Chapter Text
“Now David, you can never underestimate the importance of a well folded towel for a guest”, Johnny proclaimed.
David rolled his eyes at his father.
It had been almost two years since his parents had officially moved away from Schitt’s Creek but that didn’t stop Johnny Rose from ‘stopping by’ the Rosebud Motel every few months under the guise of checking up on his investments, or Stevie or whatever other excuse he came up with each time.
David was secretly glad he got to see his Dad, and often his Mom too when she returned alongside Johnny to “help the Jazzagals find some inspiration”, as often as he did.
He was sitting in the reception of the motel on the ratty couch they still hadn’t replaced, despite his strongly dropped hints, when the loud slamming of a door cut through Johnny’s lesson on towel maintenance.
This wasn’t that unusual an occurrence and probably wouldn’t have caught David’s attention if it weren’t for Stevie telling him the day before about the guests in room seven.
They had checked in two days before; a man and woman with a black haired girl around ten years old. Stevie had told David about the screaming fights she had heard, the sound of breaking glass from the room and seeing the greasy haired, skinny child sitting alone outside the room after dark last night. When she had approached her the girl had looked up at Stevie with wide, frightened eyes and immediately darted into the motel room, closing the door softly behind her.
The family was due to check out today but David knew Stevie felt uneasy about the whole thing.
After hearing the door slam outside it was followed up closely by the sounds of a man and woman shouting at each other and another door slamming.
Before David had consciously thought of what to do he found himself moving through the reception door and turning in time to see a scene that made his stomach clench; the man had the child gripped firmly by her upper arm as she used all her weight to pull away from him, tears streaming down her face.
The man leaned closer to her screaming while the woman, red faced and angry, gripped her two hands harshly around the side of the girl’s face forcing her to face her.
The woman spitting, screamed, “You listen to us when she speak to you you stupid BITCH!”,
The girl let out a sob.
David was already moving towards them, vaguely aware of Stevie and his Dad following behind, when the screaming man balled up his fist and made to punch the young, dark haired, girl.
Moving with a speed that David absentmindedly thought Patrick would be both surprised and impressed by, he put himself between the young girl and the fist flying towards her.
The breath was momentarily knocked out of David as the man’s fist landed just under his sternum, stunning him.
Hearing his Dad and Stevie right behind him, calling to him, distracted the shouting couple. David turned, and without thinking he firmly took the girl by her shoulders and out of the reach of the woman who had still been gripping her with one hand.
David put the girl directly behind his body, shielding her from the carnage now in front of them. Stevie was on her cell phone, presumably calling 911 while his Dad stood protectively at her shoulder; the man and woman shouting obscenities.
David found himself watching all of this unfold as though he was watching it through hazy glass, the sounds dampened. All his senses were focused on the little body behind him leaning ever so slightly into his back.
Since pulling the young girl behind himself David had kept one hand protectively on her shoulder. He found himself gently squeezing her shoulder now to offer some comfort. Of course he then immediately felt his stomach drop, certain he had done the wrong thing.
Surely this child had experienced enough rough hands on her that this touch from a total stranger would only make her feel more unsafe and unsure. However, before he could spiral any further David felt the girl very gently lean more of her body weight into David. Almost as though she was allowing David to keep her standing.
David felt a wave of protectiveness wash over him like he had never felt before and ran his thumb lightly and affectionately over the girl’s shoulder.
All at once, seeing the scene in front of him as though for the first time, David realised how this all must look to a kid.
The only thought in David’s head was that he needed to get this girl safe and away from the older couple who were still screaming at his Dad while Stevie was turned slightly away speaking into her phone.
In an uncharacteristically take-charge moment David found himself turning and crouching down to the girl who avoided his gaze.
“Will you come over here with me? Away from all..” he gestured with his hands “this?”
The young girl nodded ever so slightly; David straightened up and with one had still on the girl’s shoulder guided her towards the motel reception he had come from only minutes before.