The sun had set many hours ago taking away the light and leaving only darkness in its wake. The pain in her heart and the logic in her mind battled with her emotions, trying to reason why it had to happen to someone so sweet. Dr. Rebekah Stafford sat with her head on her desk as she tried to quiet the arguing voices and bury the heartache. She would have stayed in just that position had not the janitorial crew come to clean her office. She glanced up at the clock and noticed it was twenty past ten. They were early she thought, as she quickly straightened her desk and headed out the door. Her heart ached, yet she couldn’t shed any tears.

With her chin high and her emotions well hidden behind the icy veneer she’d cultivated over the years, she made her way out of the hospital and to her car before she let herself breathe. Home held no appeal to her, the quiet solitude of her house, that she once craved, was now more than ever a reminder that she was alone. She got in her car and started to drive, with no particular destination in mind. Time held no meaning as she drove, she just drove. Her thoughts had taking her back in time, back to when she first meet Sunny.

Six years earlier
“Dr. Stafford” Rebekah stopped to see who was calling. It was one of the Maggie, on of the nurses on staff. “Dr. Stafford do you remember seeing a parent or any adult with that child over there” she nodded in the lobby’s direction where a little girl lay curled in a ball sound asleep. “I asked the other nurses on duty and a few of the other staff and no one can recall anything.”
“No, sorry. Call social services” came the clipped response as she turned and headed for the exit. It was half past six and she was ready to go home. Her plans were to go home and unwind in her newly installed hot tub, drink a glass of white wine and relax to some soft, mellow music. She turned and walked towards the door. With one foot out the door, Rebekah stopped when the little girl sat up and proceeded to vomit all over the lobby floor. At that precise moment the little girl looked up, seeing Rebekah she called “Mama”. A tiny memory of another time and place fluttered around in her brain. Before it could take root it was quickly pushed it away.

That one word, uttered as she looked at Dr. Stafford, had those nearby all shock ed as they waited to see the outcome. With all eyes on her, Rebekah couldn’t help but find the situation slightly amusing. She knew that everyone called her the ‘Ice Queen’ or ‘Heartless’, so the dumbfound looks on their faces was priceless. Should she prove to them she was a heartless bitch and walk out the door, or go over to where the little girl sat waiting in expectation. Her mind told her to walk away, let someone care for her. While her heart, was telling her to help. She didn’t want to be involved. It would be in everyone’s best interest, especially her own, if she were to leave. She headed for the sick child.


As Rebekah neared the little girl, her chubby little arms up shot while her hands waved wildly, ready to be held.
“Up, me up” she begged. To Rebekah’s dismay no sooner had she picked the little girl up, when she again lost the contents of her stomach .
“Well, I guess the first thing that needs to be done, is for us to go get cleaned up.” That statement released the staff from their mesmerized fixation on the whole scene.
“Dr. Stafford, I can take the girl and get her cleaned up.” Maggie stepped forward and offered. Rebekah nodded.
“NO NO NO” she cried and wrapped her arms tightly around Rebekah's neck. “Mine” A few snickers could be heard, but no one was about to say anything aloud. Not wanting to upset the little girl, and now they both needed to get cleaned. Carrying the girl Rebekah headed for the staff lounge with Maggie following behind.


After washing the little girl, Rebekah wondered what she’d put on her as the clothes she was wearing were in need of a wash. Maggie must have been reading her mind as she brought in a clean pair of pajamas and a teddy bear. The girls eyes lit up when she saw the bear. Rebekah watched as Maggie used the bear as a bribe for the girl to leave Rebekah and go to her. It worked, she was free and able to get herself cleaned up now. She grabbed a spare pair of clean scrubs to replace her offensive smelling clothes, and headed for the ladies room. She’d no sooner stepped out of the little girls sight to change when she heard the pitiful cries calling for her ‘mama’. She kept going, ignoring the heartbreaking sobs and pitiful cries.

Once clean Rebekah walked down the hall having to pass the room where Maggie had the little girl. It seemed the bear was not working as she was still crying her heart out. Rebekah tried to ignore them. Maggie had children of her own and could handle things. Social services would comes and that would be the end, or so she tried to tell herself. She was able to resist for another two minutes before she gave in and headed back to where Maggie sat with the girl. When the little girl spotted Rebekah, her tears stopped and she was happy again.

“Mama, mama, mama” she sang with a big grin on her face.
“Has someone called social services?” Rebekah asked as she bent over and scooped up the girl in her arms trying to act as if caring for a child was an every day occurance.
“Dana called right after she had called for someone to clean up the mess in the lobby. Rebekah grimaced as she recalled the mess on the lobby floor, glad that it was not her job. “They said someone would be here soon.” Since it was well past 5 p.m., ‘soon’ could very well be several hours away.
“Maggie, I’m going to take our guest and give her a quick check-up while we wait for social services.”
“What should we call her?” Maggie asked.
“Right now her name is Jane Doe.”
“Ah, c’mon she doesn’t look like a Jane to me” with that Maggie turned to the little girl. “What’s your name sweetie”
“Awson. Me Awson” she answered with a smile showing off her baby teeth.
“A son, huh. Well you look like a girl to me” Maggie joked “I think we should call her Sunny.”
Rebekah wasn’t as concerned with giving the girl a name as she wouldn’t be there for long. However, she crossed out where she’d just wrote Jane on the chart, and above it wrote Sunny.


When the check up was finished Rebekah took Sunny to the cafeteria while Maggie went back to work. After they finished eating Rebekah strolled through the hospital with the little girl. The peculiar looks she received from the other doctors and nurses amused her, which is why she continued to stroll around the hospital corridors around instead of going to her straight to her office.


When Maggie had given the little girl the name of Sunny, all she could think of was the song ‘You Are My Sunshine’. Why that would come to mind she had no idea, but the song stuck with her so that as they walked she began to softly sing to Sunny. Rebekah was having so much fun shocking the staff that time flew by. She would have kept walking around had not Sunny laid her head down and went to sleep. As Rebekah headed for her office, she had to pass through the lobby where the whole thing started.

“Hi, my name is Karyn Donovan, with social services. Someone reported an abandoned child and I’m here to pick her up” the woman said to the nurse sitting behind the counter. Rebekah heard the woman and stopped.
“Ms. Donovan” she turned to the woman and introduced herself. “I’m Dr. Rebekah Stafford and our sleeping guest is the child. Maggie, one of the nurses dubbed her Sunny after asking her name and getting ‘Awson’ as a response.” Rebekah smiled “I’ve also given her a quick routine check-up and everything seems fine.”
“Thank you Dr. Stafford. Would it be easier if I took her or would you care to walk out with me?” Rebekah weighed the choices and found herself already being drawn to the little girl. It would be best if she handed her over. However, should Sunny wake up, she might not let Ms. Donovan take her without crying and that she couldn’t bear.
“I’ll walk out with you, if you don’t mind.”
“No, not at all.”


Rebekah carried the sleeping child as she followed Ms. Donovan out to her van. Carefully she laid the sleeping child in the empty car seat and stepped back letting Ms. Donovan do her job. With a few quick movements Sunny was buckled in and totally unaware that she’d not only lost one mother, but two. Rebekah stood in the parking lot and watched the van drive away.

 

Part 2 to come shortly, well at least my the 15th of June since that's when I have to submit it.