They aren't trying to chase her down. They're only trying to make her passage as painful as possible. The thought of driving pass while this little girl is killed right outside the window is just too much for the doctor.

“Stop the goddamn van,” he shouts at the driver and hops out to help the little girl.

Sometimes small beginnings, a moment of mercy, or a kind word that leads to hope can cause great change...

_____________________________________________________________

Thomas Pane rolls over in the bed of his efficiency apartment with a guttural groan of tired acceptance. He flops over onto his back. He’s a tallish man, at six feet four inches, and he takes up most of the double bed. He runs a hand through his tangled, reddish-blonde hair. “Almost time for a haircut,” he muses to himself, “but not today... no time.”

“Fuck!” he shouts to the ceiling. Another goddamn twelve hour shift, and then who knows how much longer before he can get away for a little food and some sleep.

Thomas sits up with a groan and slides his legs off of the bed. He gives himself a mighty shake, squares his shoulders, and starts his day. First, a trip to the toilet and a quick shower. Everything is so small in this shit hole. He has to be cautious not to run into a wall, or to bang his knees on the shower stall as he cops a squat on the porcelain throne.

He’s a third year resident, nearly finished with all this being poor shit. Now if only this COVID nightmare would go away. Much has changed since the early days of the pandemic, back in 2019. It's 2027, and the mandated vaccines are only being given to the Vaxxers. Yep, with the medical system nearly collapsing, the government decided to help those who wanted to help themselves. Hence, the only people who are given the vaccine boosters for each new variant are the millions of people who got vaccinated in the beginning.

No one was ever given the final data about the Anti-Vaxxers and the hospital occupancy, or even the death rate. It wasn't a simple decision to make, but it had to be made. With each new variant, those who had the initial vaccine and all of the boosters had the best chance of surviving this lingering plague.

So it finally came down to saving those who wanted to be saved by the vaccination system, and damn those who chose to tough it out on their own. It was one hell of a mess for quite some time. But now the healthcare system is stable again, and functioning reasonably well. We take care of the Vaxxers, and everyone else is on their own. The biggest problem with this is the children. As more and more parents succumb to the virus, the young somehow manage to survive…just fine...more or less.

The typical scenario is for the sick Anti-Vaxxer parents to show up at the hospital already dying from the virus, but with children who are still healthy. The army and hospital security turns them away. In desperation, they hang out near the hospital hoping to somehow get help, but none comes. They die, and the children take to the streets for survival.

The government has set up gigantic collection shelters to house and feed these kids, but it's never enough. Nature's oldest game is being played out on the streets of cities all over the country. Survival of the fittest, or the oldest. As more and more adults die, the number of abandoned children goes up and up. What a fucking mess…but that's the way it is right now. The government projections say that this should last another year or so, and then stabilize to a new norm. We'll finally have much more freedom, more like what we’ve been used to, but with some stringent vaccine restrictions still attached.

Now that Thomas is thoroughly depressed by his thoughts, he gets out of the shower and dresses for work. He makes a simple egg sandwich for breakfast, and then he calls the medical carpool for a pickup.

About ten minutes later, his ride pulls up in front of his apartment building. People are hustling and bustling about as usual. He hops into the small van for the short ride to the hospital. Thomas enjoys the bright sunlight shining through the van’s window. It's a late spring day, and the early morning warmth is quite nice.

As the van gets closer to the hospital zone, it comes to the first of the defensive fences. The van is well marked with all the proper placards, and it even has a GPS resonator to identify it to the guards and military police. All of the buildings around the hospital have now been taken over by either the government or the city as a temporary sanctuary for the Anti-Vaxxers, a place to hole-up in, and then either get better or die. Unfortunately, it's mostly to die.

Now the van is almost up to the outer gate into the hospital complex. Thomas casually looks down one of the narrow streets and sees something that curdles his very soul. A group of older, feral kids are chasing a smaller one. The little one appears to be a dark-haired little girl, hurt and limping badly. The older kids are throwing rocks at her, and they laugh uproariously at her futile efforts to get away.

They aren't trying to chase her down. They're only trying to make her passage as painful as possible. The thought of driving into safety while this little girl is killed right outside the window of the van is just too much for Thomas.

“John! Stop the goddamn van,” he shouts.

He vaults out of the van and runs around in front of it. The older kids take one look at his blue scrubs and white coat, and disappear back down the alley. All except one. He decides to take one last shot at the little girl, and he hurls a rather large rock at her. His aim is bad, so it sails over her head and rattles down the sidewalk towards Thomas.

