Children's Ward

Ursula Buffay stares at the little kid in the bed beside her. "How old are you?" she demands.

"Five," the little boy replies meekly.

"Well, both me and Pheebs are SEVEN," Ursula retorts in a superior manner.

"Ignore my sis, she likes to be rude," Phoebe apologizes.

Chandler shrugs, "Oh well, I'm used to that."

"So, what's your name?" Phoebe asks.

"Chandler," the tiny boy replies.

Ursula giggles, "That's such a dumb name! Sounds like a girl's!"

"Urs! Stop being rude!" Phoebe scolds. "I'm Phoebe, she's my sister Ursula."

"You guys look totally the same," Chandler notes, bemused.

"Yeah, that's cuz we're identical twins, but we're not really identical cuz Ursula's mean and I'm nice," Phoebe explains matter-of-factly.

"No I'm not! You're just boring, you never like my joking!" Ursula retorts hotly. Phoebe rolls her eyes, sticking her tongue out at her sister. Chandler collapses into a fit of giggles. Phoebe grins, glad to be the creator of such mirth. She looks at the smattering cuts and bruises running up and down Chandler's tiny frame.

"Why have you got bruises all on you?" Phoebe asks.

"Some bigger kids hit me," Chandler replies forlornly, "That's why mom took me to hospital."

Phoebe looks at Chandler sympathetically, "That sucks, what they do that for?"

"Cuz my dad's a f-ggot," Chandler sighs.

"A what? What's that?" Ursula cuts in.

Chandler shrugs sadly, "Dunno, but the bigger kids say I'm one too."

"Well you made a mistake, duh! You didn't hear it right. The bigger kids said your dad is a maggot… Because maggots are yucky worms, so then if they hate your dad, they might call him that," Ursula reasons.

Phoebe nods affirmatively, "Yeah, I think Urs is right. But don't worry, we don't think you're a maggot," Phoebe reassures.

Ursula rolls her eyes, "I think he's a maggot," she mutters under her breath, out of Phoebe and Chandler's earshot.

Chandler points at Ursula's oxygen mask, "Hey um… What's that on your face?"

Ursula sarcastically mimicks Chandler in a high-pitched voice, "Heyyy ummmm what's that on your face?"

Chandler blushes crimson. Phoebe glares at Ursula warningly, before turning to Chandler. "It's to help her breathe cuz she breathed too much smoke from after our house was burned."

Chandler's eyes widen, "Your house was burned?"

"Yeah, some bad guys hates mommy and daddy so they burned our house," Phoebe said sadly.

"We coulda died!" Ursula pipes up, getting slightly teary. For the first time since being wheeled into the children's ward, Ursula is showing the first signs of vulnerability.

"I was really scared when the big kids were hitting me," Chandler admits quietly. "I even fainted when they punched my head. Dad said it's a concussen."

Phoebe nodded, looking at Ursula, "Yeah, me and Urs too, was scared, we thought we'd be burned dead," she says somberly.

"I wasn't scared," Ursula mumbles sullenly.

A sudden thought strikes Phoebe's mind, "Chandler, if you're scared of big kids, maybe Urs and me can hit them for you," she offers. "Urs and me are big. We're the tallest in our class! Right Urs?"

"I guess," Ursula mumbles, rubbing her eyes vigorously on her polyester hospital gown.

"Urs doesn't usually cry, she's usually tough," Phoebe explains.

"I'm not crying!" Ursula shouts, "And I am tough! Way tougher than you… And the Maggot!" she huffs for good measure.

"Hey! Don't call Chandler that!" Phoebe scolds, "His dad maybe is a maggot but not him too!"

Chandler offers his broken arm to Phoebe, which is set in a cast. "Wanna write on my cast? Mom and dad have wrote on it already," he said.

Excited, Phoebe eagerly kicks off her blanket, showing off her leg. "I have one too! I broke my leg when I fell off my roof! We can be Cast-Twins!"

Chandler's face breaks into a wide grin. "Okay, Cast-Twin, let's write on each other's one!"

Dear Feebee, I am happy you are my new friend. Sorry that you fall from your house and your house got burnt. From Chandler

Dear Chanla, I will hit the big kids that hitted you! Love Pheebs your cast twin

Feeling left out, Ursula mutters sullenly, "He's not your twin. I'm your twin."

"Yeah I know you're my twin, but Chandler's my cast-twin," Phoebe corrects, exasperatedly.

"Yeah but I wanna be a cast-twin too. I should be one too," Ursula whines.

"No you can't, because you're mean to Chandler and you don't have a cast, you just have a breathing mask," Phoebe snaps.

Ursula pouts angrily, before finally approaching Chandler with her tail between her legs. "Um… Chandler, can I maybe write on it too?" she asks. Phoebe ignores her sister. Chandler shakes his head mutely.

"I'm sorry I called you a maggot," Ursula mumbles reluctantly.

Chandler sighs theatrically. "Okay you can write, but only just a bit," he concedes. Ursula smiles sheepishly, and scribbles down her message.

To Chanlur, your name is dum but your still nice. From Urs

A nurse steps into the children's room. "Alright kids, it's time to sleep. I'm gonna turn off the lights, but I'll leave the bathroom light on in case any of you need to use the bathroom. Goodnight, sleep well!"

And with those well-meaning words three young children wise beyond their tender years, lay their heads against their pillow, staring up at the ceiling of this strange cold sterile place. As their minds swam with an infinite array of fears, worries, uncertainties, personal struggles, hopes and dreams, each child eventually fell into a shallow fitful restless sleep.

Meanwhile, in a dingy single-rented room, a certain furious bitter ex-Senator swore to himself that he would take revenge on the low-rent man who had robbed him of his career, his family, his status, his wealth, his self-worth; and worst of all, had caused his sweet fragile sensitive son to be beaten to a pulp by school kids twice his age.