A/N: A Youtube video about the Coney Island incubators that saved many premature babies was in my recommended views once given my love of trivia. Being premature explains Molly's size (especially small in the 2012 musical, where she fits in a drawer). It's not certain she was, but it is a fascinating story and plausible Pepper would know about the incubators or a worker would have told the girls. Of course, if she's a normal size, Pepper would talk like you'll see, anyway. Of course, her age matters, she has to be 12 (she is in the musical & '99 movie, she's only older in stuff I've said she likely writes & includes herself later.) Even if she's about to turn 13, she could have possibly been on the street a while, and come to the orphanage at 6 or so yet have seen the incubators in '27. She would at least think she could have seen Molly, as days run together.
Chapter 4 – Sworn to Protect
Getting back to the story, Annie spoke. "Molly was pretty scared. I was good at knowing how much time had passed. I thought I'd at least miss lunch. But, I heard Miss Hannigan unlock the cellar door after an hour or so. I was really stunned…"
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Annie looked oddly at Miss Hannigan as the headmistress appeared at the top of the steps. "Miss Hannigan?" she asked as she walked up the steps after being signaled to come upstairs.
"Annie. Guess what? You're getting some time off. I got a job for you."
Annie reached the landing and noticed Miss Hannigan had a wooden spoon as she shut the door. "You want me to cook something?"
"Yes, you can use it to warm some bad little orphan behind!" Miss Hannigan said as she thrust the spoon into Annie's hand. "Your little Molly broke something and lied and said Kate did it. Kate and Tessie were cleaning way over on the other side of the orphanage."
Miss Hannigan had washed the girls' mouths out with soap, but she wanted to see Annie's reaction to this. She grinned as concern, shock, horror, and several other emotions flooded Annie's face, and Annie's mouth stood agape for a second.
Annie breathed deeply. Despite the difficult nature of what she'd just been told, it sounded like Miss Hannigan might let her handle it. She had to be grateful for that. She tried to smile, but she still sounded downcast. Then again, maybe that's what Miss Hannigan wanted. "Yes, Miss Hannigan. Can I wash her mouth out with soap instead? I remember you doing that."
"Do whatever you want, just make sure she feels just how bad lying is." Miss Hannigan smirked. "I so wanted to shove that into your hand to see the look on your face. And it was lovely. After all you put me through running away. I brought that rotten orphan in to keep you from leaving! And, the way you act like she's yours, it'll serve you right to have an orphan just like you."
"Yes, Miss Hannigan." Annie didn't feel like saying she wasn't an orphan now; as she thought about it, it could mean just a similar personality, anyway. She figured she could get around the dangers by just having Molly's tongue touch the soap, but could it be better if… boy, this wasn't easy. "Where is she now?"
"July took her back to your dorm area. She's right. I don't want to deal with you rotten orphans if I don't have to. And, Pepper's right that you've got such a mouth on you, and you stick up for her so much, it serves you right that you're the one to have to punish her for lying!"
"Pepper…?" How did she figure into it?
"Pepper told me it'd drive you up the wall to have to do this. I don't care what you do to her, wash her mouth out, spank her with or without that, just make sure she learns her lesson," Miss Hannigan said as she rubbed her hands and gazed at Annie's still very troubled look before walking away. For once, Miss Hannigan had truly doused Annie's spirits. She enjoyed seeing Annie driven crazy by this – just like she knew threatening them could be worse than ever doing things, since they'd never know what was coming.
Annie breathed deeply and became resolute as she walked toward the entrance to their dorm area. She didn't know what to say to Pepper as she saw the others gathered. Annie had promised to always help Molly. Sure, July was a mother figure for her, she was also more like a mother to Annie – at least she tried to be. But Molly was perhaps Annie's best friend there, too. What would this do to their friendship? And, Miss Hannigan had made it sound like Pepper had said Annie would be really harsh.
"Pepper, make yourself useful and bring a bar of soap. While I decide what to do," she finished lowly, slightly snapping at Pepper. Pepper left.
"And a wet washcloth," Duffy called after Pepper. She turned to Annie. "When Miss Kathy did that, she said it had to be a last resort and you have to rinse the tongue off good, too."
Annie stood and thought for a moment. She had to make some hard choices – but maybe Miss Hannigan wanted her to struggle. It was still better for Annie to be handling this, though. Anything would be better than Miss Hannigan handling just about anything, in fact.