Thomas smiles sardonically at the boy as he runs to catch up with the rest. “Just wait until I get back to the hospital and tell them what I witnessed,” Thomas thinks. He's pretty sure they can find that asshole on the nearest security vid, and turn him over to the authorities. They need to find that one and break up his little band of thugs.

The little girl is at the end of her rope. She staggers a few more feet, and he catches her just as she starts to fall. As he holds her in his arms, her strange gray-blue eyes flutter once and then close...she's out cold. She's covered in small- and medium-sized abrasions and cuts. Many are still bleeding. But it's the knife wound through her right calf that has him most concerned. He’s thankful that it has stopped bleeding, but she needs immediate medical treatment.

This type of wound is often used to maim a victim: to inflict pain, yes, but also to debilitate and disable. He's seen this type of injury before, when he was working as a volunteer in a field hospital. Now he understands those kids’ sick game of hide-and-seek... You hide, we seek; if we find and catch you, it's too bad so sad for you!

He glances back at the van, and sees several of the military police rushing to help. Thomas lifts the girl in his arms and carries her towards the van. He's not going to leave her here in the street to die like an animal. It suddenly dawns on him that this sort of thing is playing out in every city across the country. Children are dying every day, just because their parents were Anti-Vaxxers. His anger grows as he realizes that each and every child here never had a choice; they're just nameless victims of this horrific plague.

Thomas gets back into the van with the injured little girl in his arms. He leans out of the door and points down the narrow road at the retreating group. “You need to go after that pack,” he tells the officer in charge. “They’re hunting and killing the little ones. We can check the security vids, and I’ll identify the leader.”

Thomas turns to the driver. “John, take us inside, now! I need to get her to the ER,” he commands.

The driver hesitates. “But Doctor...she's un-vaccinated, sir,” he pleads.

“I don't give a shit. Take us inside, or I’ll have your balls for dinner tonight!” Thomas shouts.

“Sorry, Dr. Pane, but to the ER, sir? What about the public vaccine clinic, instead. They deal with Anti-Vaxxers all the time,” he offers instead.

“You're right, John. They have everything I need there, and I can also get her vaccinated at the same time. It won't cause quite the same stir if we go there first.” Thomas pauses for a few seconds. “Thanks, John... I'm sorry I yelled at you.”

John smiles. “That’s okay, Dr. Pane. I know your heart’s in the right spot. Hang on, Doc, and let's get you both to the clinic.”

The girl is safe in his arms, so Thomas relaxes a little, leans back, and looks down at her filthy but pretty face. Her snip of a nose and her cheeks are sprinkled with freckles, but it’s hard to tell where the dirt ends and the little girl begins. Well, she's safe now, and they're heading towards the new vaccination clinic.

John pulls up to the side entrance, and several nurses wearing scrubs, surgical gloves, and N95 face masks rush out pushing a gurney. They quickly take the injured girl from his arms. In they go, but to a treatment room, not into the vaccine delivery area.

Dr. Pane catches up with them as they hurry through the door into the room. The two nurses are immediately busy getting her filthy clothes off and taking her basic vital signs. Thomas heads towards a sink to scrub up, and to get on gloves, a treatment gown, and his own N95 face mask.

When he's ready, he walks over to the gurney and starts to look at all of the girl’s various wounds and abrasions. The two nurses continue to clean her up as best they can, with warm, wet, soapy wash cloths.

The little girl suddenly moans and her eyes fly open. One look around her and she panics for a few seconds, until she sees Dr. Pane. She relaxes a little, stops her struggles, and holds out her hand to the tall, good-looking doctor.

Thomas and the little girl interlock their hands. But still, he bends down to move his pocket flashlight across one of her eyes and then the other. He comments in a normal doctor tone, “Pupils normal and reactive...” Then he pauses, looking at her somewhat cleaner face. “Hey...Hi, there! How are you feeling, Sweetness?” he asks, as the nurses start in on her abrasions and cuts.

They continue to hold hands as the nurses keep working on her, even when she’s rolled over to get to the backside of her battered little body. Dr. Pane keeps an eye on things, and notes which of the cuts need a few stitches and which don’t.

Finally most of her body has been cleaned off and her lesser wounds partially treated, but he needs to check out her head, and then work on stitching her up.

He looks at the nurses, who are smiling at him and at the little girl holding his hand. He tells the girl, “I need to let go of your hand now, so I can examine your head. Okay?” He doesn't try to pull his hand away suddenly, but begins to ease it from her death-like grip, “Okay, I'm going to let go now. What's your name?” he asks.

Her brow wrinkles into a frown. “Zoey! My name is Zoey...” she croaks out, dry-mouthed. “Are you going to take me to jail or something?”

Dr. Pane laughs quietly. “No, Zoey. We’re just trying to get you patched up.” He hesitates for a moment. “So, Zoey, why were those other kids chasing you?”

