Brenna, if that
was her name, woke to the sound of a young boy reading aloud. His voice was
soft and soothing, even as he struggled over the bigger words. She opened her
eyes to see that he was reading the newspaper…to her. He was no more than ten
years old and cute, with sandy blond hair and a freckled nose. “Hello,” she
said when he finished the story on a local author and glanced her way.
“Hi. How are you feeling?” he asked rather shyly.
“Sore. What’s your name?” She was happy to string more than two words together without pausing.
“Peter Brown, but my friends call me Petey.”
“Is it you I have to thank for being here?”
“Oh, no! I didn’t hurt you. I found you.”
“Yes, the doctor…told me. Sorry if that…came out wrong.”
“That’s okay. I thought you were dead when I found you,” he said with such a serious expression on his face she wanted to hug him.
“I’m alive,” she said. “Thank you…for acting so quickly.”
He smiled and sat up straighter in his chair. “I’m glad you’re awake. My mom and I have been praying for you.”
His words touched her deep inside, perhaps to her very soul. Had anyone ever prayed for her before? “Thank you. I think…your prayers helped a lot. Maybe you’re…my guardian angel.”
He laughed at that, every inch the young boy he appeared to be. “Not me. My mom tells me I’m a little terror.”
“Little terrors don’t…spend time visiting patients. Shouldn’t you…be in school?”
“Nope, school’s over for today so Mom lets me come here until she’s off work.”
“That’s nice. Where…does she work?”
“Here at the hospital. She’s a ward clerk on another floor.” He glanced at the clock on the wall. “She’ll be here to get me soon. Mom will be happy that you’re awake. We prayed real hard.”
“Thank you.” What else could she say? “You saved my life by acting quickly and responsibly.”
“What do I call you?”
“The doctor…has me registered as…Brenna Hall, but we really…don’t know…who I am.” Her voice choked on the last words as reality clicked in.
“Really?”
His face was animated. For him this was an adventure of sorts. Maybe she should treat it that way, too. “Yep. So right now, I get to be…anyone I want. Who…would you like to be…if you had a choice?”
“My dad.”
Brenna heard a heart full of hurt in those two words. “Want to talk about it?”
“My dad was in the army. He never came home.” Silent tears ran down his cheeks, but he swiped them away with the sleeve of his shirt.
“Oh, Petey, I’m so sorry.”
“If I could be my dad, then mom would be happy again.”
“Maybe, but then…she wouldn’t have you…and that would make her very sad.”
He looked up at her then. “I never thought about it like that. Do you think I make my mom happy?”
She smiled at him even though it pulled the stitches on her face. “Yes, I’m sure you do.”
A woman walked into the room. “Ready to go, Petey?”
“Mom, she’s awake.”
The woman’s gaze turned to the bed. “So she is. Hi, I’m Patricia, the mother of this little monkey.”
“She doesn’t know who she is, Mom.”
“Oh, that must be awful for you. My Petey has been coming here every day, waiting for you to wake up. He said you had to know someone cared.” Patricia caste such a look of love on her son that it almost brought Brenna to tears.
“Thank you for…allowing Petey…to visit.”
“Allowed? Not quite the right word when you’re talking about Petey. He’s old for his age and quite determined.”
“He’s also very…smart and responsible. I enjoyed…waking up to…hear him reading.” Her eyes wanted to close, but she fought the tiredness.
“I’m glad. I can see that you’re tired. We’ll go now and let you rest.”
“Bye, Brenna. I’ll see you tomorrow,” Petey said.
“Bye, Petey. It was nice to meet you and your mom.”
“Do you need anything before we leave?” asked Patricia.
“Could you push the button for the nurse? I can’t reach it.”
“Sure.” She pushed the button and Brenna watched them leave. Their visit left her with a lot of questions. Were her parents still alive? Had they missed her? Where did they live? Work? Did she have brothers? Sisters? Friends? Why hadn’t someone come looking for her? Was there anyone in the world who cared about her other than Petey and his mother? And the biggest one of all—Who hated her enough to beat her almost to death, then walk away and leave her dying in a back alley?