Maybe Pepper knew this.
Annie knew one thing for sure. She laid the wooden spoon down on the floor. "I don't need this to make it sting good if I have to," Annie said, dreading using either punishment, but also gaining confidence that she could help Molly see she cared.
"Oh, my goodness," Tessie said, "is that what you're gonna do? Can't you make it sting just a little instead? Wait, but you asked for the soap."
"I could do it less, sure. And, I remember Miss Hannigan shoving the soap in like that; I'd be gentler than that. I don't know what I'll do yet. I have to ask her something first," Annie said as she developed a plan.
"And, then will you know?" Kate asked sadly.
Annie sighed. Miss Hannigan liked to scare the girls more than anything, but also Molly followed the others' advice so closely. "I'll see. Thanks, Pepper." She took the soap and washcloth and sat them on the bed beside her as she sat beside July, who was holding Molly. "Get out. I want it to be just us three."
"Molly's scared. I tried to help her see you won't be like Miss Hannigan," July said.
"I know," Annie said with what – even to July – seemed surprising confidence. She stood Molly in front of her, with the little girl gazing nervously up at her. "Molly, you understand your lying was very bad, don't you?" Molly nodded. "Now, I have a question. Do you feel bad just because you got caught?" Annie said in a very angry, hushed whisper, with a stony glare. Then, in a much friendlier but still somewhat firm way, with her voice a normal tone, she asked, "Or do you feel bad that you told a lie?"
"That I told a lie." Molly sniffled.
Watching from a distance, Pepper cracked to Duffy, "I told July I trusted Annie. Annie rigged that question so much with her tone, Molly's doll would have known the right answer."
"All right. Now, I don't want to hurt you, but I know this soap is really, really yucky. So, let me ask: Would you rather it be yucky up here, or sting down here," she said, pointing with each.
July rescued Annie from trying to figure out Molly's silence. "It's a tough choice, isn't it, Molly? You don't like either one. That's why we make decisions for you. And, why we always tell the truth, so you can trust us. Understand?"
Annie knew July knew she really couldn't stand hurting Molly if she didn't have to. The question had eliminated any thought of making it sting a lot, though she'd have figured out a reason for it to only have to sting a little, anyway. She decided to use the soap so she wouldn't hit her, period. She held it up to Molly's mouth. "I know this is rough. I know I'm not your mom. But, I'm gonna try to be just as loving and punish you just like your mom would have."
"Okay." Molly sniffled and began to turn very slowly.
"Molly, what are you doing?" Annie asked.
Molly turned her head to look at her. "You said you're gonna be like my mama, Annie. My mama never washed my mouth out. But she spanked me a couple times when I was real bad." She looked back down. "I'm glad you're not Miss Hannigan. You take care of me."
Annie was awestruck at how Molly trusted her. She didn't realize part of it was just how literal she was yet at that age in interpreting that Annie would be just like her mom. Part was her intense trust, too, though.
She put the soap down and hugged Molly. She could have gotten by with a light slap, but she wanted to reward Molly now. July's knowing smile said the same thing. "Now I'm sure I won't spank you. You know why?" She didn't. "Because you told the truth." After their hug, Annie spoke decisively. "We still need to take care of the lie you told." She picked up the soap again.
Molly opened her mouth quickly; she'd become tough there, thanks to her friend Annie and the mothering July, and knew she could handle it. It was still really awful, though. She grimaced as Annie pressed the bar down on her tongue and swiped a bit. "Yeeeeechhhh," the little girl said as Annie mentioned how yucky lies were. July did the same thing, drawing a similar reaction.
"All right, let's rinse it off," Annie said as she picked up the washcloth, with Molly's face still all scrunched up as she got all the soap off.
Miss Hannigan didn't help matters when she stepped partway into their dorm area and said, "Those lies are really yucky, aren't they?" in a much harsher tone than Annie had used.
Feeling the wet washcloth as the girls wiped her tongue so none of the soap would get swallowed didn't feel a lot better. Once they were done, Molly got into July's lap and buried her head in July's chest, clearly trying not to burst out crying but weeping a little.
"Well, that's over," Annie whispered. She turned to Molly and put a hand on her back. "You know I love you, right?" All she could do was nod. "I only did that because I want you to know how bad lying is. And, if I hadn't July would have. Because you're right. Anything we do is better than Miss Hannigan doing it." Molly nodded slightly and let Annie take her into her arms.
