1 GIMME A HAND

(July 2018,

Sabie – 1 month)

"Have you seen the kid, Lara?" Rebecca asked, and the tall dark haired woman nodded.

"She's cute like an angel. The weirdest thing is that she's already coordinating her moves somewhat, even tries to roll onto her stomach."

"Wow, really?!" She nodded, "I was shocked too, as she's barely a month old, but you

know, she isn't human, who knows how it goes by them?"

Lara shook her head "It always goes weird by muties. Thank God she doesn't have those laser rays coming out of her eyes."

Rebecca made wide eyes "Is that possible?!"

She nodded, "It sure is! Remember those mutants we've seen on TV? One of them had a visor on his face, and it was said he has those rays coming out of his eyes 24/7."

Rebecca gagged, "24/7?! Is that possible?! That means he can't see without that visor,

right?!"

She nodded, "Right."

Rebecca shuddered, "Poor parents." Lara stated, "By the way, where do those mutants come from?"

She shrugged, "Dunno. No one really knows. They just come from nowhere, save the

day and disappear back to nowhere."

"Do they actually

save the day?"

"I wouldn't say so. Maybe they just work for some candidate so we'll vote for him when it gets known what he done for us, saving us from… hmm, did they actually save someone?"

"Must have. At least that's what I've heard. They also made a mess of the Statue of Liberty."

"Wow, really?! I thought it was just a rumor."

"It was closed for two weeks after that, remember?" Rebecca took a deep breath.

"Yeah. Well… I'll go see if Sabie is okay?"

"Yep, look after her, maybe she had already crawled out of the bed and

chewed away all your dinner." They both giggled at that and separated.



As Rebecca came into the nursery, the cub turned her

head and purred. She was long ago fascinated by

Sabie's manner to let out a cat-like purr where other

kids would coo. It was actually the first mutant kid

she got so closely in touch with. That meant the kid

had an obvious mutation, not like those with different

color of eyes or like telepaths, but it was obvious

she was a mutant. That in it self was exciting.



The kid reached out her hand and made a grabbing motion.

"I'm commin', dear," Rebecca soothed, reaching out for

kid's palm. Tiny fingers curled around her finger and

a smile made its way onto her face. She took the kid

into her crooked arms and rocked her slightly.

Sabie turned her head to the side, observing the world

from the new height. Now, that was a big world, full of

different things the meanings of which she couldn't

comprehend yet. Not that she tried to comprehend them

though, they were just things, they were her

surroundings for now.

The only thing she knew was that

scent near her. It meant warmth and comfort and the

new observation of the world the high position gave.

She turned her head to the side to where the light was

coming from, when her stomach felt some weird itching

and she let out a searing yell.

"Shhh…" Rebecca rocked the kid for some seconds, but

the yell just got louder. "Okay, okay, if you mean

it's time to feed you already, let's go get some milk

then…" she carried her out of the room to another one

on the same floor.

Thank God, Helen had the milk

surplus and had nothing against feeding other two

orphan mutant cubs in the med-center.

Must be because her

own son was a mutant. Beside the weird orange skin, he

had quills all along his spinal cord.

As she entered the room, Helen was sitting in the

armchair with her kid in a small bed near her. She

rose her eyes and smiled at the sight of Rebecca.

"Hungry again?" She nodded, motioning to the child

with an apologetic look on her face.

"She eats twice

as much as a normal kid. Dunno why, but I just can't

do a thing about it."

Helen shrugged indifferently.

"Simon almost doesn't eat at all, so they're gonna

balance each other." Rebecca handed her a pack, and

Helen removed the sheet from cub's face. Sabie smiled

and cooed/purred to her, stretching her hand in

woman's direction. "Wanna get a hold of me?" Helen

questioned with a grin and bared her right breast to

feed the kid.

###

In the evening Rebecca put the kid back into the bed

and watched her fall to sleep. Weird, but along with

extra-eating, Sabie was developing faster than any

other kid she knew. She was hearing and seeing

perfectly at the age of a week when the other kids do

it about two weeks later. Besides, she wasn't sleeping

in the daytime, so Rebecca had to be with her the

entire day. Not that she objected though. She didn't

have much work for now, so most of her time was free.

