roman a bit for some reason.
"Fine." Roman responds flatly.
"Reagan, can I ask you how you know the man you came in with today?"
"He's my uncle. I'm living with him right now." Out of the corner of his eye, Roman can see the woman typing up what he assumes to be notes on the room's computer. He tries to ignore it.
"Do you feel safe living with him?"
"Yes." Safer than being alone. Safer than the other options. Far, far safer than before he was living with him.
"Reagan, how did you receive all of these injuries? It's quite a lot for one person, I think."
"We're on a farm. There was an accident with some equipment when I started." And he can only hope that they don't question or notice the varying states of healing on some of his injuries...
"What about that cut on your lip? It looks like it's been healed for a while, but I'm sure it must've been bad when you got it."
Subconsciously, Roman touches the scar with his tongue. It's not new. Not particularly old, though, either. He got it from Avery. "Dog bite when I was still living with my parents. Got too close too fast and startled her."
"Has anyone where your living now ever made you feel threatened or uncomfortable, even if it wasn't on purpose?"
"No." Yeah, all the time. Bryce at the beginning and, now, anyone who isn't Bryce.
"Has anyone ever kept you from contacting your friends or family when you wanted to?"
"Yeah," Roman replies, eyes a little narrowed. "You. Right now."
The social workerā Paulā sighs. "Okay, Reagan, I'm not going to push when you clearly don't want to talk to me, but just know that, if anything in your situation changesā if you ever decide you need help laterā you can tell me. You can tell a nurse. You can tell a doctor, alright? You don't have to handle things alone." Paul moves over to the countertop and pulls a pamphlet from it's holder, handing it to Roman. "There are resources here, if you want help and you don't feel comfortable saying so right now."
It's a pamphlet for domestic violence. Roman glances at it before folding it once and tucking it into the pocket of his pants. "Thanks," he says, voice flat again. "Can I go, now?"
"Nancy will walk you out."
The look on Paul's face still reads as one of concernā really a concern that's only seemed to grow as Roman answered their questions. Roman can't be bothered to care, though, as the nurse leads him back out of the room and down the hallway again, his anxiety spiking once more as the irritation recedes. It takes too long for them to get back out to the waiting room, but as soon as the door opens, Roman sees Bryce and goes directly to him without a word to the nurse.