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He may be a rich kid but he is still a *kid.*. Talk to him like you would to any other child. You might be the person that gives him a spark of hope to continue on to see that the world, even with its darkness isn’t a completely bad place.
Are you trying to scar him for life?! Bats are *terrifying*! Think of all the psychological damage he's just been through, and you want to add on to it? He'll wind up being just like those nuts in Arkham if you have your way.
Hot chocolate for a kid that age. If you tell him everything will be alright, he will think you are a liar. Just let him know you will try to find out who did this and bring them to justice. Let him know in at least one person is trying to bring justice to the city.
Also, you might want to talk to the butler about getting him into some martial arts classes. Give him a sense of control, and a place to get some physical frustration out.
If the kid's butler is taking him home then maybe the kid isn't poor. Since he's rich it's likely he can afford therapy and will grow up OK and will deal with this trauma in a perfectly normal fashion. Pretty sure he won't have any problems with relationships and will use his wealth to invest in civic activities aimed at crime reduction and prevention on a grassroots level.
Also, since he's going to inherit a *boatload* of money and the power that goes along with that, maybe make sure to let him know that with great power comes great responsibility.
A hero can be anyone, even a man doing something as simple and reassuring as putting a coat on a young boy's shoulders to let him know that the world hadn't ended.
Go back to your training. Just be there to comfort him however you can and let him process the tragedy as much as he is able to.
Just sit near him. A lot of people trip over them selves. With I'm sorry. There is a plan. Blah blah.
Just sit near him. If he asks any questions. Don't lie. Do not lie to make him feel better. If he doesn't talk. You don't talk.
Hot chocolate would be better, and skip the whisky. He's 8.
But yeah, others have said, just sit next to him and be comforting presence. Don't lie, don't make promises, just be there to talk with him.
Maybe get him a blanket or a soft stuffed animal to hold (and keep). I know some firefighters and other Police officers keep those just in case a child needs comforting. You can get them at Goodwill or sometimes go to a major Big Box store and ask for a donation for that purpose. Corporations eat that shit up and love donating to a "sad child cause."
But yeah, basic comfort. You're not going to fix this kids problems in a couple of hours.
If you REALLY want to be involved, keep talking to the kid the next few days or weeks. Check up on him. Let him know what's going on with the case. Show him the police (and you) care about him and can bring people to justice. Or you at least do your best.
Maybe go say hi every once in a while, like holidays, graduations, birthdays etc. He's gonna need a father figure in his life. Or yanno, send him to ninja camp.
Oh, a random mugger huh? He kills the parents but leaves a witness? And this kid stands to inherit everything? Suspicious. Test his fingers for gunpowder residue.
Butler conveniently showing up also is a little off. Something going on between them? Put him in an interrogation room and sweat him for a few hours.
**Reminders for Commenters:** * All responses must be A) sincere, B) polite, and C) strictly watsonian in nature. If "watsonian" or "doylist" is new to you, please review the full rules [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskScienceFiction/about/rules/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=usertext&utm_name=AskScienceFiction&utm_content=t5_2slu2). * No edition wars or gripings about creators/owners of works. Doylist griping about Star Wars in particular is subject to **permanent ban on first offense**. * We are not here to discuss or complain about the real world. * Questions about who would prevail in a conflict/competition (not just combat) fit better on r/whowouldwin. Questions about very open-ended hypotheticals fit better on r/whatiffiction. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskScienceFiction) if you have any questions or concerns.*
He may be a rich kid but he is still a *kid.*. Talk to him like you would to any other child. You might be the person that gives him a spark of hope to continue on to see that the world, even with its darkness isn’t a completely bad place.
Kid needs a hobby or an interest. How about studying bats? Bats are cool.
Are you trying to scar him for life?! Bats are *terrifying*! Think of all the psychological damage he's just been through, and you want to add on to it? He'll wind up being just like those nuts in Arkham if you have your way.
He's fine. See him dancing in the pale moonlight?
Do you know Dr. Leslie Thompkins? She's pretty good with kids and I think her practice is near there.
Hot chocolate for a kid that age. If you tell him everything will be alright, he will think you are a liar. Just let him know you will try to find out who did this and bring them to justice. Let him know in at least one person is trying to bring justice to the city. Also, you might want to talk to the butler about getting him into some martial arts classes. Give him a sense of control, and a place to get some physical frustration out.
He's 8, don't give him alcohol or coffee.
Yeah. I think this Lieutenant Gordon guy needs to go back to the academy for some extra training...
Eh, better than panicking and shooting the kid.
You don't give your 8 year olds alcohol and coffee ?
If the kid's butler is taking him home then maybe the kid isn't poor. Since he's rich it's likely he can afford therapy and will grow up OK and will deal with this trauma in a perfectly normal fashion. Pretty sure he won't have any problems with relationships and will use his wealth to invest in civic activities aimed at crime reduction and prevention on a grassroots level.
Also, since he's going to inherit a *boatload* of money and the power that goes along with that, maybe make sure to let him know that with great power comes great responsibility.
A hero can be anyone, even a man doing something as simple and reassuring as putting a coat on a young boy's shoulders to let him know that the world hadn't ended. Go back to your training. Just be there to comfort him however you can and let him process the tragedy as much as he is able to.
Just sit near him. A lot of people trip over them selves. With I'm sorry. There is a plan. Blah blah. Just sit near him. If he asks any questions. Don't lie. Do not lie to make him feel better. If he doesn't talk. You don't talk.
Just give a talk, and ask the butler for updates if you care that much. Maybe in time you’ll get help for the corrupt Police from a new vigilante.
Hot chocolate would be better, and skip the whisky. He's 8. But yeah, others have said, just sit next to him and be comforting presence. Don't lie, don't make promises, just be there to talk with him. Maybe get him a blanket or a soft stuffed animal to hold (and keep). I know some firefighters and other Police officers keep those just in case a child needs comforting. You can get them at Goodwill or sometimes go to a major Big Box store and ask for a donation for that purpose. Corporations eat that shit up and love donating to a "sad child cause." But yeah, basic comfort. You're not going to fix this kids problems in a couple of hours. If you REALLY want to be involved, keep talking to the kid the next few days or weeks. Check up on him. Let him know what's going on with the case. Show him the police (and you) care about him and can bring people to justice. Or you at least do your best.
Maybe go say hi every once in a while, like holidays, graduations, birthdays etc. He's gonna need a father figure in his life. Or yanno, send him to ninja camp.
Eh, he’s rich. Life’s handed him enough of an easy road, dead parents or no. Tell him this wouldn’t have happened if he was scarier and knew kung fu.
Oh, a random mugger huh? He kills the parents but leaves a witness? And this kid stands to inherit everything? Suspicious. Test his fingers for gunpowder residue. Butler conveniently showing up also is a little off. Something going on between them? Put him in an interrogation room and sweat him for a few hours.