Leaving the office for the second time that morning, Gabriel walked across the street to the infirmary, glad that he had elected on having oatmeal for breakfast this morning instead of eating at the hotel. If he had gone the latter route, he still wouldn't have eaten yet.

Reaching the infirmary, Gabriel opened the door and stepped inside, hoping Maggie was in the office. The British nurse was and she wasn't alone. Lillian stood next to Maggie, who was examining Mary Louise's ankle.

"Everything okay?" Gabriel asked, reaching up with his non-injured hand to remove his hat.

"Mary Louise slipped on the steps this morning. Thankfully she only had one more step left, but she said her ankle hurt. I thought having Maggie look at it would be best," Lillian replied.

"Well, my diagnosis is it is just a sprain," Maggie replied, looking at the little girl. "Which unfortunately means no playing in the snow for a few days as you need to stay off the ankle as much as possible until it heals."

"What about milking Virginia?" Mary Louise said. "Christian milked her this morning but she probably missed me."

"She probably did," Maggie replied. "However, someone else is going to have to milk Virginia for the next couple of days."

Mary Louise gave a sigh and looked sad, but didn't protest further.

Maggie glanced over at Gabriel. "Can I do something for you, Constable?" she asked.

"Yes. I need you to take a look at my hand," Gabriel replied, holding up his injured hand.

"You sit still for a bit," Maggie told Mary Louise when she saw the blood seeping through the handkerchief. Wrapping the child's ankle was no longer the priority. Getting to her feet, Maggie motioned to Gabriel to sit on the cot next to the cot Mary Louise was using. "What did you do to your hand?" she asked, moving to get some supplies.

"I got bit," Gabriel replied, sitting down on the end of the cot.

"By what?" Maggie asked, turning back toward the cot, gauze, bandages and two jars in her hands.

"By whom, might be more accurate," Gabriel replied. "I caught a kid stealing some food from Joe this morning. He bit me in an attempt to get away."

"Where is he now?" Lillian asked, concern for the boy evident in both her voice and her expression.

"Eating breakfast in the cell in my office," Gabriel replied, as Maggie unwrapped the handkerchief covering the wound on his hand.

"You arrested a boy who clearly needs help if he's stealing food?" Lillian accused.

"I said he was in the cell. I didn't say I arrested him," Gabriel replied, wincing slightly as Maggie used gauze to clean the wound with an antiseptic. "Though I would have just cause to do just that even if he wasn't stealing," he added, nodding toward his hand.

Lillian's gaze went to his hand, taken in the injury for the first time.

"I'm sorry," Lillian said, stepping past Mary Louise so that she was in between the two occupied cots. "That looks like it hurts," she said sympathetically.

"It's not the way I would've chosen to start my day," Gabriel admitted, even as Lillian leaned down and pressed a kiss against his cheek. "Though that just made my day a little better," he added looking up at her with a smile.

"Well, the good news is, I don't think you'll need stitches," Maggie told him.

"Really?" Gabriel asked, looking down at his hand. "It looks like it is still bleeding."

Maggie nodded. "It is," she replied reaching for the other jar she had brought over. "This paste has yarrow in it and should help the clotting process though. I'll put some on, wrap it to apply pressure and that should stop the bleeding. You can relax here for twenty minutes or so, just so I can be sure the bleeding stops."

"I have things I need to do, Maggie," Gabriel protested.

"I'm sure you do," Maggie replied. "But those things are going to have to wait about a half hour," she said firmly. "I want to be sure the wound isn't bleeding and is properly bandaged before you leave here."

Lillian rested a hand on Gabriel's shoulder, her earlier annoyance at him having melted away to concern.

"Please listen to Maggie," Lillian requested softly. "Mary Louise and I can wait with you and keep you company, right Mary Louise."

The little girl nodded. "We'll keep you company, Mountie Gabe."

Gabriel looked around at the three feminine faces, each portraying a different emotion. There was Maggie's stern look. Lillian looked sympathetic, while Mary Louise looked happy to spend some time with him.

"It looks like I'm outnumbered," Gabriel commented

"You are," Maggie stated, having finished with the paste and was now wrapping Gabriel's hand. "So just make yourself comfortable for the next twenty minutes or so. Brookfield will do just fine without you for that long," she told him as she secured the bandage.