She had spent time with Sabie almost the entire month,

almost from the first day of the kid's life.

At first she

just had to, as she had to watch the orphan cubs in

their first weeks at the center. But now she felt she

was getting closer to that little frail in the bed.

Rebecca took a deep breath. Maybe it was that she

didn't have her own kids nor a family. Maybe it was

the green-eyed wonder Sabie that took more of her

attention.

Anyway, now it wasn't just one of those

kids their moms left, but it was beginning to be

something more special.

Silently, Rebecca switched the light off and stepped

out of the room that was filled by the soft snoring of

the kid.

###

Next day she was stopped by a nurse she hadn't seen

before. "You're Rebecca, right?" She nodded. "Have you

seen Sabie's birth-card?" Rebecca shook her head.

"Anything wrong?" she questioned worriedly, her

imagination already drawing her pictures of dying kid.

"Yeah. I can't find that damn card, and as you seem to

be close to that kid, I just hoped you may have her

birth-card."

Rebecca frowned. "And why do you need the

card so soon?" Maybe there were some rules in this

center of those she didn't know yet? She had been

working here for only two months anyway, so it was

possible.

"The kid is almost a month old, so we're giving her away soon." Rebecca's heart stopped.

"Where?" she managed to ask. The woman rolled her

eyes.

"Have you fallen down from the moon or what?!"

"Sorry…" she mumbled "It's just that I haven't worked

with… homo superior kids yet, so I just dunno…"

The woman sighed. "At the age of one month mutant kids

shall be taken from the med-center to go to FOH's

boarding-school, see? Sabie's about a month old

already, so it's just time to shake her off, and I

can't find the damn card…" she mumbled, walking past

Rebecca along the corridor, desperate to find the

card. Rebecca's heart sank and she sighed. A month

old. She knew Sabie was born on 12th of June. It was

4th of July today. There was only 8 days left. She

spun on her heel and paced to kid's quarters.

###

Sabie felt the familiar scent approaching.

Instinctively she reached out with her arms to the

frame that bent over to her. In a moment the world

around spin as she was lifted up. Here she could feel

more scents flying around, and she smiled as her nose

caught a nice one coming from the window. She let out

a purr, so the frail will bring her to the window, but

it didn't understand.

Sabie let out another purr and

turned her head to where the scent was coming from.

The frail soothed something and moved right where

Sabie wanted it to move. The scent got sharper. As

much as Sabie could comprehend, it was coming from

bright rosy things that were attached to green things

and stood on the window. She examined them for some

moments, then reached out to take one, but was

suddenly pulled back as the frail stepped aside

bringing the scented thing out of her reach. Sabie

sobbed, then let out a sudden catlike yell.

###

5th of July, 7 days left

"What's that FOH boarding school mean?" She asked. The

woman with raven black hair sipped coffee out of the

paper cup and replied

"It's like every boarding

school. Here the mutant kids live till they get 21 and

can face the court."

"And?"

She shrugged. "And the

judge decides whether the mutant is dangerous or not.

If he's dangerous – he gets the death sentence, the

death penalty follows. If not – then he lives the

normal life, though his rights are limited."

Rebecca

kept silence for some time, then asked "And… what

limits do their rights have?"

Lara shrugged "Like,

hmm… they can't move to another state without

permission, they shall always warn their employer

about their mutation… let's see what else… oh, they shall not use their mutation without

permission."

Rebecca made wide eyes "What do you

mean?"

"I mean that they write an obligation to use

their mutation only if it's permitted by the

parliament or president. The permission is needed for

each case if using mutation."

"But… doesn't it mean

they have ever so thin chance for using their gifts?"

Lara nodded "Practically no chance. By the way, why do

you ask?" Rebecca dropped her eyes. "It's 'cos of

Sabie, right?"

She nodded. Lara put her hand on

Rebecca's shoulder. "You see, I understand you on

that. She's a cute kid and all, but you can't help her

with that. She's a mutie and it's her fate anyway. By

the way, you even don't know who her father was, and

her mom… wasn't much of a reliable person, you know.

So… I think it's for the best if they take her to the

boarding school. At least she'll be with those like

her. Well?" Lara smiled.