Zoey's frown deepens. “That was Malcom and his Thuglets gang. They came after me when I tried to get a couple of ration bars at the kitchen.”

She takes a couple of deep, pensive breaths. “Maggie usually gets our food, but she wasn't feeling very good this morning, so I went instead.”

Thomas smiles down at her as he starts to feel around her small head, palping for bumps, or, in the worst case, depressions in her skull. Like the rest of her, she's only got a couple of nicks in her scalp, and none of them are bleeding.

He shows the nurses a couple of abrasions that need cleaning, and then he lowers his hand down to hers. She smiles up at him and quickly intertwines her fingers with his.

As the nurses finish up round one, Dr. Pane squeezes her hand. “Okay, young lady...I need you to hold really still while I stitch up the cuts that won't stop bleeding.”

Thomas looks over at one of the nurses and sees that she’s holding a suture tray. He checks back with Zoey. “Do you know what stitches are?” he asks.

“Sewing, like when you fix a hole in your pants, right?” she states proudly.

“Yep, that's correct. Only I'm going to sew you up. I need to fix the holes in you,” he tells her, and he lets go of her hand again.

Her frown is back and it's nearly covering her entire face, but then she says what’s bothering her. “Okay, but can you hurry. I need to get back to Maggie. She's alone, and she’ll be worried because I'm not back yet!”

There are a couple of serious cuts on her back, one or two on her front, and especially the one in her leg. He tells the nurses, “The back first, then the front, and last her calf.”

They watch him intently, waiting for him to call the ball. “Okay, we numb her in the same order. Connie, Mary, when we do her back and the leg we'll need to roll her. Connie, for the calf sutures hold her torso down. Mary, hold her leg.”

Dr. Pane reaches down to give her hand a squeeze. “Big girl, now! Okay...” he nods his head and the nurse with the suture tray puts it down on a Mayo Stand near his right side. He sorts through the contents of the tray and tears open the plastic covering the syringe with the local anesthetic inside. He sets aside several packs of 4x4 gauze, and the suture kit.

“Okay let's roll her,” he states, and they lift her up and set her to rest on her right side. Using the 4x4, the surgical nurse wipes each of the two wounds which are still oozing a bit of blood. Dr. Pane puts the needle in, and deadens the edges of each cut.

Zoey doesn't move a muscle, but she's crying softly. Quickly and efficiently they repeat the same process for the two lacerations on her front. Then they roll her onto her belly, so Dr. Pane can get to the two wounds in her calf. His first stitch elicits a muffled moan from Zoey.

Thomas stops and picks up the syringe of “local,” and hits another couple of spots on either side of her leg.

He leans down to ask her how she's doing. “Almost done. Only a few more minutes and we'll be finished. So what does ‘thuglet’ mean?”

Zoey sniffs back a few tears and answers, “It's like a piglet. But thuglets are those creeps who think they're better than anyone else. They hog the food and beat up on the smaller kids.”

“Thuglets...I like that word. It seems to fit that lot just perfectly,” he tells her. “Okay, only a few more to go, and you'll be done.”

She reaches out, and he takes her hand again. “When we're done, will you hold my hand again? I like it when you do,” she intones hopefully.

Thomas looks up and sees Connie wiping a tear from her eye. “You're a softy, Doc!”

Dr. Pane smiles. “Looks who's talking. Okay, ladies, let's get these last two. Mary cleans off the wounds again, and puts the Synthetic Skin bandages over the sutures. Connie, you and I will finish up her calf.”

Zoey's leg has been numbed, and what they do to it isn’t painful. It only takes a few more minutes to finish the sutures on either side of her leg.

Thomas thanks the nurses, and looks over all the wounds and abrasions before pronouncing Zoey good to go…or at least ready to get dressed. Connie goes to the clinic's store of children's clothing, and picks out a long-sleeved girls T-shirt, a pair of loose fitting blue jeans, white cotton panties, and socks. Zoey’s shoes, while dirty, are still in decent shape.

When Zoey is dressed and ready to go, she walks up to him and holds out her hand. Thomas takes it, but he stops and thinks about what they should do next. Now what? There’s tension in the room, and a thick fog of uncertainty.

Dr. Pane reaches a decision. “Let's get some food into her, and let me talk with her.”

Connie and Mary exchange glances. “How should we log these procedures, Dr. Pane?” Mary asks.

Thomas smiles. “Easy: ER overflow!” he chuckles. “Oh, and please get me one of those new ‘fruit cocktails’ for the under-15 kids. We need to vaccinate her right now!”

Mary heads off to fill out the paperwork, while Connie goes to get the latest and greatest combine booster shot for the under-15-year-olds.

