Chapter 240 Fortunately Still Alive
She yanked the kid from Xavier's arms and hugged him tight.
The kid was skin and bones, looking so pitifully weak.
He reeked, his hair a tangled mess, and it was hard to tell if the stench was from blood, scalp oil, or something worse.
But Ava held him like he was the most precious thing ever, tears streaming down her face.
The kid didn't fight back; he just lay there in Ava's arms, tears cutting through the grime on his face.
The defiance he had towards Xavier was gone; he was like a rag doll, not moving, even as tears flowed, his eyes just staring blankly.
Seeing this, Xavier's conflicted heart finally calmed down; he was definitely an Anderson.
The Anderson Family had surviving male members, but how this kid escaped and ended up with traffickers was a mystery.
Xavier had been with Benjamin all this time but couldn't get any info from him. The kid had been poisoned mute, wouldn't let anyone near, and would go nuts if they tried. At first, he responded to the name Benjamin, but later, probably not recognizing anyone, he stayed dazed or went berserk.
The Beggarclan had looked into it but couldn't find out the kid's background, maybe 'cause they hadn't found the traffickers who took him.
After a while, Ava slowly let go of Benjamin, but he clung to her wrist, his dirty nails digging into her skin, almost drawing blood.
His eyes were locked on Ava's face. When he saw the slingshot, his tears flowed even harder. His lips trembled, trying to speak, but all that came out were whimpers.
Ava's eyes were swollen from crying, her trembling hand gently touching the small wounds on his face. She choked up and said to Xavier, "Duke, can you get him some clothes and shoes? Are there any servants here? Have them boil some hot water for a bath."
Xavier replied, "I already got clothes, but he wouldn't change. I'll have someone boil hot water; you can spend some time with him."
Xavier's nose tingled, and his eyes reddened as he turned to leave.
Benjamin kept holding Ava's hand. Ava carried him inside, sat on a chair, and took out a handkerchief to gently wipe his face. Despite her own tears not stopping, she still comforted him gently, "Benjamin, be good. I'm here. Don't be scared. You don't have to be scared anymore."
Hearing this, Benjamin opened his mouth and cried silently, crying so hard he couldn't catch his breath. His tears wouldn't stop, making his little face even more smeared.
It seemed like all the suffering and grievances of the past two years were finally being released, and once he started crying, he couldn't stop.
He cried until he passed out in Ava's arms.
Luckily, Xavier had already called a doctor to wait here. Initially, the doctor wanted to examine Benjamin, but Benjamin wouldn't cooperate. They had only managed a forced diagnosis once, learning that he had been poisoned mute and had taken addictive drugs.
After the doctor's treatment, Benjamin didn't wake up but started snoring.
He was exhausted, having only slept fitfully. Even Xavier, with his high martial arts skills, couldn't endure it and looked haggard. Benjamin couldn't endure it either.
Hearing the doctor say he was just asleep, Ava finally felt relieved and stayed by his side.
Xavier, beside her, said softly, "It's confirmed to be him. You can relax and get something to eat. I'll stay with him."
Ava shook her head, wiping away her tears. "I'll stay with him. I'm afraid he'll be scared if he wakes up and doesn't see me."
"Alright, I'll have someone bring you some food." Xavier turned and left again, temporarily placing the doctor in the side hall, instructing people to serve him well, waiting for Benjamin to wake up, bathe, and change clothes before conducting a thorough examination.
Xavier thought, 'This kid has truly suffered, but at least he's still alive.'