A/N: Okay! Chapter 11! This took me a lot longer than I thought it would. I had a couple bad bouts of writer's block while writing this one. Echo got mad at me several times and played hide and go seek with my plot. You'll see one of the reasons in chapter twelve. After a month of waiting, without further ado, here's chapter 11. Read, Review, Enjoy. ~Kawaii Stella
Picking Up the Broken Glass
Kawaii Stella
Chapter Eleven
Catfight!
Judge Trudy had a good idea why Dr. Marbles was coming into the courthouse. Trudy knew that Marbles cared about her little assistant and had visited her every Sunday since that first time when Marbles had come looking to return a sketchbook.
That little girl was sweet and bright and was subject to hell at that orphanage, which was the reason Trudy had hired her. If her hunch was on the dot, Trudy would lose a good helper, though it would be for the best. Dr. Marbles was the best thing to happen to Echo since her arrival.
Dr. Marbles entered the courtroom and made his way towards Trudy's desk. The emotional strain was clear to see on the doctor's face. He had been through a very long day. However, despite the exhaustion, there was an air of fierce determination about him.
"I have a feeling I already know why you're here." Trudy said.
"I want to adopt Echo." Marbles declared.
"That's what I thought." Trudy said. She went over to a rather large filing cabinet and from the third of five drawers removed a thick manila folder.
"These," Trudy said as she laid the file on the desk. "are all of the files we have on her plus the adoption forms. The forms will take some time to fill out and then there will be a wait period as the paper work gets processed."
"How long will that take?" Marbles asked.
"Not too long. Just a few days."
"I see. Judge Trudy, that hasn't been the first time something like this has happened, has it?"
"I reckon not. Those orphanage people have always been shady. Even Granny Opal suspected as much during her time as judge. Anything wrong that goes on over there is done so they can't catch the blame. Its obvious bad things happen over there, but things are kept so spotless it's impossible to find a snag in their story. There are missing files, but the cases to track 'em down have gone cold. I hate to imagine what really has gone on in that place."
Marbles wanted to wince at the thought of all the abuse that had terrorized the orphans since Opal's time. Opal had been Trudy and Judy's grandmother. Along with her sister Pearl, Opal had raised Trudy and Judy when their parents perished.
"If it's anything like the hell Echo's been through… those tales will be macabre." Marbles said.
Truly there was nothing left to be said. With solemn farewells Marbles left the courthouse and returned to his cybercoop. He sat in the cockpit a moment, holding his winter coat in his hands. He wondered how he could've been so blind to the obvious solution in front of him He would start the paperwork the moment he returned to Control Central. He would need to inform Ada of his decision as well. Lifting off from Sensible Flats, Marbles travelled the familiar path home, ready to change things for the better.
xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
In a secluded, overly posh private office, Solomon Quinn sat in an overstuffed brown leather chair. Everything in the office was of the highest quality, paid for with an endless supply of money. Dressed in a designer business suit, with his hair perfectly coifed, Quinn heard the faint whir of his fax machine heating up.
Quinn had just gotten off the phone with Abigail Truehart. She wanted him to take care of her problem causing orphan, Echo Glasgow. Abigail had made a convincing point: if he adopted the girl, he'd be a selfless humanitarian. Business would skyrocket and revenue would grow exponentially. But that wouldn't be the only benefit of adopting girl.
The fax machine continued to spit out sheet after sheet. When the machine finished its duty, Solomon pulled the top sheet from the tray and looked at the photograph. Echo Glasgow was not a bad looking girl. He knew that much from his visits with her. He also knew she'd be a slight challenge. At each of his visits, Solomon could sense a spirit of defiance in her. But he could get rid of that soon enough. Once he had Echo to himself she would be under his absolute control. He could make her do whatever he pleased. The thoughts of the endless possibilities of what he could do with Echo brought a grin to his face. Solomon couldn't resist the excitement of his new toy.
xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
Ada arrived at Marbles' housing sector around seven p.m. It had been planned well in advance that the two would have dinner to celebrate their return from vacation. To Ada's surprise, Marbles did not greet her at the door like he normally did. This caused her to believe that Marbles was still cooking. However, when Ada looked in the kitchen, Marbles was nowhere to be found. The kitchen was spotless, with not even a pot or plate out to five proof of dinner being made. After a bit of searching, Ada found Marbles in his study.
Marbles sat at his desk, propping up his head in his hands. His eyes were closed, but had they been open, they would be staring straight at a thick manila file folder. The look across his face showcased anguish, sorrow, and regret.
"Marbles?" Ada called at a whisper.
"I never should have left. That vacation was the worst decision of my life."
Ada's heart sank. She knew instantly that this revolved around Echo. Ada hadn't been around Echo nearly as much as Marbles had, but she still cared about the girl. Echo was easy to grow attached to.
"What's happened?" Ada asked. Telling from the look in Marbles' eyes, she knew she was not going to like w hat she was about to hear.
"I thought she was doing better when we left. I really did. But when I got back, it was absolutely different. At first she wouldn't even let me get near her. All of the pain and fear clouded her mind so badly she didn't even remember me. My hunch was right… it was Echo who was taken to New Hope. She was in a bad state. She still is. And it's all my fault!"
"Marbles, you can't pin this all on yourself!" Ada tried to convince him.
"Believe me, Ada, I can." Marbles said. "You don't understand what these past two weeks have forced her through."
From there, Marbles launched into a descriptive account telling of Echo's misfortunes.
Marbles told Ada it had been Echo that his father had spoken of, that the disease was known as GUILT, and that Echo had horrendously contracted three strains. Ada listened to how each strain had harmed Echo. A flash of anger went through Ada at Abigail Truehart and the other orphans for not helping Echo. They continued to go after the poor child even when she was at her weakest point. Ada paled at the thought of all the pain Echo had to have felt as her bones were realigned.