Maggie gathered her supplies and got to her feet. She looked over to Mary Louise. "Now, let me get a bandage to wrap that ankle with," the nurse said.

Lillian stood quietly by Gabriel's side, one hand still resting on his shoulder, while Maggie got what she needed. When the nurse was sitting back in the chair in front of Mary Louise, talking with the girl, Lillian addressed Gabriel.

"What are you going to do with the boy?" Lillian asked quietly.

"Sitting in the cell for a while will not hurt him none," Gabriel said. "At least he's warm, got a roof over his head, and he'll get proper meals, which is better than if I let him go off on his own again. In the meanwhile, I'll see if I can figure out who he is and where he comes from. I'm going to wire Judge Avery as well for advice on how to handle this. I have no intention of arresting him, Lillian, though if there are other complaints out there, I may have no choice."

"We could look after him at the orphanage until you figure all that out," Lillian suggested.

Gabriel looked down at his hand. "I was planning on bringing him out when he bit me in an attempt to get away," he replied. The Mountie looked up at Lillian. "He panicked at the mention of an orphanage. I'm not sure what that means, but for now, I don't think bringing him out there is an option. Best case scenario, the boy will probably run away the first chance he gets. Worst case, he hurts someone. I don't think either of us wants that."

"You are right. I just hate the idea of him sitting alone in that cell," Lillian said.

Gabriel reached up with his uninjured hand and placed it over the hand resting on his shoulder. "He could use a clean change of clothes if you have extra out at the orphanage. He definitely needs a bath and I want Maggie to come take a look at him if he'll let her."

"What size clothes?"

"He's about Christian's size."

Lillian nodded. "I can find something. Is it okay if I gave him a book and maybe some art supplies? He might like something to help pass the time."

Gabriel smiled. "That would be fine," he assured her. "I'm not sure if he knows how to read or not, but if he can't, I'll read to him if he wants. It might help me build some trust with the kid, which in the long run is the only way I'm going to be able to help him."

"I'll get the stuff together as soon as I get Mary Louise settled on the settee with her schoolwork," Lillian told him.

"I still have to do schoolwork?" Mary Louise asked from the next cot.

Lillian looked over at her young charge. "You do. Though you get to stay home from school for a few days, there is nothing wrong with your hands, which means schoolwork can still be done."

"I'd rather be able to milk Virginia," Mary Louise stated.

Gabriel bit his lower lip in an attempt to keep from laughing. He wasn't sure how Lillian kept a straight face as she responded to the girl.

"I'm sure you would, but Virginia will be fine for a few days without you," Lillian said calmly. "Besides, even though you have to do your schoolwork, if you have to stay off your feet I suppose I'll have to let you out of your other chores as well."

"Your not going to make me do extra chores are you?" Mary Louise asked.

"Now why would I do that?" Lillian asked.

"Because you made Vincent do extra chores when he didn't do his chores last Friday."

"That's because Vincent chose to spend time with his friends after school instead of doing his chores without asking permission. You have a valid reason for not doing chores. Do you understand the difference?" Lillian asked the girl.

Mary Louise nodded solemnly.

Gabriel smiled, as he watched Lillian interact with the young girl. Though all the children in her care had suffered heartache that no child should have to endure, they were all flourishing under Lillian and Grace's care. They were receiving discipline tempered with love and Gabriel knew that even if they weren't adopted, they would grow up to be responsible, productive members of whatever community they chose to be a part of.

"How is Ellie doing?" Gabriel asked, inquiring about the newest child at New Hope Orphanage.

Four-year-old Ellen Foster was the sole survivor of a stage coach accident that had happened a week ago. Her stage coach wasn't even scheduled to stop at Brookfield. It's next stop had been Clearwater. With news of the last snow storm moving into the area, and the stage over an hour late, several Mounties from Clearwater as well as those posted in the smaller settlements like Brookfield that was anywhere along the stagecoach's route had been sent out. It had been Gabriel who had located the stagecoach. From what he had been able to ascertain, something had broken in the harness attaching the horses to the coach. The coach had turned on its side, killing one horse and severely injuring the other. Gabriel had been forced to shoot the other animal when he arrived on the scene.

