Chapter Text
Nine dispatchers.
That’s how many that have hung up on Hunter. Hunter dialed the number again hoping, hell praying that this call will somehow be different. The phone dialed and he prepared to act like he was ordering a pizza. Then it got picked up.
—
It was almost the end of Darius’ shift. While the job can be grueling sometimes and some calls from his first year as a dispatcher still haunt him. The best part of the job always circles back to helping people. One last call to end his shift, little did he know that this call would change his life forever.
“Bonesborough county, 911 what’s your emergency?”
“Hello, I’d like to order a pizza.”
Darius was certain that it was a prank call, but decided to stay on the line just incase.
“You called 911 to order a pizza? I think you have the wrong number.”
Hunter’s heart sank to his stomach, he can’t have another failed attempt to call for help.
“I don’t think I did.”
As the person on the other line started giving him their address, that’s when Darius caught onto what the caller was doing. That was pretty clever, he’d have to admit. Darius motioned Raine to get to his side.
“Sir are you in danger?”
Hunter went silent when the dispatcher called him “sir” someone actually referred to him as his preferred pronouns. But Hunter kept his composure, considering this is the farthest he’s gotten in the call he knows that they might send police. He looked at his uncle sitting on the couch, kitchen knife on the table, should Hunter try running out the door.
“Yes.”
“Understood, my name is Darius. Help is on the way.”
“Okay.”
“I want you to tell me how many people are inside of your house.”
Hunter quickly glanced at his uncle, and then went back to the call.
“Would a large pizza be big enough for two?”
Then Uncle Philip spoke.
“What are you doing Harper, I asked for pepperoni.”
Hunter cringed at the use of his dead name.
Darius heard another voice and knew it was the second person in the house with the caller.
“There’s another person with you, is that who was just talking?”
“Y-yes.”
Darius heard the nervousness in the callers voice and knew he needed to calm him down.
“You’re doing fantastic, can you tell me your name for the order?
The caller whispered his name, but it was too quiet for Darius to hear it clearly.
“Would it be more comfortable if you were to spell out your name?”
“Yes.”
“Alright.”
The caller began to spell his name letter by letter, ‘H u n t e r’ and last name Witterbane.
“Is the person you’re with armed?”
“Yes he is.”
“Is this person someone you know?”
“Yes, he’s my uncle.”
“What’s your uncle’s name?”
“Philip.”
Raine headed to the case files seeing if they could find anything on this ‘Philip’ and then they found it immediately bringing it to Darius.
“Says that he has a history of abuse. In fact one of his victims, current police chief Lilith Clawthorne has a permanent restraining order against him.”
“Okay so he definitely isn’t going in peacefully.”
Hunter was beginning to panic, thinking that his uncle might be catching on to what he was actually doing.
“H-how long until you get here?”
Darius was already sending officers to Hunter’s address, then he started to question himself as to whether or not to send an ambulance his way too.
“We’re looking at about five minutes till they get there. Are you injured?” Darius was not ready for the answer.
“Yes, stab wound.” That answer was followed by labored breathing, caused by the makeshift binder/bandages for his wound.
“You were stabbed?!” Darius was horrified to say the least. This wasn’t the first time a caller had dialed with a life threatening injury and needing help. It’s the fact that Hunter had said it so nonchalantly, like it was his everyday life. “Do you know where he stabbed you?”
“Back. Please hurry.”
Uncle Philip started getting impatient.
“Harper, what’s taking so long?”
“I don’t know they’re just really busy.”
“Then call somewhere else.”
Hunter knew that he might have to hang up on Darius, but he also knows that he needed to stay on the line until help came.
“I’m sorry, but I think I might have to cancel this order, my uncle is getting really mad.”
“Hunter I need you to stay on the phone with me. Can you unlock the door for the police?”
Hunter’s eyes drifted to the same kitchen knife, his uncle used to stab him.
“No. I can’t without making him suspicious.”
“Okay is he facing the door?”
“He’s on the couch, does that count?”
Philip started walking towards Hunter.
“Yes that does count Hunter……Hunter?
Hunter went silent as he looked up at his uncle, eyes dilated to the size of pinpricks. Then he felt a knife go into his stomach, making pained whimpers as he drops to the floor.
“Hunter……Hunter are you still there?”
Darius had heard everything that went on and was starting to panic, but he needed to do his job. Suddenly, Darius heard a door slam open and some of the ambulance staff talking. Apparently Philip had found out what Hunter was going to do, so he decided to try to kill his own nephew.
“Hunter are you alright?”
“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”
“You’re welcome Hunter. Good bye.”
“Byeeeeeeee.”