"At least nothing bad happened during the operation," Ada said, trying desperately to find a positive point.
"Sadly that's not true." Marbles said. "She flat lined at the very end of her operation. Echo wasn't very happy they brought her back."
"But she's alive! That alone should…"
"Think about it, Ada. She's been in pain for so long now. More pain now than before. That pain has taken a toll on her. Echo even said as much."
"It sounds like she doesn't have much hope left."
"She didn't. By the time I got there she was nearly completely devoid of hope. I almost didn't realize how close I was losing her. Out of everything I said to her today, I don't know what she took to heart…but I'm glad she grabbed onto something to pull her out of that abyss. It made her rethink her plan."
"What was her plan, Marbles?"
From the floor, resting against the back of the mahogany desk, Marbles picked up the little drawstring bag, handing it to Ada. Ada gave Marbles an odd look before opening the bag. Removing the papers, Ada saw the bundle of rope. In a split second she could tell what the rope was twisted into."
"She planned on committing suicide!?"
"If she hadn't found the light that convinced her to back out of her plan, Echo would be either dead or dying at this very moment."
"How? How could she get that desperate? She still had so much life in her when I met her!"
"She's been broken in every way possible. She wanted an escape. That's the only way I can fathom it."
Both Ada and Marbles were silent as they attempted to determine where this whirlwind rollercoaster of a conversation had left them. Ada's thoughts finally made their way back to the thick folder in front of Marbles. As Marbles saw Ada's eyes linger on the folder, he knew it was time for him to reign in his thoughts and get to the point.
"Ada, I never want Echo to have to endure this kind of hell ever again. Her current environment is killing her. I hate seeing her so lifeless and hurt. It's painful to watch… I guess what I'm trying to say is: I'm adopting Echo. I hope you'll support me in my decision."
"I think I should've seen this coming. In retrospect I'm surprised you've not already adopted her. I don't really see a problem with us starting a family early. Echo deserves a family who will love and cherish her. With us, she'll get all that and more. I'm behind you one hundred percent in this."
"Thank you, Ada. This really does mean a lot to me."
"I know it does. And the sooner we get the paperwork done, the sooner we can bring her home. Oh, we'll have so much to do! We'll have to get a room set up for her then decorate it and…"
"Slow down, love! One step at a time. Let's focus on getting the paperwork done. Then we'll start decorating."
"Then let's start." Ada said as she pulled up a seat next to Marbles.
"The first chunk of papers is Echo's background and health history." Marbles said while opening the file.
"Why is that included?" Ada asked.
"So we would have an idea of what we're getting into. I guess any type of health or behavioral disorder could break the deal for perspective parents."
"I can't deny that that happens but it's still sad."
"It is sad, but not as sad as the situation Echo is in. Hmm… there is a lot of paperwork to fill out."
For several hours they completed page after page of the adoption paperwork. When the clock chimed midnight, both knew they should put down their pens and wait to continue filling out forms the next day.
"I best be getting home how, it's getting late. We got through a little over a third of the papers. We'll finish tomorrow."
"It is rather late, why won't you just stay here with me tonight?"
"Sorry dear, I can't. I have things to take care of at home."
Marbles sighed. "Very well. At least let me open a portal for you."
Marbles let Ada to the door and opened a window portal {1) for her. Before she stepped thought the portal, Ada asked one final question.
"I've been wondering this for some time now. What made the idea of adopting Echo pop into your head?"
At this Marbles appeared a little sheepish.
"It was while Echo was having her ribs realigned." He said. "I was sitting in the waiting room, listening to her screams. It was unbearable. I couldn't take it. Then a nurse walked by, she was in her upper sixties. She saw how distraught I was and told me not to worry, that my daughter would be fine."
"So that's how it happened. I can picture it. You care so much for her that you already fit into the fatherly profile. One of your many qualities."
Marbles blushed. "Ada… I'm so glad you understand me on this. I love you so much."
"I love you too. I better go. You need to be going to bed yourself. It's back to work tomorrow."
"I know. I doubt it'll be a challenge though. Motherboard's system has been doing well as of late."
"I hope for your sake that you've not just jinxed yourself."
At this Marbles chuckled. He had respect for the higher powers but was not overly superstitious. The couple said their final goodnights and Ada stepped through the portal to her home. After the portal closed behind Ada, Marbles went back into the main part of his housing sector.
Marbles resided in the larger of the two housing sectors at Control Central. His family had always inhabited that sector because of how many of them there were. It was rather empty now that Marbles had taken over for his father. With his father now living full time in their homeland, Marbles' brothers and sisters didn't come around Control Central as much.
With so much room, there would be plenty of room for Echo. One of the spare rooms could be made into an art studio if Echo wanted. Marbles was positive she'd like that. Ada had had a point when she talked about setting up a room for Echo. But before a room could be decorated one had to be chosen. Marbles knew just the one.
Just four rooms away from his own was a good sized room with a private bath. Marbles wanted to keep Echo in close proximity to him, but she was a teenager, and if Marbles' teenaged sisters were of any indication, she would want some space. This room made for a good compromise.
Looking around the room, Marbles just knew it would be perfect. He could see Echo lounging in the window seat or curled up with a book on her bed. Marbles could already imagine how Echo would put her mark on the room with her amazing creativity.
Smiling to himself, Marbles began to feel more and more excited about becoming a father. He wished he could have seen Echo's face when she read his letter. Her life had been hell for too long. Now it would be better. As much as Marbles would have liked to stay in that room and daydream about how things would be once Echo arrived, he knew if he wanted to quickly finish his duties the next day, he'd need to rest.
