Chapter 16
Unaware of the chaos she was about to cause Zona left the nurses station to look at the fish, she knew they were on the ward somewhere. She just had to remember where.
She took a right slipping through the doors, inadvertinately leaving the ward. Zona tried to get back in, but the doors were locked. Knowing Nurse B would be angry having just told her to not wonder off Zona began searching for another entrance to the Peds ward. If she could get back before Nurse B noticed, then maybe she wouldn't get hurt so bad. The fact Nurse B might not hurt her didn't even cross her panicked mind. As she began running up the corridors finding only locked doors. Finally, she found someone in a white lab coat like Doctor Mabel and Doctor Edna wore and followed him through another locked door hoping it led to Nurse B and safety.
Truly lost now a loud alarm sounded overheard, scared by the noise Zona ducked into the nearest room that opened, intending to hide until it stopped. It was safer to hide, less chance of pain. She just needed to wait until Timmy came and he would, he always did, Timmy would find her, he'd make everything okay.
Inside the room there were lots of chairs and a large glass screen, Zona approached the glass as next to it was a cupboard that was just the right size to hide in. Her attention was instead drawn to the surgery that was taking place below. While most kids would be horrified by the gore below Zona was fascinated. So much so she didn't realise she had taken a seat or heard the door open behind her.
"My, the interns get younger and younger." A male voice made Zona jump a mile. A man had entered the room, he was wearing a white coat too. "What's your name?" he sat on the chair next to her. Zona debated whether to run or to talk to him deciding on the later. He was blocking the exit, instead she brought her knees up to her chest hiding slightly.
"Dr Arizona" she said, after all she had a stethoscope and a white coat.
"I'm Doctor Mike, chief of the hospital." He introduced himself. "Do you like surgery young lady?" he asked, Zona nodded, it looked really cool. "This is an appy," He explained, "One of the organs in your tummy sometimes gets angry, and that hurts the rest of the tummy, so they have to cut it out" he explained.
"My daddy got angry too," Zona told him solemnly. "And I had an angry in my tummy too" she lifted her shirt showing him more bruises and the dressing over her surgical wound.
"Wow, you're very brave Doctor Arizona" Mike praised, "now is there someone who came with you to the hospital today?" he asked, guessing this was the code pink that had his hospital on stand still.
"She'll be mad I was supposed to stay at the desk" Zona said shyly, wanting to stay and watch the rest.
"I'm sure she'll just be glad you are okay" Mike reassured. "Why did you leave the desk?" he asked curiously
"I wanted to see the fish and tell them about the fishes I saw at the zoo, cus they might be cousins." Zona explained. "Like the horses, there cousins are zebras. But this is much cooler"
"It is" Mike agreed. He stood going to the intercom.
"Trevor, Fiona we have an audience could you explain what you are doing for our newest intern please?" Mike asked the 2 Doctors operating. Hoping one of them would see the child and call Peds that way the code pink could be ended. He didn't want to do it himself in case he scared her off. He had no doubt she could run faster than he could.
"Sure, what's your name" Fiona asked seeing the child in the gallery, signalling a scrub nurse to call it through.
"Doctor Arizona" Zona told them, standing at the window fascinated, forgetting about her fear of Dr Mike.
"Well Doctor Arizona we have cut down to the poorly organ and have located it, you can see it here in our clamps. Now we have to stop the blood vessels around it, so we use a cauterising, err burning thing to stop it" Fiona explained, Zona stood listening fascinated watching as they burnt the vessels, and ligated the appendix.
"Now we take the bad organ out and stitch it closed so nothing bad leaks out" Fiona continued. Zona was so engrossed in the procedure she didn't notice the door open behind. Her attention only drawn away by Barbara calling her name as she ran across the observation room to hug her wayward child.
"Zona, oh baby, I was so worried, are you okay" Barbara asked hugging her tightly. Zona wiggled out of her grip trying to go back to watching the surgery.
"Look Nurse B they're removing the pendix" Zona explained,
"I can see Zona, what I don't know is why you are here and not where I asked you to wait?" Barbara asked sternly. Zona ducked her head down,
"I wanted to see the fishes," Zona pouted, "And I got lost and then the alarms went off and it was scary, but that's cool" she pointed at the surgery again, "Am I in trouble?" she asked her blue eyes tearing up.
"No sweetie," Barbara promised, in this case she wasn't angry at Zona, she was furious at the intern who was supposed to watch her, "But you can't wonder off again. It scared me a lot when I couldn't find you,"
"I'm sorry" Zona cried hugging Barbara tightly, "I'm sorry Dr Mabel," she apologised.
