A/N: As from 18th July 2002, this fic will be moved to our new joint account – slytherpuff_girlz
Superstitions - Part 1
By Freddie
It was the end of the shift and Penny and Holly were getting ready to go home, or wherever they were going.
"You heard anything from your dad yet Penn?" Holly asked Penny.
"No," Penny replied "I know it's only been a week since I wrote to him but it feels like light-years." Penny paused for a moment before continuing "So anyway Holl, you've not had anything from your secret admirer recently have you?"
"Don't tempt fate Penn. But to tell the truth it's worse NOT hearing from him. It's not knowing what he's going to do, not knowing that's worse."
"You sound like someone's been kidnapped and you're waiting for a ransom note from a kidnapper"
"That's what it feels like, but instead of fearing for the other persons safety I fear for my own safety"
"That bad huh" Penny asked putting on her coat.
"Yeah" Holly replied as they headed out of the staff room. Penny headed towards the exit chattering to herself while Holly headed towards the stairs. It was about 30 seconds before Penny noticed that Holly wasn't talking to her. She turned round and called to Holly, "The exit's this way"
"I know," Holly called back "but I'm going to Otter ward"
"Oh" Penny muttered. When Holly got up to Otter ward she was greeted by Keri warning her that Dr. Taylor wasn't in a good mood. When she asked why Keri whispered to her "Well, between you and me, I mean you know I'm not a gossip," Holly sniggered at this remark "Ok so I am but anyway, I think that Janice has had an argument with her husband" Holly was about to ask how she knew but seeing Janice come up she decided against it
"Anyway," Holly asked Keri "How's Ellen." Ellen was a little girl of 5 with a problem with her heart. She had first come in when her Parents had died in the Car crash which gave her her heart problem. She was only a baby and Holly grew quite attached to her. Now Holly came in every evening after day shift or before night shift to read her (and very often all the other children) a story.
"Holly!" Ellen exclaimed when she saw her.
"Hi Ellen, how are you doing?"
"Getting cleverer by the day" Keri answered for Ellen while checking her medication. What Keri said was true. Ellen was a remarkably bright girl for one so young.
"Will you read us a story?" A little girl in the bed next to Ellen's asked.
"Okay," Holly replied "In the middle of the night, when the sun was out…"
"That doesn't make sense" Ellen interrupted.
"Ah, I know. That's because it's a nonsense story, a story with no sense." Holly replied.
"Oh"
"Anyway, In the middle of the night when the sun was out, The deaf policeman heard the dumb man shout…" It was a while after Holly finished her story before Keri managed to get the children to sleep. But she didn't stop Holly telling her stories because if she admitted it she liked listening to them. Keri had decided that Holly must spend her free time learning stories because Keri didn't think that Holly had ever repeated a story on two different occasions.
Next day Josh was sitting in the staff room before shift started when Penny bounded in holding an envelope.
"I've got a letter" She exclaimed.
"Penny I hate to break it to you but I get letters quite a lot" Josh said tactfully.
"No, I mean, I think I've got a letter from my dad"
"You THINK"
"Well, I haven't actually opened it yet"
"PENNY"
"Well, what if it isn't from him?"
"Then you're wasting your time"
"But what if it is from him?"
"That's what you want isn't it?"
"But what if he doesn't want to know?"
"Penny Just open it"
"But what if I don't want to know?"
"Then why have you been going on about it for the last week?"
"Oh, I don't know"
"PENNY, Open It."
"I'm not sure Josh"
"Penny, Just open it, the suspense is killing me"
"Ok" Penny said and opened it.
Holly came in to work with a spring in her step and a song in her heart. (Well, not quite but you get the picture.) She was humming to the tune of 'Oh what a beautiful morning' when Colette came up to her.
"Sorry to burst your bubble Holly," She said handing Holly a small parcel "But this arrived for you in reception"
"Oh no." Holly exclaimed, "This is going straight in the bin"
"Just open it" Colette advised her "If the police want to catch him they'll need all the evidence they can," Colette paused "You have informed the police haven't you?"
"Yeah, my brother's in the police force."
"You never know, this might give you a clue"
"Ok," She reached for the parcel and then stopped "You open it" Holly said giving it to Colette.
"Ok" Colette said opening it "It's a book of children's stories, oh, hang on there's a note, it says 'to read to the children"