Chapter 214 – The Children's Ordeal and the Court Hearing
After speaking, William pushed the documents across the table toward Frank Gallagher once more.
This time, Frank reacted instantly.
With a swift motion, he snatched up the pen and scribbled his name across the papers.
William then borrowed an ink pad from Kevin and pressed Frank's fingerprint onto the documents as well.
After carefully checking the signature and confirming everything was valid, he folded the papers away.
Fiona stood up without even glancing at Frank again.
Then she turned and walked out of the bar.
Kevin shook his head and stared at Frank in disgust.
"You really are a piece of shit, Frank."
"You literally sold your own kids."
Frank merely shrugged and ordered another drink.
"Fuck it."
"This is the South Side."
"Survival comes first."
He grabbed the thick stack of cash and stuffed it into his filthy jacket pocket.
A smug grin spread across his face like a beggar who'd just won the lottery.
He slapped the bar loudly.
"Bring out the good stuff!"
"We're celebrating tonight!"
Kevin rolled his eyes.
"Try not to burn through it all in one week."
The Alibi remained thick with smoke and stale alcohol, but Frank suddenly felt like the whole world had brightened up.
Twenty thousand dollars.
Enough to live like a king for a while.
Not once did he think about the children.
Not about Monica.
Only about his next bottle…
…and maybe a little coke or meth on the side.
"That's none of your business, Kevin!"
"Now hurry up and get me the expensive stuff!"
—
While Frank drowned himself in alcohol and fantasies, a government van carrying the five Gallagher children and several Child Protective Services workers slowly pulled up outside a juvenile detention facility.
The van doors opened.
"All right, Ian and Lip."
"We're here."
One of the social workers checked the list in her hands while speaking to Ian Gallagher and Lip Gallagher.
The two brothers stepped out and looked up at the building in front of them.
It was obvious at first glance—
This was not a good place.
Lip noticed the panic and confusion on Debbie's face.
He immediately forced himself to smile.
"Hey, Debs."
"It'll only be a few days, okay?"
"We'll be home soon."
"Gallaghers can survive anything."
"…Right?"
Truthfully, even he didn't believe his own words.
Inside, he was panicking just as badly.
"I'll take care of Liam."
To everyone's surprise, Carl Gallagher was the first to speak up.
Lip looked at him with genuine appreciation.
"Yeah."
"You will."
Liam Gallagher could only babble incoherently, far too young to understand what was happening.
The siblings hugged one another tightly.
Ian crouched beside Debbie and spoke softly:
"We'll see each other again really soon, okay?"
After saying goodbye, Lip and Ian stepped away from the van.
"Good afternoon, gentlemen."
A tall Black man wearing a blue uniform approached them holding a clipboard.
"My name is DeAndre."
"This is Henderson House."
"Officially speaking, it's Chicago Municipal Juvenile Behavioral Rehabilitation Facility Number Fourteen."
"Most people just call it juvenile detention."
Lip immediately interrupted him.
"D&D?"
"What, like Dungeons & Dragons?"
DeAndre instantly snatched Lip's phone away.
"No."
"It stands for Delinquency and Deviant Behavior."
"Now move."
"You two are coming with me."
The brothers exchanged helpless looks before following him deeper into the facility.
Meanwhile, the CPS workers drove the remaining children to a Black foster family living in the South Side.
The woman who opened the door was named Kamala.
One of the social workers frowned slightly as she looked past the doorway.
"The county database says you still have room for more foster children…"
"But honestly…"
"It already looks like there are too many kids here."
"I thought there was supposed to be a limit for foster homes?"
The CPS worker was genuinely worried.
And honestly?
Her concern was completely justified.
Kamala was exactly the kind of foster parent who exploited loopholes in the federal system to profit off child labor.
Most crooked foster parents were satisfied just collecting government subsidies.
Kamala went a step further.
Not only did she collect the welfare checks—
She also squeezed every last bit of labor and value out of the children under her roof.
—
So when the social worker questioned her, Kamala answered with practiced ease, like she'd delivered this speech hundreds of times before.
"These aren't kittens."
"They're children."
"They need someone to care for them."
"That's why God sent me here."
"So I can take care of all the children nobody else wants."
She then turned toward Debbie Gallagher.
"Come here, sweetheart."
Clearly, Debbie had zero intention of responding.
As a manipulative little brat herself, Debbie instinctively sensed something familiar in Kamala.
The two of them were the same type of person.
Predatory.
Self-serving.
The difference was that Debbie was still too young and stupid to fully understand that instinctive feeling.
"Come on now."
"I'm not gonna bite."
"You're such a precious little thing."
When Debbie still didn't react, Kamala stood up personally and wrapped her arms around her.
"Momma Kamala is truly happy to take care of you."
Of course she was happy.
To her, Debbie wasn't a child.
She was free labor.
Human resources.
Even though Kamala looked suspicious as hell, the social worker had no real grounds to object under procedure.
In the end, she could only leave Debbie there.
Before leaving, however, she quietly slipped Debbie a card with her personal phone number.
"If anything feels wrong…"
"Or if something happens…"
"You call me immediately, okay?"
Then she left the house.
The moment the social worker was gone, Kamala's expression instantly changed.
Like a mask being ripped off.
And just like that—
Debbie's miserable foster-life officially began.
Meanwhile, Carl Gallagher and Liam Gallagher were sent to a gay foster couple.
…
Time passed quickly.
Before long, the court hearing arrived.
Inside the hallway of a Chicago courthouse, Fiona sat anxiously in her chair.
William sat beside her holding the folder Veronica Donovan had prepared.
Veronica herself was already inside the courtroom waiting.
"Relax, Fiona."
William lowered his voice and gently squeezed her hand.
"We've got everything."
"Frank's custody relinquishment papers."
"Your income records."
"The hospital reports."
"And the CPS evaluation."
"We have proof you can provide a stable environment."
"Veronica will handle the rest."
The courtroom doors opened.
A heavyset judge sat high above the room and tapped his gavel.
Across from them sat the CPS social worker with several reports tucked under her arm.
Veronica rose to speak first.
"Your Honor."
"My client, Fiona Gallagher, has been the de facto guardian of the Gallagher household for years."
"She maintains stable employment as the owner of a South Side restaurant and earns above the minimum required income threshold."
"The father, Frank Gallagher, has voluntarily signed away guardianship rights."
"The mother, Monica Gallagher, is currently undergoing psychiatric treatment and is incapable of fulfilling parental responsibilities."
"The living conditions have also improved significantly."
"We've submitted updated photographs and sanitation records."
"The temporary placements have already caused emotional distress to the children."
"Debbie Gallagher has displayed clear symptoms of separation anxiety."
"Liam Gallagher, due to his age, requires a familiar and stable environment."
"We therefore request the immediate restoration of guardianship rights."
The CPS worker quickly stood to object.
"Your Honor, this family has an extensive history of neglect."
"Substance abuse."
"Unsafe living conditions."
"And serious sanitation concerns."
"The anonymous report indicated multiple potential risks."
"At this time…"
"…we recommend continued observation before any custody restoration is approved."
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