Chapter 8

Daniel slept solidly waking up at 0600 and going for his normal run, returning home he showered grabbing the items from Barbara's list and headed out to the hospital, curious as to what his house would look like when he got home. Arriving at the hospital he decided not to tell his wife about the home invasion and let her be just as surprised as the children.

At the hospital everyone was just waking up, Zona was again in Timmy's bed, not that he seemed to mind.

"Hello everyone, what do you want for breakfast?" Daniel asked

"Doughnuts" Zona whispered, they'd had doughnuts yesterday and they were her favourite food she had tasted so far, even if they weren't hot. Timmy nodded his agreement; doughnuts were really nice.

Daniel looked at Barbara who shrugged, if they wanted doughnuts who were they to refuse,

"Okay, but only today. Doughnuts are normally a special treat and not an everyday food" Barbara explained,

"When I'm older I'm going to eat doughnuts everyday" Zona announced. Barbara lent over,

"Then you'll be very fat" she joked carefully tickling the little girl's side.

With the order of doughnuts Daniel set off to the canteen, although Zona had ordered doughnuts he also got muffins, porridge and cereal on his tray determined to introduce his new daughter to more than just doughnuts for breakfast. Plus, he knew neither he nor Barbara wanted the sugary snack to start the day off with. Back in the room he handed out the 2 strawberry doughnuts to the children with a glass of milk.

"I also want you to try either the porridge which is hot with fruit and syrup in, or the cereal first" he said, both children nodded finding it strange they were being asked to eat more food but agreeing to try. After eating the doughnut quickly in case either adult changed their mind, Zona turned to the porridge poking it with the spoon. The smallest possible amount went onto her spoon and her pink tongue came out and licked it. The spoon went back in, and a slightly larger amount went on it and into her mouth, then a little more.

Timmy meanwhile had the cereal bowl and was looking sceptically at the different coloured loops floating. Carefully he got the blue loop on his spoon before swallowing it. Like Zona his spoon went straight back in.

"Zona the cereal is safe" he whispered

"So is the porridge" Zona replied. The siblings then swapped bowls, taking a taste of the others. They had just finished breakfast when Doctor Mabel came in with the ward round.

"How was breakfast guys?" she asked, seeing so many people Zona immediately pulled up the covers hiding underneath, Timmy on the other hand sat up, his hands forming fists ready to fight anyone brave enough to come close to his sister.

"Easy, I know it's scary, there are a lot of people here" Mabel held her hands up taking a step back. "And some of them are going to leave, Gavin, Freda, Leon, please step outside she ordered. They obeyed leaving immediately, which meant only Mabel and another female Doctor were present from the medical team.

"Timmy, Zona this is my friend Rita," Mabel introduced, Timmy relaxed slightly, but Zona stayed firmly hidden under the covers of her bed. She had learnt that attention meant pain and last time she looked there was a lot of people,

"Hello" Rita spoke,

"This is Barbara and Daniel they're the foster parents, Rita is our child psychologist" Mabel explained. They both nodded politely, more concerned about the children.

"It's a shame Zona isn't here" Rita said dipping into the pocket of her lab coat. "I have a really cool magic trick do you want to see Timmy?" she asked as she got out a red ball, and made it disappear between her 2 hands. "Oops you have one behind your ear" she carefully and slowly reached towards him, pulling out a huge ball the size of a tennis ball from behind his ear.

"Woah" he said amazed,

The bed cover moved, suddenly a little girl appeared, curious, her face peeking out from under the covers.

"Hello Zona, do you like magic?" Rita asked making the big ball disappear and reappear from behind Daniel's ear. The little girl's mouth dropped open, both kids looking stunned

"That's not possible" Timmy muttered. "Do it again" he demanded his crystal-clear blue eyes following every move she made. Rita did the same trick again and again, both children remained entertained, as Mabel indicated for Barbara and Daniel to step out.

"Rita is one of the best psychologists on staff" she explained. "She asked me to get you to step out once they appeared comfortable, but I wanted to catch up with you both, how is it going?"

Barbara and Daniel exchanged looks shrugging, it had been 24 hours since the kids had been found and, in that time, they had had no time to process their emotions.

"They trust us," Daniel said, "But I'm worried how dependent they are on each other. I hope once they know they are safe that will reduce"

"They are eating better, they both let me help bathe them yesterday and Daniel read them a story" Barbara added.

"That's good they are trusting you; I'd like to keep them here today but if they are still okay tomorrow, I think you should be able to take them home" Mabel offered. Barbara and Daniel grinned at that, they really wanted to get the kids settled into a routine that wasn't in a hospital, where they could both sleep in a bed.

Back in the room Timmy was trying to make a ball appear out of Zona's ear, his hands were clumsy and nowhere near as good as Rita's, but it still made the small girl giggle.

Look, I can do magic" Timmy exclaimed, showing off his new talent making the ball disappear and appear again, Rita clapped.

"Zona, do you want to try?" Rita asked, Zona shook her head no, she was quite happy watching Timmy safely on the other side of her brother from the stranger. "What about colouring, I have some really pretty sparkle pens" Rita offered, Zona's open eye sparkled as she peeked out from behind her brother. "I like the pink sparkly one the best" she held it out. Zona edged forwards on the bed taking the pen, "Would you like the princess colouring or I have horses?" Rita asked,

"Princess please" Zona whispered shyly. Rita approached slowly placing the princess colouring in front of her on the table. Zona struggled to hold the pen in her bandaged hand but start on the pink of the dress. As she coloured Rita gave Timmy colouring too, he picked the horses. This first session was about gaining the children's trust.