"It's okay but next time Dr Zona, you don't run away" Mabel told her sternly. Zona nodded looking so forlorn and sorry that Mabel gave in hugging her too.
"Now I believe we have fishes to see" Mike reminded her. Zona's eyes lit up,
"I can still see the fishes?" She asked excitedly, Mike nodded,
"Of course, how else will they know about their cousins" he told her grinning. While he was busy running a hospital the little girl had stolen his heart, especially knowing what she and her brother had been through. Now finding out she wanted to be a doctor when she was older and likely a surgeon, he was intrigued and could see a successful career in her future, she certainly seemed bright enough. Being 5-years-old she could change her mind but Mike had a feeling he was looking at the future of medicine.
At the fish tank Zona pressed her face to the glass talking to the fish,
"You have a live wire there" Mabel said smirking at Barbara both of them keeping their eyes firmly on the young blonde.
"I know, the problem is neither of them have had normal rules. The punishments haven't fitted the crimes. They haven't ever had to tell anyone where they are or what their plans are because nobody has ever cared." Barbara explained. "Timmy says their dad didn't even notice when they didn't come home for the night, and now we have to try and introduce rules and consequences." Barbara moaned; it was nice to have someone to vent to.
"How are they settling in?" Mabel asked.
"Timmy gets angry a lot, he tries to do everything still for Zona, like cutting up her food or speaking for her. We have him enrolled in karate trying to control his temper and develop that protective streak. Zona is the other way, we've nicknamed her the limpet she is always wanting to hug us, and if she isn't sleeping in the wardrobe she is cuddled into Timmy's bed."
"Give it time, it's only been 2 weeks since they got out, they trust you, they speak your praises to Edna" Mabel reassured. Barbara smiled appreciating the feedback.
"Right then doctor Zona, it's time to head home" Barbara ordered. Zona pouted she was having fun here.
"But we will see you and Timmy again in 2 weeks" Mabel promised. Zona grinned glad this wasn't goodbye hugging Doctor Mabel and shyly waving at Doctor Mike, before taking Nurse B's hand. Barbara wasn't going to let go anytime soon. She'd had enough of her ward disappearing in the hospital.
At home Barbara put on a Disney movie while they waited for Timmy to come home, Nick's mom had volunteered to drop him off.
He entered the room, Zona jumped off the sofa,
"Timmy, I got a new cast and I got to see a surgery" Zona told him excitedly. "They had to move the 'pendix cus they were being naughty"
"Sounds cool Zona" Timmy said,
"What about you? Young man, what did you get up to at school?" Barbara asked placing the afternoon snacks on the table. Today it was carrot sticks with dip,
"It was good, I got an A on my maths" he said proudly,
"You did? That's amazing, that deserves a place on the fridge" Barbara told him, Tim puffed up proudly as it went on the fridge next to the drawings.
"I'm going to be a doctor when I grow up" Zona told him, "Like Doctor Mabel, I want to help people and have special magic"
"That great, I'm going to be a solider like the Captain and save children from the baddies" Timmy said.
"Wow those are great choices," Barbara praised. "Timmy do you have any homework?" she asked, Timmy nodded going to his school bag pulling out his maths. "Do you need help?" Barbara asked,
"No this is easy," he said.
"Okay Zona lets practice your reading then" Barbara suggested, "Would you like to pick a book?" Zona nodded running off upstairs, "Now what are the chances she is going to choose a book about horses?" she asked Timmy,
"Pretty high nurse B, Zona really likes horses" Timmy replied solemnly looking up from his maths book.
"Nurse B I got the one about the horse with a hat on" Zona said running in waving a book Barbara winked at Timmy, sitting on the sofa, not surprised when Zona wiggled herself into her arms.
"Okay Zona what does this word say?"
"Horse" Zona replied straight away, she knew that word, she liked that word.
"That's right, I have 2 very smart children" Barbara praised, both children puffed up with pride, she carried on reading with Zona for a bit until noticing the time. She left Zona looking at the pictures checking over Timmy's homework pleased to see he only got 2 wrong. She went to tell him but found him on the sofa reading the rest of the book slowly to Zona, allowing her to say each word after him. Without either of them seeing she snapped a picture it was too cute to miss. With both kids occupied she set on making tea, tonight it was meatloaf.
Zona is safe, but more adventures await, I will introduce Callie at some point but it will be a few chapters away.
