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Vow of Silence

"Now, can you explain what happened?" the canine police officer asked.

"Well..." started Gai. "My nephew showed up at my doorstep last night, saying that my drunken sister threw him out of the house. He stayed the night, and then we came back this morning to talk to her. And that is when we found her like this."

"...I see. Is that how it happened son?" the officer said turning to Trey.

But Trey said nothing. He simply kept his eyes fixated on the floor.

"Trey...are you ok?" his uncle asked concerned.

Again, Trey showed no sign that he was being talked to.

"Listen, my nephew is in shock from everything that's happened. I think it's best if I take him back to my house, for now." Gai said to the officer.

"Go ahead, take him home. Evidence supports that this was a suicide. We'll be in touch if we need any more information. Is there anyone else we should inform?"

"No," Gai replied. "There's no father. It was just me and my sister. I'm the boy's only family." Gai replied.

"That right?" The officer nodded as he jotted down some additional notes. "Then you'll need to set up a court appointment to decide what to do with the kid. Being his only known family, you will of course be the first option of where he will end up."

"...Yes, I'm aware."

With that, the officer walked out of the room, and reconvened with another surveying the scene. Gai turned back to his nephew, who still had not shown any sign of consciousness. He knelt down, trying to look Trey in the eyes.

"Now, you listen to me. Like I told you, my sister has been a depressed, drinker all of her adult life. You CANNOT blame yourself for this. Do you understand?" Gai said sternly.

Trey looked up dimly at his uncle. Gai was just happy that his nephew was at least acknowledging his presence.

"Might be a while before we can come back...is there anything you want to grab before we go?" his uncle tried to smile.

Trey got up and walked to his room. He came back, wearing a change of clothes and his headphones, listening to his music. He walked right passed his uncle and made his way back to the car without a further word.

Gai's smile faded into a small frown. It was obvious that whatever trauma Trey had endured resurfaced all at once tonight. It would be a while before he got over it.

The car ride back to the Kagami Estate was a quiet one. Trey spent its entirety looking out the window listening to his music. If his uncle had said anything to him on the ride home, he wouldn't hear it.

When they got back, Trey began walking out into the yard.

"...Trey, you must eat," Gai called out.

Trey just kept walking; either he still didn't hear his uncle or chose not to respond. He wasn't planning on saying much to anyone anytime soon. He took a seat under a tree, and rested his chin on his knees staring at the pond.

Gai could only sigh as he started to go back into the house, leaving the young Gaomon be. "Well...let me know if you need anything. And don't wait too long to put at least a little something on your stomach."

Trey looked over when he was sure his uncle was gone, a tear rolling down his cheek.

"...I'm sorry, but it's better this way." Trey whispered.

He hated worrying his uncle like this, but he truly believed it was for everyone's own good. People would be better off for not knowing the real him. His mother was right; he was nothing more than a terrible, worthless piece of shit.

Trey sat out there for must have been hours. His uncle came out once to check on him and left him a sandwich and some water, which Trey took small nibbles after he left. But his stomach was far too knotted up to eat. About another hour later, he noticed out of the corner of his eye that Hanbei was home and walking up the driveway.

"Good to see you again, Trey. How are you?" the Wartortle asked, completely unaware of what had happened.

Trey kept staring at the pond hoping that Hanbei would leave.

"...Is everything alright?" Hanbei queried.

"Hanbei, come here...please." Gai called over from the house.

Hanbei took one last look at Trey, before made his way over to his adoptive father.

"And what happened here?"

"Kana, she...Trey's mother is dead..." Gai said finally.

"...Explain." Hanbei said, a small frown coming to his face.

Gai went ahead to explain to his adopted son all of the events that transpired over the past 24 hours.

"...So it seems that with everything that's happened, he's rightfully been left in a state of shock. Doesn't appear ready to talk to anyone yet. He's just been sitting out there since we got home." Gai concluded, the two of them looking out the window at Trey.

"And what will happen to him now?" Hanbei asked.

"Well, being his only family, I'm going to become his legal guardian and he'll be moving here with us. He'll be out of his old school district, so either you or I will have to get him enrolled at River Hill for his senior year..."

"Senior year? I thought he was only fifteen," Hanbei replied, actually quite surprised.

"He's been two grades ahead since 6th grade. Genius-level intellect is something that's run through my family for a long time." Gai responded with pride. "It truly is a shame he didn't grow up in a more supportive home. He might have gone even farther than he has already."

"Point taken...but that is beside the point," Hanbei said trying to get back on topic.

"Indeed." He said looking back outside to see Trey making his was back up to the house. "Everything alright, kiddo?"

As expected, Trey just walked right passed the duo and made his way to the kitchen to dispose of his silverware. Then went right back to the room he had stayed in the night before.

"Regrettably, I do not think 'TLC' is going to be enough. This child is going to need therapy." Hanbei said after Trey left the room.

"I'll get it all taken care of starting tomorrow. But for now I think it best he be given his space."

Over the next couple of months, things didn't get much better. The courts did give custody of Trey to Gaisei, and all of his belongings were moved to the Kagami residence. But Trey still hadn't opened up to anyone and kept his vow of silence ongoing. His uncle had sent him to several different psychiatrists, but he would not talk to any of them. If he wasn't willing to open up to them, Gai figured putting him into a school may not be the best idea. So instead, he had Trey home schooled for his senior year. But by this point he was running out of ideas of what exactly to do. Trey was eating and his grades were perfect, so Gai was at a loss. Eventually, he decided to see if his adopted son could be of any help.

"Wait, so what is it that you want me to do...?" Hanbei asked unsure if he heard his adoptive father correctly.

"I want you to do what you always do. Nothing that I or the several specialists I've taken him to have done has been able to break his silence." Gai said to his son. "If anybody can get through to him...it's you."

"And how would you like me to go about this?"

"Well, I think I've got an idea. I used to show him some basic Jiu Jitsu forms when he was younger, and I've noticed him watching you and me practice for a while now. I've even seen him trying to mimic some of what he's seen on the training equipment after we're done with it."

"So you want me to teach him? This is something that you cannot do yourself?" Hanbei smirked.

"I've considered it. However, I think my constant attempts to get him to open up are only pushing him further away. I feel if I keep pressing the issue..." Gai sighed.

"...I understand. I will try my best to help. It is the least I can do for you being there for me."

"Arigatou, Hanbei." Gai said with a half bow.

Hanbei wordlessly returned a bow of his own.