By the time he was ready for bed, sleep was calling for him. It had been a long and exhausting day. Within moments of closing his eyes, Marbles was soundly sleeping with dreams quickly approaching. This dream was strange, the colors were muted, not quite black and white.
In this dream, Marbles found himself back at the Sensible Flats orphanage. His mood lifted as he walked down the now familiar corridor to Echo's cell. As he entered the cell, Marbles was surprised to not see Echo anywhere in the room. Marbles then noticed that the bathroom door was open a bit. From the bathroom came a chilling breeze and this dream quickly transformed into a nightmare.
Marbles slowly entered the bathroom, coming face to face with a horrid sight. A rope had been tied to the metal shower rod. The end of the rope was snugly wrapped around Echo's neck. Her body slowly rocked in the wind. Her green eyes were frozen open in death, as was her mouth. It was the look of the final struggle.
In desperation Marbles grabbed Echo's wrist, trying to find a trace of a pulse. However her skin was cold. As Marbles held Echo's little hand and looked into her lifeless eyes the visions began.
In a sepia tone Marbles saw Echo vomit a fountain of blood and collapse onto the cold concrete floor. From Echo's labored breathing the scene flashed forward to the operating room.
Marbles saw the damage that the Paraskevi left in defiance. He saw the Kyriaki shred Echo's lung apart. When all seemed calm, Echo bolted awake.
"Nooooo!"
Her scream was haunting. It sent a wave of arctic chills crashing down Marbles' spine. Once again, in a flash of white, the scene jumped ahead. Echo's chest was wide open. Just a moment later her heart shuddered to a stop, accompanied by the shrill whine of the monitors. In horror Marbles watched as the defibrillator was brought out. Echo shock made Echo's body violently convulse. Then everything went white again as Echo came back to life. The next thing Marbles knew, he was back in the bathroom but Echo was no longer hanging there from the shower. Instead she was balanced atop the rectangular shower door track. She was tying the rope securely to the track.
"Echo, no! Please don't do this! You said you didn't want to go through with this! Please don't end your life like this!" Marbles yelled. But his voice was silenced.
Flash.
Echo slipped the noose around her neck and tightened it.
Flash.
Standing perfectly straight, Echo mouthed the word "freedom." Then she jumped down off the bar.
Flash.
Echo did not weigh enough for her neck to be broken on impact. Echo was slowly going to suffocate.
Flash.
Panic began to set in as she began to lose oxygen. Echo clawed at the rope in attempt to save herself. Echo's struggle was futile.
One last flash left Echo at the end of her struggle. With a final wheeze of an attempt at a last breath, Echo went still.
XxXxXxXxXxXxX
"NO!" Marbles gasped as he bolted upright in his bed. "Oh God, Echo, no."
After taking a moment, or five, to compose himself, Marbles realized that he had just been victim to a terrible nightmare.
"It was just a dream." He told himself. "There's no way she can kill herself. I have the noose."
Despite knowing this, Marbles was still shaken up. He needed a way to know Echo was alright and still alive. Marbles soon realized he had the perfect tool at his disposal. The CS-219 CyberSatellite.
The CS-219 was the sleekest and most advanced CyberSatellite in all of Cyberspace. Its general purpose was satellite imagery. But it could do much more than that. Dr. Marbles would know, he designed and programmed it. As Marbles had finished programming the satellite, he leaned back in his chair and said,
"Eat your heart out Google."
Marbles knew all of the satellite's tricks. He knew how to silently get into the system and control it manually. This was how he would check up on Echo. Snatching his glasses from their resting place on the nightstand, Marbles got out of bed and made his way over to the small desk where his laptop sat. Powering on the powerful little machine, Marbles plugged in his password and got straight to work. Using an untraceable private route, Marbles accessed the satellite's database and controls. He set the satellite to focus its imagery sensors on the Sensible Flats orphanage, more specifically, Echo's cell. Tweaking a few settings and adjusting the camera angles gave Marbles a live feed looking into Echo's cell.
To his relief, Echo was sitting in the center of her bed wide awake. The fears of Echo somehow finding another way to kill herself were diminished. Marbles was a bit disappointed that Echo was awake at this late, rather early, hour. Marbles could clearly see the weary expression on her face. She was tired, but sleep was not her friend. Just was Marbles was about to return the satellite to its normal settings, Echo turned and looked out the window directly into the sky. It was as if somehow Echo knew Marbles was watching her. Through the medium of the camera lens, brown eyes locked with green.
After a brief moment of an unexplainable and indescribable moment of connection, Echo looked away, breaking the magic of the spell. As Echo eased herself onto her pillow, Marbles knew that he too should be returning to bed. He reset the satellite and switched off the computer before crawling back beneath the covers. With the reassurance that Echo was fine and still very much alive, Marbles tried to get as much sleep as he possibly could at this point.
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX
Echo had finally begun to let some of her pain show. She had admitted that she was afraid of the darkness she found herself in. Her outcry was not lost in the thin air. It had reached the ears of someone who cared about her. Dr. Marbles had listened to her and even gave her a bit of hope, enough to realize that she didn't want to end her life in such a desperate manner. He had held her while she cried out in a strangled mix of emotion. Sadness, fear, frustration, and desperation woven together created her tears. Crying until she could cry no more, Echo fell asleep.
For a while her dreams were quiet; not happy, but not harmful. It was if something was guarding her from the normal slew of wrenching nightmares. Whatever was protecting Echo soon disappeared, and her worst subconscious enemy, the grey fog, returned. The fog consumed Echo completely, taking her to a very dark place splattered with blood. This place was disturbing. Several horror movies combined could not compare.
