lost pieces to the puzzle

Aidan was certain he was going to have a panic attack. No Henry. He felt faint.

"How did we lose him, like that?" He said to Audrey who looked as out of it, as he did. "We were talking and then..he's just gone." Aidan sighed.

He thought of how his Dad kept warning how he was going to take Henry to Boystown and be done with him. Henry sometimes, slipped away from home. He liked to wonder the streets at night. It wasn't an every night thing. But ever great once in while, he slipped away.

Aidan thought that was over. It hadn't happened in a while now. Of course, Henry had been away at rehab a good portion of that. And he did have his daily visits with exercise and counseling. Still, no one mentioned exactly what Henry had been through before he overdosed.

It was as if they didn't talk about it, it would go away.

"Henry." He hated to yell, but no one noticed when he called for him. He went into the dark, this time louder. Audrey joined in. Aidan would hate for anything to happen. Why did they come? It was just an accident waiting to happen. He decided as time wore on. The minutes felt like hours. Anything could happen. He was worried. He was about to go find a cop.

"There he is." Audrey pointed.

"Henry, didn't you hear us?" Aidan looked at his little brother who didn't seem to notice he was even standing there. "Henry?" He hadn't meant to snap.

"Huh?" Henry finally said.

"You need to stay with us." Aidan was relieved he wasn't in the river nor with a dangerous crowd. "You, don't want dad mad." He hadn't meant to make it a threat, but he needed to remember what his Dad said if he was too much to handle.

"I won't make him mad." Henry shook his head, no.

Aidan felt he was talking to a first grader.

"This is my friend, Vada." He seemed pleased to introduce her.

"Hi." The slender girl looked rather bewildered as she jumped up and shook Aidan and Audrey's hand.

"Look," Vada said very quietly to him. "I just met him. I..I didn't know." She looked at Aidan as if it just occurred to her that Henry might be a special needs of some kind. "We, were just sitting." She kept staring at Aidan as if it would never happen again.

"Oh, well...thanks." Aidan looked at Henry who seemed quite oblivious to their conversation. After all, the fireworks were beginning.

Aidan was beginning to think now that Henry would never be the Henry he grew up with.