Rebecca nodded. "Yeah, I know

it's not my problem what's gonna happen. It's just…

dunno, maybe I got too close to her." She shrugged.

Lara smiled even wider. "She's the first mutant kid

you nursed, right?"

Rebecca nodded "Then it's all

clear. It usually happens like this the first time.

People try to save them. but then, after the third

kid, they understand even the cutest of them are

nothing but freaks. Even Sabie, you see?" Rebecca

nodded.

###

At home she put some "Whiskas" in a plate for Furry

and eased down on the chair. Why was she actually

worrying about the kid? Was it hers anyway? No and she

had nothing to do with it. Even more, she shouldn't

care about every mutant she meets, she's no kind of

Charity Fund. All mutants live in those boarding

schools, so why shouldn't Sabie be there too, huh?

Maybe she'll even be proclaimed safe, get a job and

live a normal life, huh?! Who is she to change her

fate if anything?…

She sighed. It all sounded fine, but it was just that

she couldn't let this kid go into nowhere. "Damn" she

whispered and got up, grasping form the phone. "Why

shall it be 'nowhere', actually?"

###

"It's okay there, you see?" Miles said, walking beside

her. "Just like any other boarding school, well?"

Rebecca nodded. "I know, but I wanna see it with my

own eyes, so I'll be sure about her future."

"Muties

don't have a good future anyway," he muttered. "Every

FOH member says so,"

she parried, "but I object."

He shrugged. "Ya'r choice then." They walked into the

gray building and went along the corridors. Soon they

stopped at the door. "This is where the kids from 2 to

4 years old live," Miles mumbled, opening the door.

Rebecca went in. The walls were covered with

multicolored papers, and thick yellow carpet covered

the floor. Different dolls and cars and other kid's

stuff were lying everywhere. Here was the bunch of

kids too, playing around and making that deafing noise

that always claims the kindergarteners. "Ya see now,"

Miles questioned, bored.

Rebecca nodded. And why

did she ever think it was bad here? The kids seemed

happy, well fed and cared about, so why did she think

it could be bad at all? "Yeah, I see. It was nice."

Miles smiled to her reply, when the pager on his

waistband beeped. "Damn… I gotta go. Wait fer me here,

ya may play with the kids until I return." With that he

quickly left.

Rebecca stood inside the room for some

time, then walked out, determined to walk away without

Miles' help. ~I was wrong~ she thought, walking along

the corridors. ~So I may not worry about Sabie's fate

now. If she lives in such good conditions, she won't

need me at all. I may even visit her sometimes, why

not. I could bring her toys to play with and books to

read, maybe some other stuff kids like…~ Suddenly she

stopped at her tracks. When she had walked with

Miles beside her, the way seemed easy and clear.

However, now it seemed that nothing was familiar in this place. She frowned. ~Damn, I

should have waited for Miles~ she thought, and paced

some more steps before stopping again. Now it was

clear that she was lost.

Cursing her own determination, she paced along the

corridor, when she heard a sob. It was so clear in the

silence of the corridor that she jumped and spun

around to see the source of it. She listened, but no

sound followed. She let out a nervous chuckle and made

some more steps when another sob followed, soon

replaced with a quite howl that was suddenly cut off.

Frowning, she came to the wall where the noises came

from, and looked close. Yes, there was a door there,

so perfectly hidden it was barely visible in the dim

light of the corridor. With hesitation pressed Rebecca

her ear to the door. ~you don't even know what's on the

other side, it's not good to peek…~ but she already

put her fingers on the knob and turned it slowly. Ever

so slowly, the door moved inside, revealing a long

room/corridor, lighten as dim as the corridor she

stood it, except for the spot at the far end of the

room.

There she saw the guardian, or at least he

looked like one. She squinted her eyes to see he had a

gun on his waist, and something else on the table near

him. Narrowing her eyes helped her to see the

object, and she gagged. It was the whip, a four foot

long horse whip. ~why does he need the whip here?!~

she frowned in disbelieve, when the sob came from the

side of the room. Her eyes moved to its source, and

she had to press her hand to her mouth not to make a

sound. There were cages along both walls. Small, about

two squared feet, and there was something moving in

them. her heart raced.

