Chapter 2
As soon as the Ambulance arrived Lovey told her driver, "Follow that ambulance!"
Lovey closed her eyes and the image of that poor girl haunted her. She was wearing an awfully raged dress and was so skinny. She looked familiar, but Lovey couldn't remember at first where she saw the picture. Then she remembered, it was in French class at Vassar. Her book of Les Miserables had a picture of that young girl, made to work as a slave by people who were supposed to raise the orphan. What was her name again? Cosssette that was it! The poor dear reminded her of Cossette. She hoped this poor dear didn't live such a horrid life.
She walked quickly, a Howell never ran, to the emergency room where she inquired about the girl. In a few minutes she was with the girl who was coming to. The girl looked around frightened at the people surrounding her.
"It's alright young lady. You're in the hospital. What's your name? "Asked a kind looking doctor.
"Maggie ,sir", the girl replied timidly. She didn't know if the doctor was a person to trust.
"How old are you,Maggie?",asked the nurse.
"Eight."
"My dear, you such a tiny girl!" Exclaimed Lovey.
"Maggie what's the thing you remember?," asked the doctor.
"I ran into a lady. I'm really sorry!"
"It's all right. I'm so glad to see you've come to. You gave me quite a scare when you fainted, so I had you taken to the hospital." Lovey explained.
"Maggie, who are your parents?," Asked the doctor.
"I don't have any."
"Who do you live with?" asked the nurse.
"Mr. & Mrs. Murphy, are they here?" She looked frightened when she mentioned their name.
"No, do you know their telephone number or address?"
"My address, are you going to send me back?" Maggie's voice quivered.
"We need to tell them you are here," explained the nurse.
Maggie could no longer hold back her tears. Lovey walked up the bed and asked, "What's wrong Maggie, dear?"
"I .. I can't tell you."
"Maggie the doctor and I are going to see if you hurt yourself when you fainted. Then I'll give you a bath," explained the nurse.
"You're not supposed to know.. you can't see…"
"Maggie we have to help you get better. "
"NO!"
"Shh, you don't need to shout dear", Lovey said trying to calm Maggie down
"But I can't show anybody. I'm not supposed to tell."
What, dear what do you mean?" Lovey asked.
"Please Ma'am, they said.."
"Are you talking about Mr. and Mrs. Murphy?" The nurse asked.
"Yes!"
"Did they hurt you?"
Maggie's eyes turned as wide as saucers. She began to cry and scream.
"Maggie would you like to hear a song or a story? When I was a little girl my nanny would sing and tell me stories when I was scared", explained Lovey. It broke her heart to see the poor girl suffer so.
Lovey wasn't the best singer, but had a few years of voice lessons. She loved opera arias and found them very soothing. She began to sing O mio babbino caro, one of her favorite arias. Soon Maggie fell quiet, put her head back on the pillow. She soon fell asleep. Soon after she was sleeping the nurse slipped a hospital gown on after helping the doctor examine her. Maggie had old scars as well as new ones, some of which were infected. She was also very emaciated. When Lovey saw this, she wept.
"You think they hurt… "Lovey was sobbing.
"These are defiantly numerous injuries from over a long period of time, that could not be an accident."
"Oh Dr, I never knew… people could be so cruel! Thurston and I we must help her. She can't go back to those monsters." Lovey wept.
"Mrs. Howell, once we have the names of her abusers, Child Protective Services and the police will be contacted. Have you thought of adoption? "
"Oh that would be wonderful! I was thinking of how I'd love to raise the poor dear!"
I think you'd be a wonderful mother, Mrs. Howell."
"Thank you, I hope I can be. I'm going to call Thurston, now. May I stay with her overnight? The poor dear is so scared!"
"Well policy normally just allows family to, but you are the closet she has, so I say yes!"
Lovey spent the night with Maggie hoping that she soon could be her little girl.