Echo was trapped in this disturbed realm. She found herself surrounded by her enemies both current and out of the past. They wanted her in fear, desperation, and pain. It was not hard for Echo's enemies to push her to those points. Just as Echo thought she was forever trapped in this place, she saw a dim gleam of light in the distance. It was her ticket out.
Echo woke with a start, jolting upright in bed. The sudden movement sparked a fine of pain in her side.
"Ah-ah! Owwwwww….!" Echo hissed as she probed her fingers around her ribs. The pain pills had definitely worn off. It took her a moment to remember that she had cried herself to sleep in Marbles' arms. Echo realized that Marbles must have taken off her shoes and covered her in the quilts. That touched Echo. She was not very used to being taken care of. Her sentiments were cut short by the raging pain across her torso. Slowly, very slowly, she rose out of bed and baby stepped her way into the bathroom. She fished the pill matrix out of her pocket and stuck a pill in her mouth before flushing it down with water from the tap.
Curious to see the aftermath from the bone aligner, Echo lifted up all four shirts. She shouldn't have been shocked by what she saw, but she was. More so by the darkly stained blood vessels than by the bruise. Just looking at that area caused pain. Echo didn't want to think about what she had been through today anymore. Echo went back to bed, sitting square in the middle. She pulled her knees up, but realized it wouldn't work because it caused her chest to hurt. Echo settled with crossing her legs Indian style while resting her hands in her lap.
For a while Echo tried to void her mind of thought. At first it worked, but eventually several tiny thoughts popped into her head and Echo gave up trying to empty her mind. After a while Echo began to get a feeling, one she was not used to. It felt like she was being watched after. Not in a creepy way, but rather protectively. Echo turned and looked out of the little barred window and began to notice that there were actually stars in the Cyberspacian night sky. The fact was kind of soothing.
There was this one star that seemed to shine brighter than the rest. This star was spellbinding. It was so beautiful and breathtaking. Echo couldn't help but lock her eyes on it. She sat there and watched this mysterious star for a while. Eventually she broke her gaze away from the star and laid back down, wrapping a quilt around her. Sleep would be sketchy until dawn.
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX
The sleep Marbles had gotten since returning to bed had been restless. In the midst of slumber he had been tossing and turning. Just as it seemed he would get a little bit of peaceful sleep, the alert system went off.
Jolting upright, Marbles instinctively grabbed his glasses and shoved them onto his face. Flinging the covers aside, he bolted from his room straight to the Remote Access Control room. The RAC was the way Marbles could evaluate and get into Motherboard's system from his own home. Upon entering the RAC, Marbles found that he had, in fact, jinxed himself.
Multiple error lights were lit up across the board. Malfunctioning circuits and conduction coils as well as overheating panels, failing fans, and failing cooling pipes. It was painfully clear that Motherboard's system had taken a quick turn for the worst. On any other day Marbles would start tackling these problems without complaint. He loved his job, but today was different. He knew he needed to be with Echo.
"This is going to be a nightmare to fix!" Marbles moaned.
Still clad in his pajamas, Marbles hurriedly switched the coolant flow from the failing pipes to the auxiliary ones. The overheated panels immediately began to cool to a safer temperature. Back up circuits were activated to temporarily remedy the malfunctioning ones. Motherboard's system had already gone into a protective hibernation. Things would hold steady for a while now. Marbles would have just enough time to shower and dress before grabbing his tools and tackling each and every problem.
By nine a.m. Marbles had replaced eight conduction coils and two panels that had been warped by excessive heat. He had also made note of which circuit boards needed repair or replaced. The circuit boards would be taken care of as he went along. At exactly nine eleven Marbles' cell phone rang. One of his favorite pictures of Ada filled the screen with her name and number at the bottom. Marbles tapped the green button on the screen to answer the call.
"Yes?" Marbles answered gruffly.
"Well! That's a fine way to answer a phone call from your girlfriend!" Ada huffed, quite displeased with Marbles' tone of voice.
"I'm sorry Ada," Marbles apologized. "Let me start again. Good morning."
"It doesn't sound like it's a good morning for you. Aren't you at the orphanage with Echo?"
"No. I'm beneath Motherboard's mainframe. I jinxed myself. Everything is malfunctioning! I've been working since four a.m. and there's still so much left to do! Motherboard's in hibernation… I'm going to be at this all day! There's no way I'm going to get to see Echo today…"
It was obvious to Ada how upset Marbles was about this. He was extremely worried about Echo. After what had transpired yesterday so was she. Echo needed care, not the torture she received at that orphanage.
"Well, why don't I go spend the day with her?"
"You'd do that?"
"Of course. Echo is going to be a part of this family. I need to get to know her better. Aside from what you've told me, I hardly know her at all."
"Ada, thank you! I know Echo will warm right up to you. Have I ever told you that you are amazing?"
"I could stand to hear it more often." Ada teased.
At this Marbles smiled. Ada never failed to lift his spirit.
"I better go on to the orphanage. I don't want to let anything else bad happen to her."
"Good thinking," Marbles agreed before Ada ended the call, preparing to set out to the orphanage.
Abigail Truehart had already started her day by nine in the morning. The cable box attached to her television set had "broke", resulting in the visit of two rather cute repair men. By the time the two fellows left, Abigail had convinced herself that at least one of the two would come back to ask her out on a date. She had only glanced in on the children once, not really caring what they were up to. Eventually Abigail got around to swapping out the old flowers on the front desk with fresh ones. That was when she walked in.