"Can I have the green crayon please?" Zona asked,

"Of course, what are you colouring green?" Rita questioned,

"The princess's hair"

"Princesses don't have green hair" Timmy criticised.

"Can too"

"Can not"

"Can too" the siblings argued.

"Why can't princesses have green hair Timmy?" Rita asked calmly,

"Because nobody has green hair" Timmy replied confused, "It's not normal"

"And what's wrong with it not being normal, people can dye their hair lots of colours" Rita pointed out.

"Daddy doesn't like it when we aren't normal," Timmy replied sadly. Zona looked scared stopping her green scribbles dropping the crayon as if she had been burnt.

"And what happens when you do something daddy doesn't like?" Rita asked casually, Timmy and Zona exchanged worried looks, it was a secret, daddy didn't like them talking about it. "Is that how you got hurt?" she asked more directly, Zona shook her head no,

"I was hungry" she told her, "And Timmy was sleeping"

"Zona, ssh, we can't tell anyone" Timmy told her covering her mouth. She licked his hand he withdrew it quickly. "Eww" he cried dramatically wiping his wet hand on the bed.

"What happens if you tell anyone?" Rita asked, picking the green pen up again encouraging Zona to continue to color.

"Daddy gets angry" Zona told her, scribbling green again, "he shouts a lot and then we get hits" She explained,

"Zona" Timmy shouted to stop his sister. "You can't tell daddy you know, please" he begged his blue eyes wide with fear. Zona was rubbish with secrets.

"We won't. In fact, your daddy will never hurt you again" Rita promised, "Grown up's aren't allowed to hit children it's really naughty" she explained. Zona whispered something to Timmy who sighed,

"I don't know" he replied louder. Rita patiently waited as Zona whispered something else to her brother.

"Zona wants to know if that rule counts if the children are naughty?"

"Even if children are really naughty adults aren't allowed to hit them" Rita replied firmly,

"What if they are selfish brats that killed their mammy?" Timmy asked without being prompted by Zona. After spending the last 4 years with daddy shouting that at Zona, both children were sure it was okay that they were hit. Zona for being born and Timmy for protecting her. Rita took a moment, the children looked so earnest that they deserved the beatings they had had.

"Neither of you killed your mammy, neither of you are selfish and neither of you are brats, and you both don't deserve to be hit. Your father was very naughty for doing that" She reassured them. Neither child looked to believe her but still it was a start.

"Thank you for keeping me company, can I come and see you tomorrow?" Rita asked,

"Will you bring the sparkle pens?" Zona asked,

"Of course, and a few new magic tricks too" Rita promised, both children nodding their agreement. Stepping outside the room she wasn't surprised to see Barbara and Daniel waiting with Mabel writing notes nearby.

"How are they?" Daniel asked directly. Rita sighed,

"They are starting to open up, Mabel I need to access Zona's medical records, especially with her birth. It turns out she has been blamed for her mother's death which was one of their father's excuses for hitting her."

Mabel opened Zona's file, it was thin with the only entries from the birth and the last week.

"There mother Annabelle Divers died after obstructive labour causing uterine rupture, the resulting blood loss was too much, and they couldn't get control"

"That wasn't her fault" Barbara objected, "She wasn't even born" Daniel placed a calming arm on her shoulder.

"None of us think that it's her fault," he advised calming her down, "Except that bastard that calls himself their father."

"Agreed, it's going to take some time to get them use to eating regularly, to not being hit at all" Rita's eyes met theirs, that statement more of a warning.

"We will never hit them" Daniel promised, "They are our kids, we already love them, and they haven't even come home yet" Barbara squeezed his hand,

"We are already speaking to a lawyer about adoption, assuming there is no other family" Barbara added, "It just feels right" Daniel nodded his agreement. They returned to their children spending the day reading books, colouring and introducing them to mousetrap. The family discovering Zona was just as competitive as Daniel while Timmy and Barbara preferred to sit back and watch the drama. Despite Daniel winning he allowed Zona to turn the wheel to release the trap.

"Again" Zona cried as soon as the mouse was caught. This time Timmy won and turned the wheel "Yay again" Zona ordered. They played 2 more times Zona winning one and Daniel another letting Timmy turn the wheel this time before they moved on with the games. Both adults were pleased to see the children become more comfortable with them as the day progressed. Even if they still called them Sir and nurse B. Both adults desperate to be called Mom and dad but knowing that was a long way off.

Evening came and again Daniel offered to go home to sleep knowing Barbara would rather stay. They both had the week off to settle the kids in. Barbara was then planning to reduce her hours to part time.

At home Daniel was amazed at how clean it was, his men had thought of everything, from the child friendly foods now stocked in the fridge to the books on their bookcase. Upstairs the smell of paint had faded and instead of 2 plain white guestroom there were. 2 children's bedrooms. Timmy's room was painted a pale blue with sharks painted on the walls. His bedspread had a large shark on it with smaller sharks on the matching curtains. A white desk lined the wall with a white wardrobe next door and a chest of drawers at the end of the bed. He opened the wardrobe finding a range of boy's clothes, the same in the drawers. In Zona's room the pink walls had a group of fairy's painted around the room, she had pale wooden furniture the same as Timmy's a desk a chest of drawers and a wardrobe full of girls clothes. As he passed the bathroom again, he noticed products for children lined the bath, with a pink and blue toothbrush inside and a range of bath toys. He smiled seeing the military boats, matching the GI joe in Timmy's room and little matchstick army men. His men had done him proud. Barbara was going to be gob smacked let alone the kids.