Miss Hannigan stood in front of them after another moment. "Now I'll bet you'll say 'I love you, Miss Hannigan' and mean it. Because I let them punish you. It'll make you tell the truth, right?"
Molly nodded. "I'm sorry, Miss Hannigan," Molly said as she finally drew up the courage to look up.
"What's the one thing I always teach you?"
"Never tell a lie."
"Right, now you remember that and don't let me catch you lying again." Miss Hannigan sneered at Annie. "Or Annie will be twice as harsh as this time. She knows I'd have shoved that soap right into your mouth if I'd punished you." The joy of seeing Annie's face overwhelmed any interest in handling it herself.
"We won't have any more problems with lying, will we, Molly?" Molly shook her head vehemently at July's question.
Pepper walked up next to Miss Hannigan. "I told you it'd drive Annie up the wall. You should have seen the look on Annie's face when she pressed that soap down; I thought she was gonna start crying. You should let them punish Molly anytime she needs it, even when she's older."
"We still need to talk for a minute or two," Annie said, not sure what Pepper was doing.
"We know you didn't mean to break that. I-" July saw Miss Hannigan leaving. "Miss Hannigan, what would you have done if she'd told the truth? Made her scrub the whole floor?"
"Right; after lunch. The rest of you, get it ready," she commanded. "Why do I have to have orphans here? Why can't I just run the orphanage without them?' she asked as she walked away.
Annie pointed out, "You trusted us, right?" Molly nodded as she let Annie cuddle her. "We need you to tell the truth all the time so we can trust you."
Molly said she would. They discussed a few more things, including how good Molly felt about telling the truth.
"Now that that's over, with noone else here …that address I gave you?" Annie asked. July said she'd hidden it where she knew where it was. "Good. They know Miss Hannigan, and talked to Miss Kathy. They watch out for us, and make sure Miss Hannigan doesn't get too nasty. There's things they look for. Molly, we don't expect you to understand, but July will." July nodded. "If we lie other times, they won't trust us if we have to tell the truth about something big."
They talked a little more, then they all went into the kitchen for lunch when called.
Pepper put a cheese sandwich in front of Molly and patted her on the head. "Hey, Molly. Remember I said I can pick on you, but nobody else can? I made sure nobody else did." Molly was a bit young yet to understand fully, but said "thanks" on instinct.
July and Annie each looked at Pepper with great respect. July spoke next. "Yeah, thanks, Pepper. I still say Miss Hannigan would have let me punish her. She has before. But, good job."
"Thanks, Pepper. You're really crazy. But, really clever," Annie said with thankfulness and great pride. Miss Hannigan had enjoyed seeing Annie so rattled. In some ways, Pepper's plan – while crazy – had also been quite sensible. She even seemed to have known, or guessed, what Annie had learned from this. Molly's trust in her – and July – would last. Pepper may have actually helped in some odd way. "What you did getting me out to help is the most insane thing I could have imagined. I love you." Annie got up and they hugged. They clashed sometimes since they were so different, but she knew one thing was for certain. "I'm glad we have you to help us."
"Don't mention it, kid," Pepper said, trying not to get emotional. She didn't want to let it show how she cared about Molly. Yet inside, Pepper beamed with pride. She knew she could do things, even if she doubted herself and felt she wasn't on Annie's level with a lot of things, not just the fact Annie supposedly had parents. Indeed, Annie herself was proud of her for this.
"You learned your lesson, right?" Miss Hannigan asked Molly as she scrubbed that afternoon with Annie – who was let out of her punishment. Molly had fallen asleep and napped earlier.
"I'll never tell another lie," Molly promised. She kept her promise.
"Good. And now you'll be able to sing your L song and know what it means," she cracked.
Molly sang as Miss Hannigan left to get some "medicine." "Yes. 'The word love starts with L, the word love stars with L. Here are-" Molly turned to Annie. She'd wanted to show off her memory skills; they rhymed the word "lullaby" in the last lines with "'L' helps you say the word, but never tell a lie." "She doesn't want to hear it."
"She never cares about that; we told you your first day here. That's why it's so important we do. Right, Pepper?" Annie asked as they spotted her and Duffy peeling potatoes. Pepper agreed.