The kids.

Many kids, of various

kind, each one in one of the cells. She swallowed

hard. The sob came from the boy who seemed about five

or something. The guardian gave him an evil glance.

"Shuddup" he muttered through gritted teeth. The kid

let out another sob, but at the sight of an enraged

man he took a deep breath and let out a yell. "I said

shuddup!" the man growled, getting up.

The whip hissed through the bars and the sound of

crying cut off. The kid now lay at the side of his

cage, the girl from the cage next to his reached her

thin arms through the bars and was now trying to calm

the kid down. Rebecca felt her knees giving way.

Silently, she closed the door and paced to where she

came from. Step by step, like a robot, she got to the

hall with the kids room Miles showed her. He was

already waiting for her, pacing around impatiently.

"Were have ya been?!" he yelled at her, then suddenly

stopped, looking at her dead-pale face. "Something's

wrong?" he asked worriedly, with a strange squint in

his eyes.

Rebecca forced herself to smile. "Nno… just

got lost. Ya see, I decided to go alone and not to

disturb you anymore, so I went along the corridors,

but got lost. I called and no one answered me, I just

got so scared…" She let out a sigh. By the look of

Miles he had swallowed her lie in one gulp.

"Well, I

told ya not to go alone here. The corridors are such a

net…" with that he took her hand and led her in right

direction. "Ya sure ya'r okay? Ya'r all shivering."

She gave him a glance. "Just scared. Must be the

aftershock, you know I'm afraid of being lost." That

was true, and he believed it.

###

The moment the door closed behind Miles she turned on

her heel, leaned to the door with her back and cried.

At first quietly, then her sobs got harder in minutes.

How could they?! Showing her the room with ten

happy kids – and throwing another hundred in cells…

She slid down along the wall till she was sitting on

the floor. The image burst into her mind. Sabie,

already grown up, in a cell whip marks on her face and

body, sobbing softly, begging for a drop of water,

dying from thirst… The crying came again, harder than

before. "I won't let them, Sab'… I won't… they ain't

taking ya there…" Rebecca balled on the floor in the

hall, sobbing quietly, her blouse damp with tears, and

didn't feel as the sleep claimed her.

###

6th of July, 6 days left

"So, how was the boarding school?"

Rebecca clenched

the fist in her pocket and force d a smile. "Not bad…

but you know, I didn't like it much. Too bright and…

no privacy for kids. Are there any ways to prevent

Sabie from getting in there?"

Garry thought for a

moment. "Actually I never thought about it. If the kid

doesn't have parents, it always goes into the

boarding-school. But if you want… no, I dunno what to

do."

Rebecca sighed. "Okay, Garry, thanks. Just… if

you come up with any ideas – call me immediately, okay?"

he nodded with surprised look.

"She's crazy about that

kid" he muttered as she left.

"No, there's no way to avoid her getting there" Lara

shook her head. "All kids go there, and Sabie isn't an

exception. Don't worry, she'll be okay there, you saw

those rooms, you even said you liked them." ~yeah, the

rooms were nice… the cells weren't though…~

"Sorry, but I don't think you can leave her here,

'Bec" dr. Warson stated. "You know how miserable the

budget of our center is, we're looking for any

possible ways to shorten the quantity of the patients

here – and you're asking me to leave an orphan

mutant kid. Think with your brains, 'Bec, not with

your… hmm… spinal cord."

###

7th of July, 5 days left

"So, you want the kid to avoid the FOH's boarding

school? May I ask why?"

Rebecca shifted uncomfortably

under layer's stare and mumbled "It's just that I want

her to be close to me. I work in the center, so if

there are ways of leaving her… I'd be grateful if you

tell me about them."

Mr. Parkinson thought for a

moment, then nodded. "I haven't met with such a case

yet, everyone always tries to get rid of homo superior

kids, but as for you… okay, I'll look for the

possibilities and call you this evening."

###

When the phone rang, Rebecca was ready to jump out

of her skin. "Yes?…" she questioned with shivering

voice. But it wasn't the lawyer, but dr. Warson, her

chief.

"You haven't been on duty today. What's wrong?"

he asked calmly.

