A petite woman with short brown hair walked briskly down the hall. What had the man said? "There's been an accident." She'd laughed at first. An accident. Impossible. Everyone she loved lived within minutes away. There couldn't be an accident. "A horrible horrible accident." He'd said. That wasn't true. But somehow.somehow she'd felt a tinge of fright. Dismissing the feeling, she's decided to come and see the body. Someone else's body. Nobody she knew. She'd come and tell him sorry no thank you, but she did not know that person laying on that bed and she would get back in her car and pick up Alma from day care. She checked the slip of paper. Room C223. A fat bald man was waiting for her. "Mary Anne Bruno I presume?" he said. She nodded. The man winced. "Right this way."

Raven Diaz peeked into the room. A bunch of kids were playing with dirty toys. Yuck. She pressed her body against the wall, hoping no one would notice her. "You!" said the lady with the pinched face. Raven didn't like her. Raven wished that the lady would call her by her name. But some people had found her in an empty apartment so they didn't worry about her name. "Go inside! They won't hurt you!" Raven frowned. She did not like this place. What was it called? The orbanige? She took a tentative step into the room, playing with the end of her long brown braid. The lady with the pinched face introduced her to twins and a girl who looked funny. The twins were Robby and Bobby and they'd pulled her hair. She didn't like them. "What are you in for?" Bobby had asked. Raven frowned. "My mommy went to heaven but she's coming right back." She said proudly. Robby frowned. "Stupid kid, your mommy's not coming back. Come on Bobby."

It couldn't be. But it was. Dawn was laying on the cold hard metal bed. A stuffed doll with no feelings, tossed on the floor. Mary Anne keeled. "Oh," she said softly. "Oh my God." The nurses caught her when she fell.

Moments later, the fat man came into the room where she was lying down. "I suppose you know her." He said sadly. Mary Anne nodded. "She's my sis- sister." He glanced at some papers. "Are you interested in the child?" Mary Anne suddenly felt weak. "What child?" The man wiped his forehead with a rag. "Raven Maureen Diaz, she looks to be around four years old." Four? But that was the same age as Alma. No, it was impossible. Dawn had looked really fat at Alma's christening but she hadn't dare say anything. Dawn was edgy then. Anything you said or did would result in a fierce tongue lashing. Dawn was sadder then. She wore foundation to cover up the scars from drugs and when Mary Anne had asked about the bandages on her arm she'd screamed. Mary Anne was no fool, she knew they were from shots of heroin. "Yes," Mary Anne said. "Yes I'm interested."