Once they were done scrubbing, Annie came to help with the donated food; Molly sat beside Kate and looked at a picture book someone had given them. July and Tessie entered to help wash fruit they had been given.
Pepper abruptly left her spot and sat between the little girls on the floor. "Hey, July asked me to explain something. I wanted to wait till you were here, too, Molly."
"Explain what?" Kate asked.
"When I yelled at you for wanting me to go with you down the fire escape. It's not just to protect you from fire. I've seen violent drunks on the street. Now, I don't think Miss Hannigan would ever get that way. She hasn't yet. But, you especially, Molly …" Pepper blinked. "I don't know if you were in that incubator on Coney Island where they keep premature babies. Days blur together so much I'd have to see when I came and when you were born, but if you were in one of them incubators, I might have seen you the last time I snuck in there."
July and Annie cast curious glances at each other. They'd heard of those from Miss Kathy, but had never considered that Molly might have been premature.
"I've seen violent drunks make mincemeat out of people bigger than them. You especially are such a runt, Molly," Pepper said not to tease, but as if it were a simple fact like a math problem. "You'd never make it. If she would ever look ready to really pound anyone while drunk, or you runts when sober, if July or the others can't stop her, and I can't stop her another way, I'm gonna yell fire drill. I go last, remember?" The youngest two nodded. "I'm gonna stay back till you're all safe. If I have to, I'll fight as best as I can. It'll be your job to get me help." She looked up. "I got a feeling Annie's figured out where to take you, she's snuck out so much. And we've all seen Mr. Bundles and others glance at us or ask little questions, and Miss Hannigan doesn't mind. I think she knows not to do it. It probably won't happen." Back at the youngest girls, she said: "I don't show my feelings like July. But she told me to explain, and you need to listen to her. Miss Kathy and others taught me to think of others. I can't be like July, but this is something I can do in this awful dump. So, if I yell at you, or tell you to shut up, or push you a little, you listen to me. In case I ever have to yell for you to get away so I can save you."
Duffy whispered to July. "She may not have your mothering instinct, but she's got something, just like the rest of us girls." July nodded.
Tessie seemed to have Pepper's words slowly dawn on her. "Oh, my goodness. You'd stay here if- oh, my goodness!" July put an arm around her and reassured her that it would probably never have to happen. And, it wouldn't.
Molly and Kate gave Pepper a big hug. Pepper hugged them, too, but also said: "Aw, come on, I didn't want to get like this." She recalled being stunned by the idea of those tiny babies. Even without that, she knew her strength - she might push the little ones, but she'd only ever get in actual fights with Duffy or July. She knew little ones needed protection. Once the hug was over, Pepper stood and got everyone's mind off what she'd said. The awkward silence was driving her crazy. "Let's all do that song you're so proud of me for from Molly's first night."
Pepper beamed as she returned to the sink. Before Molly had come, the "M" song had rhymed "'make" with the last lines, which said "Miss, Missus, Mister, too are names that people take."
Now, Pepper led them as they sang. "The word me starts with M, the word me starts with M. Here are some other words that start with letter M. Man and mouse and mail, marble, March, and May. Now we've got Molly, too, we love her all the way," the girls sang. And they kept singing until Pepper made sure she wouldn't get emotional. She'd been tough, but seeing those babies the size of her hand in that Coney Island exhibit, among other things, had touched her.
"Quite a day, huh?" July whispered that evening after singing to Kate. She picked Molly up from where she sat beside Annie and cradled the little girl as she sat back down beside Annie.
"Yeah. Molly's had more questions. Especially since Miss Hannigan announced that she gave me my own wooden spoon. But I'd only use a hand, like Miss Kathy and you," Annie said. She knew what Miss Hannigan had done had really just been to shock Annie.
"And my mama, Annie," Molly said sleepily.
"Right, Molly. Miss Hannigan just did that to bug Annie, not for you. Don't feel like Miss Hannigan expects bad behavior. The important thing is, we expect you to be good because we know you can be," July said. Molly promised to be "gooder than good." "She just likes to scare people." July chuckled. "Sometimes you have to be glad she lets us handle you and Kate for now. Like when you play in the laundry; all she ever says is for us to get you out. We hadn't accepted an orphan for a few years before you, and you were just to keep Annie in line. But, I'm glad you're here. And, I'm glad you're here for Molly, Annie. And, I know she's glad to have her Annie. Aren't you?" July asked.