Rebecca sighed. Yes, she had spent

the whole morning at the lawyer agency, and then she

was too nervous to go on duty, so she just visited

Sabie on her way back and went home.

"I felt sick this morning, so I'm afraid I'll have to take a day

off." ~come on, swallow that, I haven't passed on the

duties that much yet~

"Okay" the phone said "When will

ya get back to us?"

~yeah!~ "Dunno. Maybe in a week,

but I hope I'll be okay sooner."

"Well then. 'hope

you'll get better soon."

"Hope too". With that she

put the phone down and bit into her lip. What if she

had missed the lawyer's call?!… but no, it followed

just some minutes after.

"Ms. Rebecca?"

"Yes, Mr. Parkinson?"

"Remember you asked me about that homo

superior kid?" She nodded, but then realized he

couldn't see that, so she said

"Yes, sure I asked

you."

"There's one way I found. The kids with families

live with their families till the age of 21 without

the right to marry till they face the court. The same

is with the adopted kids." He paused.

Rebecca gagged.

"You mean you're proposing me to adopt her?…" her

voice trailed off.

"Yes. If you want her not to live

in FOH's boarding school, it's the only way. Still, as

I heard these schools aren't that bad, so you can

leave her…"

"Thanks, Mr. Parkinson." She was sick of

those "good schools" already.

"When may I contact you

about the official adopting?"

"Well…" he looked

through his notebook. "Will next Wednesday be okay?"

Rebecca counted for a moment. Sabie will be two days

in the boarding school already.

"Sorry but no. How

about tomorrow?" There was silence on the other side,

then a sighed followed.

"Okay then. Tomorrow 11:00am."

"Fine with me" Rebecca smiled. "Good bye"

"Good bye."

She put the phone down and jumped. "Yyyyes!

Yesyesyes!" she jumped across the room, realizing how

Funny it must be for a thirty year old woman to be jumping like a

madman.

Suddenly she stopped. Adoption. Of the mutant

kid. With all troubles it provides… not knowing that

everything is all right with the kid or not… living in a

steady danger of her powers' manifesting… who knows

what gifts the girl carries? Pyrokinesis?

Telepathy? Those eye beams? Hypnotizing ability?

Moving through objects?

Rebecca swallowed. Whatever it

was, no one knew what could happen. Even now, in

barely a month, Sabie was showing weird behavior,

evolving faster than any other kid. Every time Rebecca

neared her, she knew who was coming, even if she

didn't see her. She was weird. ~Are you ready to

settle her in your own house and live with her next 21

year?~ she questioned herself, and was ready to shake

her head, when the image of whipped kids stood in front

of her eyes. She took a deep breath. "Whatever".

###

8th of July, 4 days left

"Hello" Rebecca said as she sat in the comfortable

armchair in front of layer's wooden neatly polished

table.

"Hello, Ms. Sangerson." He smiled. "So you've

made a decision?"

"Yes. I want to adopt the kid."

"I'd like to

ask you some questions before I start. First, what

about the flat you live in? Remember, you'll be living

with a kid."

With a sigh, Rebecca put on the table a

pack of documents. "Here it goes: the three rooms

flat, normal salary, no family, etc, whatever you

need. I know how it goes, I also want you to know her

mother is insane and her father is dead, so I have all

rights to adopt her."

Mr. Parkinson rose his eyes

frowning "Her mother's insane? That may cause a

problem of the kid having psycho diseases, and…"

"No,

no, she went insane just after the kid's birth, so I'm

sure the kid is okay." Rebecca reassured quickly. He

rubbed his nose.

"Well then… I think the documents

will be ready in two days."

She smiled "Thanks"

###

9th of July, 3 days left

Rebecca was rocking the kid when the man entered the

room. She noticed the FOH signs on his sleeves and

chest. "Is the kid named Sabie here?" he asked.

Rebecca turned pale. "Yyes… but hey, are you going to

take her now?!"

He nodded "Why not? Dr. Warson asked

us to take the kid today, and I see nothing bad in it.

What do those two days matter?"

"Three days" Rebecca

corrected, and the man stepped back in surprise.

"You're counting?" he asked with his brows arched.

"I do" she answered simply. "I'll take care of this."

