Voices (Whisper Trilogy Book 3) by Michael Bray

Mrs. Samson. He continues to show excellent progress. His night terrors are being controlled by his medication and he seems to be responding well to his new environment.”
    “Does that mean I can take him home?”
    “Mrs. Samson, the reports from your sessions show you to still be dealing with intense grief after the loss of your husband, which is quite understandable given the recent nature of such a traumatic experience,” Styles said, ignoring her question. “It seems you continue to persist with these very rich and vivid stories about supernatural beings somehow attaching themselves to your family. Indeed, these reports say you were quite vocal about this.”
    She stared at her hands, spinning her wedding ring around her finger, which was almost too thin to hold it anymore. “I’ve been unwell. I was confused. Overtired.”
    Styles held up a hand. “Please, let me finish.”
    She shifted in her seat, sensing that things were taking a turn in a direction she didn’t want them to go.
    “As I was saying, the subject matter discussed during your therapy sessions has, frankly, caused some concern. Although Isaac is showing good progress, you, unfortunately have proven to be less responsive. Now I know that trauma such as this can take a long time to recover from, even without the added stresses of life as a single parent. My job, and that of the state, is to provide the best and safest environment for all parties involved in any particular case. That’s why the therapy sessions we organized for you are so important, as they give us the opportunity to assess your progress ahead of any decision we make.”
    “Please, I’m really trying to get over this.”
    “I understand that, Mrs. Samson, and I don’t want you to feel like we are in any way rushing you. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. In cases like this, children naturally seem more receptive to recovery than adults. This is just one of those cases where Isaac is making faster progress than you are. It’s perfectly normal, in fact, it was to be expected.”
    “What does that mean?” she asked.
    “It means that we have a very delicate situation here which has been the subject of much discussion and thought with myself, your doctors and Isaacs’s carers. As I said during our first meeting, our job is to provide the best care we can in assisting both you and your son in your recovery. With that said, I think it’s wise if, for the time being, you and your son remain separated, especially after Isaac has shown such good progress.”
    “You can’t do this. Six weeks you said. Six weeks as long as I did the therapy.”
    “No, I said we would review the case, which we have in great detail. Believe me Mrs. Samson, this isn’t a part of the job I enjoy. The board have decided that it would be in everyone’s best interests if we extended the current arrangement until you are more capable to offer Isaac the stability he needs.”
    “You can’t take him away from me. You have no right. He’s my son.”
    “And we have a duty of care,” Styles snapped. “Mrs. Samson, I take no pleasure in making decisions like this. I’m just a small cog in a very big wheel. Sometimes we agree, sometimes we don’t. In this case, the decision to keep Isaac in a settled home where he can be monitored and treated for his condition whilst also giving you the time to recover further is the best option for everyone. I’m sure you can understand that we aren’t your enemies here. We are doing this to help you. Both of you.”
    “None of this helps me,” Melody shrieked. “You’re stealing my son. I won’t have it. I’ll go to the press, I’ll take legal action.”
    If Styles was concerned, he didn’t show it. He closed the file and folded his hands on the desk. “Mrs. Samson, I think it’s important you look at the bigger picture here. The very last thing we want to do is break up families, especially when they’ve experienced the kind of terrible trauma you and