Daniel POV
I kept glancing at her in the rear-view mirror. I've been around this kid for literally days, and I have yet to hear her utter a single word.
I've been a social worker helping abused and neglected kids for almost twenty years. I was sure that I'd literally seen it all and nothing could surprise me anymore. But this girl keeps proving me wrong time and again.
I turn off the highway to a gravel road, slowing to a safer speed. The teenage girl in my back seat was discharged from the hospital after a relatively clean bill of health.
Physical health, that is.
She was discovered by a strip club bartender when he stepped out back to smoke and heard sobs coming from the metal dumpster. He immediately called the police (as he should). She eventually passed out in the back of the ambulance, whether from shock or exhaustion was unclear.
The nurses and doctors had taken to calling her Jane. As in Jane Doe. No one could get her to speak. She wouldn't make eye contact once she woke up. She wouldn't talk to the psych specialists no matter how hard they tried. So, the morning that her physical came back clear, I was called in to find a place for her. I could smell her as soon as I stepped into her hospital room. My stomach dropped out as a sense of dread slammed into my chest.
She followed me out and I petitioned for special permission to allow her to stay with my family overnight until I could reach out to foster families that were certified for 'special cases'. Thankfully, it only took a few hours for the judge to come back and approve my request. I figured if anyone could get this girl to talk, it had to be my wife Marie and my daughter Sophia.
After an awkward dinner, everyone retired to their rooms. I stepped out back on my deck with a beer and settled myself in to make the call I'd only made once before. Thankfully, the Alpha approved my request to place her in the pack. I had no idea if this kid even knew what she was. I'm assuming since she was found clothed, she wasn't lost because of a spontaneous shift. I took a deep breath, finished off my beer and retired to my room for the night to rest before the long drive.
Now, here we were pulling into the driveway of Shelly's house. It was a single-story ranch-style home sitting alone at the edge of the forest. She was sitting on the front porch with a glass of iced tea waiting for us as she gently rocked back and forth in her creaky old rocking chair. She looked the exact same as she did the last time I'd seen her, which was almost seven years ago. No gray hairs or wrinkles despite being at least a decade older than me.
I killed the engine and unclipped my seatbelt but didn't make a move to open the door. I glanced at the kid again and she hadn't moved a muscle. Her long onyx hair was wild and untamed around her head, and her eyes were glassy as she stared out the window without seeing anything on the other side.
I cleared my throat to try and get her attention. She flinched at the sudden sound, so I lowered my voice as I told her, "We are here. Are you ready?"
No nod.
No eye contact.
No verbal response.
Robotically, she unclipped her seatbelt and slipped out the back of the car, shutting the door gently behind her. I got the impression that she was trying her best to not make any noise or draw attention to herself.
I grabbed my binder and stepped out, following her towards the porch. Shelly hadn't moved as she casually watched us approach. Jane stopped at the bottom of the stairs, keeping her hands hanging loosely at her sides as she tucked her chin to her chest. I stepped up next to her, keeping at least two feet between us.
"Hey there, Shelly. How you been?" I asked, my southern accent coming in thicker than normal due to my stress.
"Fair to middlin'," she replied, giving the air a subtle sniff. Still as short and curt as ever. I smiled, grateful that some things remained constant. I gestured towards the kid next to me, but before I could say anything, Shelly spoke up and cut me off. "Who are you?"
No answer.
Jane didn't move a muscle. After two awkward silent minutes passed, I couldn't take it any longer and spoke up. "Should we head inside then?"
Shelly stood and descended the stairs to come to a stop in front of Jane. They were about the same height. Shelly crossed her arms over her chest as she looked Jane over from head to toe. "I asked you a question," she said sternly, paying no attention to anything I'd said.
I watched Jane flinch and take a half step back, keeping her head down. So softly, I was almost sure I imagined it, I heard, "They call me Jane." It was barely above a whisper, but I knew Shelly could hear it.
Shelly nodded and replied, "I'm Shelly. You're going to be staying with me for a while. Is that alright with you?"
Jane nodded slightly and without another word, Shelly turned and walked up the porch steps and through the front door with Jane following a few feet behind. After a moment, I picked my jaw up off the ground and trailed in, shutting the door behind me.
Days I'd spent with Jane and not one word, no matter what I did. Mere minutes in the presence of Shelly, and Jane gave her four words and a nod.