Molly agreed wholeheartedly. It felt like her first days there after the day's events; clinging to July and Annie, asking all kinds of questions, and sensing that they cared and knew how to live with Miss Hannigan: Line up when she whistled; say "I love you" for no reason – Molly was starting to appreciate how Miss Hannigan let July and Annie handle things. She'd appreciate it more if Miss Hannigan weren't so scary.
"Right. I'll find my parents sometime. July's always here for you, but I try to be, too. I'm sorry we're not your mom. But we try," Annie said. "And we'll get better. And things here could get better, too. And they will, someday. We love having you here. And if I ever did have to spank you, we'd hug so much afterward, 'cause I know it'd be rough on you."
"Wow, Annie. That's just like my mama, too," Molly said as they embraced.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
"I snuck out more, but not as often," Annie finished back in the present. "And, not again for months after I did here. Molly really did keep to her promise, too."
Hattie turned and shared a tender hug with Molly. "I'm glad we can all be there for you, Hattie," Molly repeated.
"I'm glad you and Miss Duffy and everyone hug me so much like your mom," Hattie whispered so only Molly could hear. She knew Molly would know what times she meant. It had only happened a few times, but Hattie had been extremely naughty then.
But, while Molly – who prided herself on being good – had been stunned by Hattie's mischief, she never lost sight of the girl's need for love. The others had always kept that in mind, too. "I am, too. No matter what, all of us here will always love you," Molly whispered back.
"Maybe I'm just playing Dick Tracy. You know how we love him over in the boys' home," Jacob said during the lull. "But could she have drawn attention away from the sweatshop with her threats? If a doctor coming to see them saw signs, or Bundles, or the others you said, they might look further and learn about the sweatshop. But, if everyone always said, 'Oh, she's a drunk but she doesn't abuse them, she just says that stuff, we never see signs,' they'd be more likely to think anything else is false, too."
"I'm not sure she was smart enough to plan those threats as a way to distract from the sweatshop. But I'm sure she took advantage of the fact people looked twice because she was a drunk to say, 'See, no problems. Ask the girls.' We'd never tell a lie – but we only got asked about that stuff, never about how much we sewed," Annie said. Nor did they get asked if she was nice, Annie mused, as Miss Hannigan had asked her to do at the end. Their questions were always along the liens of Boris', about whether specific things happened.
"Sure. I remember being asked once or twice. Everyone looked for one thing to make sure it wasn't there. So, they skipped the other. I remember the doctor coming one time specifically. I think I was nervous I needed my tonsils out, but I didn't," Tessie said. "Miss Hannigan bragged to him about how much we were learning like she taught us; she asked us to do some songs or multiplication tables or something; random so they'd know it wasn't scripted. So, yeah, she showed off so folks would look and say, 'Okay, she violates Prohibition, and maybe the smartest kids teach or cook sometimes. But, they look safe, they aren't too scared, they're learning even if they don't have shoes so they don't go to school.' And she could claim any fabric was from the grown-ups sewing in the old boys annex or even us making our clothes. Why should they ask, if the bigger stuff checked out?"
Katherine looked at her watch. "Almost bedtime, Hattie." Jacob said he should get back, too.
"That's nice Pepper loved helping. Just like I help Duffy feel better when she's sad John got hurt in the war," Hattie said as she turned and sat.
"Right. But, the good things didn't mean we had to accept the bad. Pepper needed help so she wouldn't be a bully. Just like you need to behave better," Katherine said.
"Even when she had problems, we knew we could count on Pepper. And, that's how we want to be with you," Annie said.
"See, we survived because we trusted each other. And, we knew we loved each other, even if Miss Hannigan didn't," Molly told Hattie somewhat emphatically.
"And, you know we love you, right?" Duffy asked.
"Yeah. I want you all to trust me," Hattie said as she climbed into Duffy's lap for a cuddle now.
Katherine suggested that Hattie – and Nancy – think about what they can do if they feel like they need that extra attention. "Come talk to one of us. Talk about your feelings. And, remind yourself that you're loved. What are some things we do that make you feel loved?" They discussed ideas that would help the girls.
They worked on that for a couple months. By December, the lying problem had stopped, and Hattie and Nancy were out of that habit for good.