She was of average height, with an undeniably beautiful figure. Upon that figure was a light grey pencil skirt which came right above her knees with a pale sunshine yellow blouse. The blouse had poufy sleeves and slight ruffles along the buttons. Her hair was formed in a simple bun, with a few wavy strands framing her slender face and meadow green eyes. Abigail stifled a growl. It was Ada Lovelace, the very same woman who had taken her precious Dr. Marbles away from her.
"Well what a surprise!" Abigail said in a cheerfully false tone. "What brings you here?"
"I'm here to spend the day with Echo. Marbles is busy with work today otherwise he'd be here as well."
"I see." Abigail said. "Well, you should know that she is a dangerous child, so proceed at your own risk. Also, do not feed her, whatever you do. She is under a strict restricted diet."
"I see," Ada said, doubtful of Abigail's words. "I really don't think that sweet girl poses a threat to anyone. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go check on her."
Ada came to Echo's cell and discovered how tiny it was. Echo was in the corner of her bed, head down with her arms crossed over her chest. Echo heard the door open and looked up, surprised to see Ada there instead of Dr. Marbles.
"Good morning, Echo." Ada said with a smile.
"'Morning." Echo said weakly.
Ada noticed the lack of strength in Echo and realized how pale she was.
"Did you have breakfast this morning?"
"Nope."
Ada knew something wasn't right. Even on a restricted diet, Echo should've had at least some sort of breakfast.
"Aren't you hungry?" Ada prodded, hoping for more than a one word answer.
"No."
Ada's lips pressed into a thing line. If Marbles had been able to get through to Echo, so could she. Ada just had to keep trying. As Ada continued to take in Echo's appearance, she noticed something strange.
"Your hair is wet." Ada realized.
"I tried to wash it… but that didn't work very well."
Ada took that as her chance. She sat down on the bed near Echo. Echo cringed, but did not panic or try to flee.
"What caused you trouble?" Ada asked Echo.
"I can't keep my arms up for very long. It hurts to keep my hands above my shoulders."
"Because of your chest?"
"Yeah."
"Why don't you let me wash your hair for you? That way you won't have to strain yourself."
"I guess…" Echo said hesitantly.
"It'll be okay, Echo. I won't hurt you."
Ada saw the fear built up in Echo's eyes from so much pain and torture. She couldn't even begin to fathom all of the horrible things Echo had been put through. Echo saw the warmth and honesty in Ada's eyes. Just as she had done with Dr. Marbles, Echo decided to gather her courage and trust Ada too.
"Go get wrapped in a towel and I'll go get a chair." Ada told Echo.
Echo nodded and did as she was told. Ada found the supply closet up the hall and got on old wooden chair. As she was leaving the supply room, Ada noticed a grateless fan against the wall. She quickly noticed the large wad of red hair tangled around the engine.
"Oh Echo, you poor thing." Ada whispered before retreating to Echo's bathroom. There she found Echo waiting, wrapped in a black towel.
Since the start of the orphanage, all of the "troubled" orphans had been given solely black towels to use. Black towels because they didn't stain with blood in unfortunate situations. The saying was: "The less of a mess, the easier the cleanup."
"Okay, Echo, just sit right here and we'll get started."
Ada positioned the chair to where that half of the chair was in the shower. Only Echo's head would get wet while the rest of her body remained dry. After Echo had sat down, Ada slipped off her shoes, walking into the shower in bare feet. Adjusting the shower head to face Echo, Ada discovered that the shower head pulled from the wall and was actually attached to a flexible hose.
"It extends!?" Echo exclaimed. "That would've been useful to know a long time ago."
"You didn't know it extended?"
"No." Echo said, tugging up the towel to cover the wound on her chest. It was about the eighth time she had tugged up the towel.
Ada turned on the water and adjusted the temperature.
"Is that too hot?"
"No. I like it hot. I'm tired of being cold."
Poor thing. Ada thought. Marbles was right about her being cold.
Ada began to wet down Echo's thick wavy hair and Echo closed her eyes. While Ada brought the green apple smelling shampoo to a lather Echo was silent. Despite her silence, Echo was enjoying the feeling of her hair being washed.
"So, tell me about yourself Echo. Marbles says you're an artist. What mediums do you use?"
""I've drabbled in all kinds of mediums. Usually I do mostly pencil work. But I've done other stuff, like photography."
"How interesting! Could you pick a favorite medium?"
"No, I couldn't. I like them all."
Echo decided it was time to get the attention off of her.
"How long have you and Dr. Marbles been together?" Echo asked.
"We've know each other since we were little children. Marbles and I have been together for a long time."
Ada continued on a little more about her relationship with Marbles while she let the conditioner soak into Echo's hair. While Ada spoke Echo closed her eyes again. When Ada noticed this, she thought that she had bored Echo to sleep.
"Echo? Are you okay?"
"Huh? Sorry. I was just thinking about someone." Echo whispered.
"Oh. Is this someone a boy?"
"Yeah."
"How sweet! What's he like?" Ada probed.
"He's big and tall and burly. But under that he's a giant teddy bear; always there for me. He's my big Russian teddy bear."
"That's adorable Echo!" Ada grinned.
"Erm…yeah."
"I'm sorry, I'm making you uneasy. Let's rinse the conditioner out and we'll be done."
"Okay."
Ada rinsed out the conditioner and shut off the water. Using another black towel, Ada wrapped up Echo's hair. As she had been sitting Echo's complexion had regained some color, but as she stood, Echo's face reversed back to its pale state.
"Honey are you alright?" Ada asked.
Echo shook her head. "I don't feel good."
Ada instinctively reached her hand out to feel for a fever but Echo flinched away. It was then Ada remembered what had happened with Marbles.