With that she stepped outside the room with the kid

purring in her arms.

###

"Dr. Warson, by what right do you let this man take

the kid three days earlier then the term?" she

questioned.

He blinked at her and the FOH member

behind her back. "I thought it doesn't matter when to

give her up. Three days there, three days here – who

cares?"

"I care" Rebecca stated firmly. Dr. Warson

chewed on his lips. "Remember I told you about the

lack of funds?"

"Remember the law?" she was determined

to win "A month old. A whole utter month. Not a

day earlier, you see?" He turned to her, evil light

playing in his eyes.

"I rule here, not you. You stop

me – and your carreer comes to an end." Rebecca's eyes

narrowed threateningly while her hands kept pressing

the kid to her chest.

"You give her away – and you'll

spend the rest of your life in a court. I promise

that." for a minute they just stared at each other,

and it only FOH member who threw glances at them, not

daring to stop their soundless fight. Then Dr. Warson

took a deep breath.

"Three more days. On Monday they

come and take her."

Rebecca's face lit with a smile

"Sure" she answered, rocking the kid.

###

10th of July, 2 days left

"So what about documents?" She asked. Mr. Parkinson

chewed at his lower lip.

"You see, I'm afraid I'll

have to delay the procedure, Ms. Sangerson, as…"

"WHAT?!!" He took a step back in sudden fear of

Rebecca's twisted face.

"I mean… you see, the

documents aren't ready yet, and it's Sunday tomorrow,

we don't work on Sunday, all I can promise is to have

them ready until Monday evening…"

"She'll be with

those FOH mutherfuckers by Monday!" Rebecca yelled,

and his eyes grew wide. She took a deep breath and

said. "I'll pay you double, but the documents shall be

ready by this evening. Do whatever you want, I don't

care, just do it. damn ya." She end up growling lowly,

and Mr. Parkinson gave her a nod.

"Okay, okay, I'll do

all I can do, they'll be ready by… hmm… I'll call

you when they'll be ready." Rebecca took a notebook

out of her pocket, wrote there something and tore the

page out.

"Here. It's my cell phone. As soon as you're

ready, you call me." He gave her a nod, and she walked

out.

###

"Like the view?" Lara asked, standing by the window.

It was already dark outside, and only the lights

outside lighted the landscape.

"Nope, but she does"

Rebecca motioned on the kid in her arms. Sabie was

staring outside with visible interest and occasionally

banging her small palm onto the window glass. "Still

can't get used to the idea she won't be living here?"

Lara pulled her friend closer.

"Come on, the life

doesn't end up with her getting into that

boarding-sch…" Rebecca spun around and pinned her with

killing stare.

"You say that again – you learn to

fly." Lara took a step back, circling a finger near

her temple.

"Ya'r crazy, 'Bec…"

"Let it be then." With

that she turned back to the window, letting Sabie

press her nose to the glass.

"Insane bitch…" Lara

mouthed as she paced away along the corridor. 'Can't

even take the offered help well… fuck…"

###

It was 10:34 when her phone rang. Rebecca carefully

put the kid into the bed and took the phone. "Yes, Mr.

Parkinson?" The voice on the other end sounded tired.

"Everything's ready. Just for you to sign."

"Thanks.

I'm coming right now." She got her cell phone back on

her waistband and paced to the administrator. "I'll be

back in half a hour, okay?" The woman made a face.

"You know, girl, I'm waiting here for god knows what

for two hours already. I should have been home at nine

o'clock, but here I am. So I put it like this: you go

– I go too. Clear?" Rebecca blinked. "But… it's just

half an hour, thirty minutes only…"

"It's far too late

for anything you have in mind, besides it's Saturday,

and I ain't gonna stay here a minute longer." Rebecca

sighed.

"Okay. I'll stay here with you." She smiled her

best smile she could effort.

The woman sighed. "Okay.

I stay, if you buy me coffee."

"Sure" Rebecca smiled

even wider and ran into the kitchen, taking the phone

on her way. "Mr. Parkinson?"

"Yeah?…" the voice on the

other side was sleepy. "You've gotta come here to

the Valentine's Medical Center."