The driver had been thrown from the coach and killed. There had been four passengers in the stage coach. Gabriel had found the one passenger, a young business man, several hundred feet from the stage coach. It was assumed that the young man, though injured, had survived the initial crash. Despite his injuries, he had probably tried to go for help but hadn't made it far. It was unclear if he had succumbed to his injuries or to the cold.

Ellen's parents were both dead when Gabriel had come upon the accident. Ellen herself had still been cradled in her mother's arms. The protection her mother had offered had probably been what had saved the little girl. Gabriel had been able to let the terrified little girl let him pick her up. As there was nothing he could do for the others, he had brought the little girl to Maggie and sent a wire to headquarters about the accident before heading back out himself. Surprisingly, the little girl had suffered only a few bumps and bruises and mild exposure to the cold. The Mounties were trying to locate relatives of the little girl but for now Ellen was in Lillian and Grace's care.

"She's still not interacting much," Lillian said. "She does seem interested when stories are read though. Other than correcting us with her name, she doesn't talk much though she does manage thank-you's in the appropriate places. She spends most of the day sitting at the sitting room window looking out. The one time she did talk to me, she asked 'if the man in red was coming'. I think she's looking for you," Lillian told him.

"Do you think I should stop by, or do you think it would be better if I didn't?" Gabriel asked, looking up at Lillian.

"Well, neither Grace nor I have really made much of a connection with her. She'll let me help her change but Ellie draws away from any other human contact. Even when a nightmare wakes her up, she draws into a little ball and doesn't want to be touched. You were the first person she saw after being alone at the crash site. In her eyes, you're probably a hero to her even if she doesn't quite understand it in those terms. Interacting with you could help open her up to other interactions."

"Then how about I give you some time to get things together for Billy, which is the only name I have for my guest right now, and then I'll come out the orphanage. I can see Ellie and save you another trip into town right now."

"Okay," Lillian replied.

Gabriel looked in Maggie's direction. Having finished wrapping Mary Louise's ankle, the British nurse was putting supplies back in order.

"When I come back with a change of clothes for the boy, do you think you can come over and try to look him over. It might be easiest to try getting him to take a bath and you examine him at the same time."

Maggie nodded, looking over at Gabriel. "I have one scheduled appointment this morning but unless something comes up, I'll be free whenever you think will be a good time."

"Good," Gabriel replied. "I've got some things to do once you let me leave here. I'll let you know when I'm finished."

"I'll be ready and I'll do my best to get this kid to let me help him," Maggie assured him, even as the door opened again. "This is starting to be a busy place this morning," she commented as Ben Mendelson walked in.

"Morning, Maggie," Ben replied. "I was actually looking for the constable though."

"Well, you found him," Maggie commented, motioning toward Gabriel. "You're still not going anywhere right away, though."

"Yes, Maggie," Gabriel replied before looking toward the feed store owner. "What can I do for you, Ben?"

"Morning, Lillian," Ben said, addressing the young woman still standing next to Gabriel. He held up a bundle and a worn looking blanket he was carrying. "Sam found this while getting some feed bags for a customer," the man informed him. "I think your mystery kid might have spent the night in my storage shed."

"Thanks, Ben," Gabriel said, reaching out with his uninjured hand to take the small bundle and blanket. "I'll see that he gets it back. Any damage to your shed or anything in it?"

Ben shook his head. "Not sure how he got in, but nothing seemed out of place until we found those. Maybe the kid can pick a lock or he snuck in there before I locked up last night. I'm not sure."

Gabriel nodded. If the kid did no how to pick a lock, the Mountie hoped whatever he had used to do it was in the bundle or he might go back to an empty cell.

"Are you going to be okay?" Ben asked, nodding to the wrapped hand.

"I'll be fine," Gabriel commented. "Our fine nurse just wants to make it stops bleeding before she lets me out of her sight."

"Glad to hear it," Ben replied. "I should get back."

As Ben left the infirmary, Gabriel placed the blanket and bundle behind him on the cot.

"You're not going to look through the bundle."

Gabriel shook his head. "Not right now," he replied. "Granted, I'm not giving it to the kid until I can be sure there isn't a knife or something in there, but I want his permission to open it."

"But there might be something that could help identify him," Lillian protested.

"I realize that," Gabriel told her. "However, that little bundle probably contains everything this boy owns. Showing him that I respect that, I believe is more important than any other information I might find."

Lillian nodded her consent, willing to defer to Gabriel's judgement in this situation.