It was already well into the night by the time Keith got to the station, he worried for Donna and he wanted to know how she was and get her out of the station, one could tell by the speed in which he moved from his car to the front doors of the building.
The police station was in the district, about a twenty minutes drive from Ortho Speare when the road was clear on traffic, although he had said he would be here in five minutes, it was impossible for him to shorten the road. The most important thing was hat he had made it and he was here now.
“I’m here for Donna Brooks.” he said to the person he saw behind the first counter he ran into.
“Please step back and wait a while.” The female officer said to him without bothering to lift her head up. That infuriated Keith as he did not want to spend more time than necessary in here, partly because he did not want to run into any reporters here and then have the morrow news reading something about him or Donna, and the way the media would put it would not be something so good for their image.
He slammed a fist on the table, startling the officer. “I have no time to waste! Donna Brooks! Where is she?”
The officer, in annoyance, lifted her head to reprimand the man, but when she saw the Keith Preston of Ortho Speare standing there, she shot up to her feet instantly.
“Mr… Preston?!”
Keith sighed and shook his head then moved from the counter and approached another officer at another desk. “Donna Brooks? Where is she?” he quickly asked, the frown on his face showing his impatience.
“Ri… right this way Mr Preston.”
Keith didn’t waste any more time, he walked briskly, following the more serious office who had his time and actually knew and carried out his job effectively.
“I must say Mr. Preston, when we found your contact on her, we never really actually did assume you would be the Keith Preston to show up.”
Keith only hummed a response and continued to walk, wishing that the man taking him to where Donna was would only walk faster.
“Remind me again the reason she was arrested for.”
“Well, er… she ran traffic stops, nearly causing an accident, evaded the police and resisted arrest.” the police man replied to Keith. “Plus she caused physical harm to one of the officers trying to cuff her.”
Keith’s eye brows rose up in actual surprise. Donna did not exactly strike him as someone who could harm others, he had seen that from the time Cheryl had caused a scene at the event they had attended together at he Rainbow Palace.
But then her this situation involved her daughter and she was a dedicated mother. He shook his head with a sigh, the problem that came with children, a reason why he didn’t want any.
“Do you know where her daughter is now?”
“She is in our custody.” the policeman answered quickly. Keith frowned at him and the policeman, as if feeling Keith’s angry stare on him, turned his head to face Keith, he paused before he quickly added. “We could not leave the child in school, and the only other number we could call as her family was not going through. The teacher confirmed that Miss Brooks was her real mother and the girl refused to be separated from her as well so we had to bring her here.”
Keith clenched his jaw and nodded slightly, agreeing that was the best call to make in the situation.
“She is in a nice room with some officers who have managed to calm her down from crying and are currently keeping her company.” the police man added, feeling the need to.
They got to the cell holding Donna and Keith frowned on seeing her in a cell. “Why is she in a cell?”
“A holding cell.” the police man corrected with a soft smile but the smile immediately faded when he noticed Mr. Preston was not smiling. “She has been hysterical all through and we were only able to calm her down not long ago after tranquilizing her, we feared she might hurt the child.”
“She is the child’s mother, why would she want to hurt her own child?” Keith asked rhetorically, feeling frustrated.
“Things happen, Mr. Preston.” the officer said as he brought out the key to unlock the holding cell. “If you were in this department, on this side of the law, then you would be amazed at the incredulous things that take place on a daily basis.”
“Can you bring her out? I’m taking her home.”
“Right away Mr. Preston, but first…” he walked away from Keith, hurrying back to his table before running back with a paper, pad and a pen in his hand. “…here are the bail papers, you will have to sign this before she can go.”
“Where is the child?”
“I will have my the other officers bring her to you.” he replied, standing over Keith as he watched him sign the papers.
“James,” the police officer called another. “Please carry the woman to Mr. Preston’s car-”
“Don’t you dare touch her.” Keith's voice rang out clear in a warning as he turned away from signing the papers to face the cell where the officer was just about to enter.
He set down the paper and walked into the cell, bend and picked Donna into his arms, adjusting her until he felt she laid comfortably in his arms, then he turned and walked out of the cell, much to the dismay of some of the officers.
“James can help me open the car door.” He said to the officer whom he had been talking with, the man nodded his head and snapped his fingers at James to follow Keith, all the while never taking his eyes off Mr. Preston.
“The child.” Keith said and Alix was immediately brought to him.
It was a sight to behold, seeing the Mr. Keith Preston of Ortho Speare, carrying the woman the whole police department had come to know as “hysterical” in his arms and walking out of the station. He held her carefully and occasionally he would look at her face and his expression would change, becoming soft and concerning.
James walked ahead of Keith, opening the doors to the station’s building, then he walked with him to where he had parked his car and opened the back door for Keith.
Keith carefully placed Donna in the back seat, adjusting her legs and head until she was seated upright before he fastened the seat belt around her. James held Alix’s hand and led her around the car to the other back door, opened it and helped her get in, then he shut the door quietly.
“This incident…” Keith said to James before he left. “…should not be on tomorrow’s news.”
The man nodded in understanding and then stepped back as Keith got into the car. He looked at Donna from the rear view mirror, still passed out at the back of the car and felt sad for her. Today alone had test her, and he wondered what her mental health would be like when she would wake.
He watched as her daughter took a hold of her hand and placed them on her lap, seeming to count her mother’s fingers. Her little act brought a smile to Keith’s face
“Don’t wake mummy up.” he said to Alix with a smile and then started the engine, resigning to take her her home, to his place.