"I just want to feel for a fever, okay?"
Echo nodded and let Ada feel her forehead.
"You're a little warm. Why don't you get redressed? But first you need to get re-bandaged."
"I've not been wearing bandages."
"You've not?"
"No."
"I think you should let me at least bandage your chest. It wouldn't be very good if it got infected."
"I'm keeping it clean." Echo countered.
"I know you are, but bandaging it can also reduce pain."
"I'm okay. Really."
"Echo, I'm serious. You don't want to have your chest worked on again, do you?"
"No." Echo said grudgingly.
"Will you let me bandage your chest now?"
"I-I guess." Echo consented.
"Thank you. You can go ahead and dress from the waist down while I get the bandages."
Echo put her pants and socks back on. As tempted as she was to put her shirts back on, she didn't. Echo knew Ada was just trying to help her. Letting her hair fall out of the towel, Echo took a brush to her drastically shortened mane. Soaking wet, her hair barely touched her shoulders. Echo sighed. She liked having long hair. The bathroom door opened with a clack and Echo was quick to cover her bare chest.
"It's okay, Echo, it's just me." Ada said soothingly. Ada had to make an effort not to grimace and wince at the massive bruise over Echo's ribs.
"Just hold out your hands just a little away from your sides and I'll start."
However, Echo did not budge. She appeared extremely nervous.
Ada sat the rolls of bandages atop the sink and put her hands on Echo's shoulders. Echo started to tremble, very uncomfortable.
"It's okay to be modest," Ada said softly. "But we're both girls here. I'll be gentle and swift and it'll be over before you know it."
"I'm sorry." Echo said. Her voice cracked and tears threatened to manifest. "I'm not used to this."
"Being injured isn't something you should get used to."
"No, that's not it! I'm not used to be taken care of. I've been looking after myself for so long I've forgotten what it felt like."
"Oh honey," Ada murmured. "It's okay, it's okay."
Ada finally coaxed Echo into dropping her arms. Just as she had promised, Ada was quick and gentle.
"There, I'm finished." Ada announced as she clipped the white bandages shut.
"Wow… that took a lot of pressure off of my chest." Echo said as she rolled her shoulders. "How'd you do that?"
"It's knowing how the female body works. To a lot of males, breasts are just a pretty thing to look at. They don't know what it's like to live with them, let alone what to do with them. By knowing how our breasts can affect our bodies, I know how to work with them to keep the entire torso comfortable. It's all just a matter of support."
"Like having the right type of bra?" Echo asked.
"Exactly." Ada said as Echo wiped a few drops of water away that had fallen from her hair.
Echo put her post-op bra back on over the fresh bandages followed by a t-shirt and sweater. Echo padded back to her bed where she ungracefully plopped down. Ada followed her in and sat next to her.
"You're still a little warm. How about you try to take a nap and sleep it off."
"I'm not tired." Echo said flatly.
The prospect of sleeping was not very appealing with the grey fog lying in wait.
"Echo, I can see that you are tired. I have a feeling that the problem is that you don't want to sleep. Is that it?"
"I have nightmares." Echo admitted.
"Do you want to talk…"
"No."
"Okay. That's fine. I won't force you to talk."
"Thank you." Echo sighed.
"You know what helped me sleep when I was little?"
Echo looked at Ada questioningly.
"My mother would comb my hair. Let me try braiding your hair. By the time I'm done you should be floating off to dreamland."
"That's not very appealing." Echo remarked.
"Please just give it a chance."
"Fine."
"Ada took Echo's hairbrush and combed out the teenager's still wet hair. Then she began to weave the strands into a skull tight plait. Halfway through Echo yawned much to her own dismay. But this was so soothing. Due to the shortened length of Echo's hair, the remainder of hair that couldn't be braided was tied off into a little poop at the back of her head. When Ada was done, there were dark circles beneath Echo's eyes.
"Lay down, sweetheart." Ada cooed, helping Echo get comfortable. "Just rest. I'm sure your lunch will be here soon."
"It won't come. Just like breakfast." Echo yawned. "It doesn't matter. The food isn't worth eating."
"Don't say that. You'll get fed, don't worry."
Ada's words fell on deaf ears. Echo was already asleep. Ada was determined to find out why Echo was being treated so badly. Before leaving the room, Ada sent a text message to Marbles, telling him to call her as soon as possible. Ada sat the phone down on the table before exiting the room in search of some answers. Up the long corridor from Echo's cell, past the solitary confinement door, Ada found the woman she was looking for: Abigail Truehart.
"I hope you're coming down here to bring Echo her lunch." Ada remarked.
"Oh Ada, I don't know where you come up with these whimsical ideas! I told you, it's on a restricted diet." Abigail laughed.
It's? Ada thought angrily.
"She needs nourishment." Ada pointed out.
"And she'll get it," Abigail said, mimicking Ada's tone. "I don't see what you see in that troubled thing."
"That 'troubled thing' is a girl. A living person like you and I!"
Abigail rolled her eyes and shook her head in disbelief. "It's not fair. You even smell like Marbles."
"Well, I was wearing one of his jackets around the house this morning. My Marbles does have such a pleasant scent doesn't he?" Ada said, knowing that Abigail would hate that.
"He deserves so much better than you." Abigail hissed.
"Pray tell, what would that be?" asked Ada.
"Me, of course! I am much more poised and refined than you. Not to mention prettier. Marbles deserves me!"
"I don't think so. All you are is a horrible, cruel woman who mistreats innocent children, dresses like a whore, and wears more make up than a clown."
Ada's response was given in a dignified tone, one that was not received well. Unexpected to Ada, Abigail's hand struck her face, leaving a bright pink mark.