There was a pause,

then an answer followed. "Wha… okay, but is it that

serious? Can't we delay?…"

"No. One last time. It's

very important, ever so important."

"Yeah?…"

She

sighed. "You come here, and I promise you to end this

all up right here and now." Another pause.

"Okay. I'll

be there in fifteen minutes."

###

"Are you sure your lawyer's gonna come?" The

administrator asked.

"Sure he will, Mrs. Longlife"

Rebecca poured the coffee into the mug. "You can't

even imagine how important it is for me, I'm so

grateful you're so kind to stay here and…"

"Okay, let

it be, girl. I'm here, and I ain't going anywhere till

your damn lawyer comes with whatever he's gonna come

with."

It was eleven already when Mr. Parkinson came in.

Rebecca leaped to him and grabbed his hand, pulling

him to the table. "Here they are" he pulled out the set

of documents, and Rebecca went on putting her

signature on the papers under the frowning look of the

administrator woman.

"So… here they are" Rebecca handed her the documents.

The woman looked through them and rose her eyes.

"You're adopting Sabie?!" Rebecca nodded. The woman

smiled. "Good. I never wanted her to get into that FOH

school or whatever they have. It's always better to

live in a family." With that she took the file and

looked through it, then another one. Soon she gathered

a pack of documents, accompanied by the birth card.

"Sign here, 'Bec" she pointed at the sheet, and Rebecca

put her small signature there. The woman smiled. "Here

we are" with that she handed Rebecca a small file of

documents. "Sabie is your official daughter from now

on." She felt her knees getting weak. It was done. She

had won. She had saved the kid from those monsters…

and got a family. Now she had a family. On the weak

buckling legs she paced to the infirmary and walked

in. The kid was in her bed, her eyes shining slightly

in darkness. "We did it, girl" Rebecca whispered in

the dark air of the room.

###

12th of July, 0 days left

"Yes?" Dr. Warson rose his eyes at the knock in his

door. The familiar man in FOH's uniform went in.

"Where's the kid we came for?" Doctor frowned.

"Isn't

she in place?…hmm…" he lowered his head muttering

"damn Rebecca", took the phone, linking with the

admin. "Did Ms. Sangerson take the kid named Sabie

from the infirmary?"

"Yes she did." The answer came.

He was close to growling.

"Then why the hell didn't

you stop her?!!"

The admin's voice was calm. " She has

the right to take the kid wherever she wants."

"Wha…?!!… how come?!"

"She had adopted the cub"

"When?!"

"On Saturday evening she brought all the

documents and signed them in the presence of the

lawyer." Dr. Warson took a deep breath and put the

phone down.

"So what about the kid?" the man

questioned.

He sighed "The kid has a family from now

on." The man blinked. "You've got nothing to do here

then." Doctor pushed. The man chewed on his lip, but

due to the lack of arguments he had to leave. Dr.

Warson turned his armchair to look through the window

onto the rainy clouds. "Bitch." He muttered. "But damn

clever one."

She's sleeping, you see, she fell asleep

And there's no right to wake her till the morning comes

The dark night had balled her up and helped her to close her eyes

She'll wake up when the sun will rise, when the birds will get in the blue sky

Don't wake her up, I beg you, my friend, so I won't have to kill you up.

It's good that she still doesn't know how much blood turned into water

And how many souls fly into the sky after far too short life in their bodies

And how much tears will the sky pour, taking the dampness from people's eyes

That the strength holds on the weakness, and those who's weak

Have no chance to survive.

I gotta save her, at least cover her with my weak body

So the sticky hands of ugly fear won't touch her tiny shoulders

Let her sleep while she has time, and let her dream about the sea and the rain

And please, ask her to forgive me when I steal her sorrow and pain

I'll be dying

Breaking hearts

But if I kill

1.1 I go to the end

For every pain ya inflict on her, for every hair that

falls from her head

I'll rub the salt into ya'r wounds and tear ya'r guts

out with a blunt knife

And let her sleep for nor, you better don't wake her up

The world's gonna shock and scare her if her eyes will be opened by love

I'll be dying

Breaking hearts

But if I kill

I go to the end.

("Tenderness", Dolphin, translated from Russian by

Sabie)