After the nurse had been and gone, Brenna finally allowed her eyes to close, and even though her mind raced with unanswered questions, she slept.
“Hi. How are you feeling?” he asked rather shyly.
“Sore. What’s your name?” She was happy to string more than two words together without pausing.
“Peter Brown, but my friends call me Petey.”
“Is it you I have to thank for being here?”
“Oh, no! I didn’t hurt you. I found you.”
“Yes, the doctor…told me. Sorry if that…came out wrong.”
“That’s okay. I thought you were dead when I found you,” he said with such a serious expression on his face she wanted to hug him.
“I’m alive,” she said. “Thank you…for acting so quickly.”
He smiled and sat up straighter in his chair. “I’m glad you’re awake. My mom and I have been praying for you.”
His words touched her deep inside, perhaps to her very soul. Had anyone ever prayed for her before? “Thank you. I think…your prayers helped a lot. Maybe you’re…my guardian angel.”
He laughed at that, every inch the young boy he appeared to be. “Not me. My mom tells me I’m a little terror.”
“Little terrors don’t…spend time visiting patients. Shouldn’t you…be in school?”
“Nope, school’s over for today so Mom lets me come here until she’s off work.”
“That’s nice. Where…does she work?”
“Here at the hospital. She’s a ward clerk on another floor.” He glanced at the clock on the wall. “She’ll be here to get me soon. Mom will be happy that you’re awake. We prayed real hard.”
“Thank you.” What else could she say? “You saved my life by acting quickly and responsibly.”
“What do I call you?”
“The doctor…has me registered as…Brenna Hall, but we really…don’t know…who I am.” Her voice choked on the last words as reality clicked in.
“Really?”
His face was animated. For him this was an adventure of sorts. Maybe she should treat it that way, too. “Yep. So right now, I get to be…anyone I want. Who…would you like to be…if you had a choice?”
“My dad.”
Brenna heard a heart full of hurt in those two words. “Want to talk about it?”
“My dad was in the army. He never came home.” Silent tears ran down his cheeks, but he swiped them away with the sleeve of his shirt.
“Oh, Petey, I’m so sorry.”
“If I could be my dad, then mom would be happy again.”
“Maybe, but then…she wouldn’t have you…and that would make her very sad.”
He looked up at her then. “I never thought about it like that. Do you think I make my mom happy?”
She smiled at him even though it pulled the stitches on her face. “Yes, I’m sure you do.”
A woman walked into the room. “Ready to go, Petey?”
“Mom, she’s awake.”
The woman’s gaze turned to the bed. “So she is. Hi, I’m Patricia, the mother of this little monkey.”
“She doesn’t know who she is, Mom.”
“Oh, that must be awful for you. My Petey has been coming here every day, waiting for you to wake up. He said you had to know someone cared.” Patricia caste such a look of love on her son that it almost brought Brenna to tears.
“Thank you for…allowing Petey…to visit.”
“Allowed? Not quite the right word when you’re talking about Petey. He’s old for his age and quite determined.”
“He’s also very…smart and responsible. I enjoyed…waking up to…hear him reading.” Her eyes wanted to close, but she fought the tiredness.
“I’m glad. I can see that you’re tired. We’ll go now and let you rest.”
“Bye, Brenna. I’ll see you tomorrow,” Petey said.
“Bye, Petey. It was nice to meet you and your mom.”
“Do you need anything before we leave?” asked Patricia.
“Could you push the button for the nurse? I can’t reach it.”
“Sure.” She pushed the button and Brenna watched them leave. Their visit left her with a lot of questions. Were her parents still alive? Had they missed her? Where did they live? Work? Did she have brothers? Sisters? Friends? Why hadn’t someone come looking for her? Was there anyone in the world who cared about her other than Petey and his mother? And the biggest one of all—Who hated her enough to beat her almost to death, then walk away and leave her dying in a back alley?
After the nurse had been and gone, Brenna finally allowed her eyes to close, and even though her mind raced with unanswered questions, she slept.