Ada felt the stinging sensation radiate throughout her cheek. Her natural response was to strike back. Then both women had handprints upon their faces.
"What the hell is your problem?!" Ada spat. "What forces you to hate that poor little girl so much?"
"It's none of your business!" Abigail hissed before Ada quickly grabbed a handful of brunette hair and yanked.
"Are you so petty that you hate her because she is more beautiful that you are both on the inside and out?"
"I am above you, you . . . you insolent bitch! You think your superb intelligence and poetry skills will get you everywhere! But they won't!" Abigail screeched, pushing Ada away from her. "I will not be bullied by the likes of you!"
Before Abigail could screech another word, Ada tackled the other woman into the wall, knocking the breath out of her enemy with a pathetic wheeze. The thud of the tackle and the screech of the insults jarred Echo awake from her nap. On the table Echo saw Ada's phone and decided to secretly catch this fight.
Ada and Abigail were again at each other's throats. Literally. Wrestling on the floor, Abigail harshly jarred her elbow into Ada's ribcage.
"Where'd you get that outfit? Heffers Unlimited?" Abigail sneered.
Ada ignored that snide remark and came up with her own.
"I must say, Abigail, that perfume really matches your personality. It reeks of countless failed relationships, desperation, and rotten tomatoes. What's it called? Eau de Desperate Whore?"
Abigail seethed at this. She pinned Ada to the floor.
"I cannot stand people like you! You think you're so damn perfect and witty. Well wake up! You're nothing but an oversized Barbie! I don't know what dumpster Marbles pulled you out of, but he could do better than you! He could do me!"
"That's all you want, isn't it?" Ada remarked.
It took a moment to realize what Ada had just gotten at. In the time Abigail's face flushed red in anger, Ada had broken free.
"How dare you!" Abigail seethed. It was quite miraculous that she was not yet foaming at the mouth. Again the two tussled.
"I really don't know how you keep getting your panties in a wad, Abigail, seeing as you never wear any."
Abigail kicked at Ada, knowing that remark had hit it's target. Clawing at each other, slapping, and attempts at strangling were all captured on video.
"You need to find a new dressmaker." Ada said, her face ruby red. "That dress makes your ass look bigger than a sumo wrestler. Or is that its natural size?"
Abigail tried to speak but all of her words came out jumbles, sounding like metal nails on a plate glass window. Tired of the irritating sounds, Ada whacked Abigail across the windpipe, only to have the favor returned. Each clutching her sore throat, both stood up and glared at the other.
"You're actions have been far from lady like today, Ada." Abigail said hoarsely. You call yourself a refined lady yet here you are fighting like a tom cat. I don't believe Marbles realizes how dirty he's getting his hands by dealing with you and that pathetic rat."
Ada had had enough.
"You're right. Ladies don't start fights. We finish them."
Faster than lightening Ada had her fist pulled back. She punched Abigail square in the nose. The sickening, yet oh so enjoyable, crunch of cartilage drowned out a faint ringing in the background.
"Shoot! No!" Echo hissed quietly.
Echo quickly caught the end of the fight, including an enjoyable shot of Abigail's bloody and broken nose, before saving the video in the phone's memory. The phone then began to ring louder. In her attempt to silence the thing, Echo accidentally answered the call.
"Er…hello?" Echo answered, her voice flustered.
"Echo? Is that you? Are you alright? Where's Ada?"
It was Dr. Marbles.
"Uh, yeah, hold on. I'll get her." Echo responded.
"Echo wait! I want to talk with you for a moment!" Marbles protested. But it was too late. He could already hear Echo calling after Ada.
"Miss Ada? You've got a phone call." Marbles heard Echo say.
The cell phone exchanged hands and Ada appeared on the other end.
"Ada, what's going on?" Marbles asked worriedly. "Is Echo alright?"
"She's been taking a nap. I guess your phone call woke her up." Ada said as she tucked a piece of loose hair behind her ear.
"I'm sorry I'm just now calling. I didn't hear my phone ring." Marbles apologized.
"It's alright. Marbles, Echo isn't on a restricted diet, is she?"
"No, absolutely not. She's over twenty pounds underweight. Echo needs to be eating."
"That's what I figured."
"Why? What's going on?"
"They're trying to starve her, Marbles! They haven't fed her at all today."
"That just isn't right." Marbles was thoroughly disgusted with the orphanage.
"What's worse is that they treat her like an animal! Abigail constantly refers to her as 'it' or 'that thing'. She even called Echo a rat!"
"Ignore her, Ada. Just focus on Echo. She's the one who needs your attention."
Ada sighed. "You're right. I think I'll go get some lunch for Echo and myself. How are the repairs coming along?"
"Good thinking. Well, I'm getting there."
"You'll get it done. I believe in you. I should get back to Echo now. I love you."
"I love you too. I'll see you tonight."
The call disconnected and Marbles pocketed his phone. He certainly felt Ada's frustration. No person should be treated like that. But hopefully it would all be over soon, when Echo was safe in his and Ada's arms there at Control Central. Marbles sighed, eager for those days ahead. While in his fantasy land, a pipe just a few inches above his head busted, shooting steam straight into Marbles' face. This brought Marbles back to reality with a large slew of expletives best not repeated. It was a very good thing Motherboard was in hibernation.
Back on Sensible Flats, Echo had returned to lying on her bed. She had her eyes closed, trying to doze off again. Ada placed her hand on Echo's shoulder, making sure she was awake to hear what she said.
"I'm going to go get you some lunch, okay?"
"Don't bother. It's not worth it." Echo responded.
"You need to eat, sweetie."
"They don't want me to eat. If I eat they'll get me."
"Then it will be our little secret."
Echo wasn't sure what to think of this idea. She'd rather not find out what would happen if she disobeyed. But Ada left in search of food anyway and Echo again dozed off. Echo didn't know for how long she'd been asleep, but before she knew it Ada was nudging her awake.
"Wake up, Echo, it's time to eat." Ada said.
"I'm not hungry." Echo mumbled, pulling her quilt over her head.
"I have a hard time believing that."
"Just let me sleep." Echo complained.
"I'll tell you what. Eat your lunch and then you can sleep the rest of the afternoon if you want."
Echo sat up and accepted a black take out container from Ada. Condensation had clouded the clear plastic lid, telling Echo that the contents were warm. Upon opening the lid, Echo was greeted with the aroma that only a grilled chicken salad could emit. Echo nervously looked out of the Plexiglas window, but when she found no one else around, she began to eat. As she started eating, Echo realized that she had been pretty hungry.
When Echo was full, Ada disposed of the container for her. Echo swallowed her antibiotic pill and lay back down. Lying facing the wall, Echo told Ada,
"I'm scared to sleep."
"I know. Just think happy thoughts." Ada told her, hoping she would think of the good days to come once the adoption went through.
Ada placed a hand between Echo's shoulder blades in hopes to rub her back. However, Echo tensed up. The thought of a certain, unwelcome, visitor invaded her mind. With her eyes clamped shut, Echo remained frozen. Eventually Ada went ahead and lightly rubbed Echo's back. Relaxation finally overtook Echo and her muscles loosened, just as Ada had expected. Just as Echo was on the verge of sleep, Ada lightly ran the back of her fingers along the back of Echo's neck. That was the final push that put Echo right to sleep. Ada had found Echo's soft spot.
Once Echo was snoring lightly Ada adjusted the quilt and let her be. Ada had another plan to carry out. The thoughts of setting up Echo's room at Control Central had not left Ada's mind. She wanted to get a head start. So, she needed to know what all Echo had so she could determine what she and Marbles needed to buy for Echo's homecoming. Before she knew it time had flown by and Echo was bolting awake from a dream.
"Another bad dream?"
"Uh-huh." Echo mumbled, trying to keep herself from crying.
"It's alright, I'm right here." Ada soothed. She wrapped Echo in her arms and to her surprise, Echo actually clung to her. Whatever Echo had dreamed about had been very terrifying.
Ada held Echo while the little redhead trembled. Her attempts to not cry began to fail and squeaks and sobs began to escape Echo's lips. While Echo cried she tried to ask questions like 'why?' but her sobs prevented words from completely forming. Ada just held Echo closer while she babbled. When Echo had stopped crying, Ada continued to hug her. She wanted Echo to feel safe and cared about. As much as Ada was enjoying holding Echo, she knew that visiting hours were drawing to a close.
"I've got to go home now, sweetie."
Echo's head whipped up so that her green eyes met Ada's. Ada realized that Echo was afraid of being left alone.
"Don't be scared. I'll come back and see you soon." Ada promised as she wiped the tears off of Echo's cheeks.
Echo swallowed the rest of her tears and nodded. She watched Ada go, leaving her alone again in the little cell.
XxXxXxXxXxXxX
In the dark of the night, quite after curfew, Abigail paid Echo a visit. Abigail found the little brat sound asleep. The sight was sickening. That little monster was the root of her problems.
"Get up!" Abigail commanded, yanking Echo up by her shirt collar.
Echo quickly was wide awake and struggling to break away from Abigail.
"You think you're so damn special! You're not! You're nothing but a waste of mass! Dirt is worth more that you. You were a mistake!" Abigail slapped Echo across the face. As if the insults hadn't hurt enough.
Truehart continued to lash out at Echo. The onslaught was relentless. Until Echo fought back. Echo kicked out her leg, the heel of her foot colliding with Truehart's already broken nose. The pain knocked Truehart to the ground.
"You'll pay for that you wretch!" Truehart growled while cupping her nose. She stalked out of the room, locking it behind her.
XxXxXxXxXxX
Ada felt horrible about having to leave Echo behind. She was beginning to understand what Marbles had been feeling since he had met Echo. The sooner they could get Echo out of there, bet better. Ada had no regrets concerning her actions today. She surprisingly had found that breaking Abigail's nose was quite enjoyable. Upon arriving at Control Central Ada found the housing sector in dead silence, meaning that Marbles was still working.
Going into the main control room, it only took a second for Marbles to be spotted. His legs were sticking out from beneath a terminal beneath Motherboard's mainframe.
"Almost done?" Ada asked.
Under the terminal Marbles grinned. It didn't matter how long he had known Ada for, her presence always made him happy.
"Just about." He answered. "When did you get here?"
"Just now. Have you had a break at all today to work on the paperwork?"
"No, I've not. I've been working all day nonstop."
"Well, we need to finish it. Tonight."
Marbles was surprised by the urgent tone to Ada's voice. He came out from beneath the terminal. The blazing fire of determination burning in Ada's eyes caught Marbles off guard.
"Love, what's gotten into you?"
"I'll be damned if I let that heartless bitch hurt my daughter anymore than she already has!"
Marbles stood up and unsuccessfully held back a smile.
"You just referred to Echo as your daughter." Marbles grinned.
"Yes, so?"
"It's just nice to hear that. What about dinner then paperwork? We'll work all night to finish it if that's what it takes."
"I'll put on the coffee." Ada said, accepting Marbles' proposal.
Footnotes:
(1) Window Portal: pretty much a "window to another world" type thing. When the portal opens, you can see the other side. This is modified from the portals used in the cartoon "Martin Mystery"