The vaccines are getting better and better all the time. They're now able to chain the most lethal strains together, and thereby provide more extensive protection against our old COVID friend. It's the newest way to catch everyone up. The politicians are just now discussing how to get everyone caught up, including all the street kids. A few months from now, what they're doing will be the norm and not the exception. But until then, the street kids are still considered Anti-Vaxxers by default.

The two new friends walk down the hall to the break room, hand-in-hand. Thomas reaches into his rear pocket, gets out his wallet, pulls out two twenties, and walks over to the sandwich machine. Zoey runs up and presses her face against the glass pane that separates her from all that food.

Zoey turns. “What do I have to do?” she asks.

Thomas isn’t quite sure of what she means. “You don't have to do anything. What kind of sandwich do you want?”

“What kinds are there? I can't read so well,” she says, looking down at the incomprehensible words on the labels.

Dr. Pane looks at her with gentle eyes. “Well there's ham and cheese, Italian, turkey, chicken salad, tuna salad, roast beef, and everyone's favorite...peanut butter and jelly.”

Zoey squeals with joy. “Yes! A PBJ! Can we get two? One for me and one for Maggie?” she asks excitedly.

Thomas frowns, having forgotten about Maggie. “Zoey, who's Maggie?”

“My sister. She likes PBJ too. I know this will make her feel better,” she states, then she looks out the window towards the surrounding slums where the street kids live. She suddenly gets very quiet. “Can we buy the sandwiches and go, please. I'm worried about Maggie...”

“Why are you so worried about Maggie?” Thomas asks, suddenly remembering her comments about her sister not feeling well.

“She pregnant, Dr. Pane. Micki knocked her up last fall. Before numb-nuts Malcom stabbed and killed him. Micki was the zone leader, and he took care of us. He made sure the smaller children got fed regularly.” She sniffles, and then runs the back of her hand under her nose. “Maggie really liked him. They were in love, I guess. But he's gone now, and all I have left is Maggie. So can we go please...” she asks, starting to cry softly.

Thomas sits there frozen for a few seconds, and then asks, “How old is Maggie?”

Zoey smiles briefly. “She just turned thirteen a few weeks ago.”

“You said her stomach was bothering her?” he asks quickly.

“Yeah. She said her stomach was like cramping or something. She said I should go get our ration bars, and then she started groaning. I said I would hurry, but then Malcom and his thuglets caught me outside the kitchen. All I wanted was a couple of ration bars.” She starts crying harder. “He...he held me up by one leg and stabbed me. He just laughed, and tossed me to the ground in front of the kitchen. Then he said, “Run...” Zoey breaks down and, sobbing, she rushes into Thomas’s arms.

Thomas instinctively wraps his arms around her. As he holds her tight, she moans pitifully, “Why did you stop? Why did you help me? I'm nothing, and you're a doctor.” Her last garbled word is a whispered, “Why...”

Not a doctor at the moment, he kneels in front of her. She looks at him through a cascade of tears. He says, “I don't know, Zoey. I just couldn't let them hurt you any more.” Thomas’s eyes are suddenly moist with tears of his own.

They stay there, holding each other, just a little longer. Then he whispers into her ear, “Okay, Zoey, let's get those sandwiches, and we’ll go get your sister. I think she's going to need some help too.”

Zoey, pulls away slowly and looks up hopefully. “Okay, Dr. Pane.”

It takes Thomas only a few seconds to buy four peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and a couple of bottles of Coke. He takes Zoey's hand, and they turn to see Connie and Mary standing in the doorway. Connie walks up to Zoey and pulls her sleeve up, wipes her arm with an alcohol swab, and vaccinates her.

Dr. Pane notices that both of them have tears running down their cheeks. “What are you going to need, Doctor?” they ask in near unison.

“Everything... I'll need everything,” he states, walking with Zoey back to the treatment room.

Once there, he starts grabbing emergency supplies. He takes everything that he'll need for an emergency Cesarean birth. Finally it’s all piled on top of the clean blanket of an unused gurney. The two nurses are watching him attentively. He hands them his phone.

“Would you mind giving me your cell numbers? I may need some help afterwards,” he asks, smiling at his two accomplices.

Connie walks up and touches his face. “You're a softy, Dr. Pane!” she says, handing the phone back.

Mary pipes up, “I know. More ER overflow. Right!” she says, smiling and giving him a thumbs-up.

He quickly gathers up his plunder from the gurney, and he and Zoey head towards the door. Connie calls from behind him, “John is waiting at the side door. Good luck, Doctor...” and her voice trails off.

John has the van door open for him and Zoey. She gets in and scoots across the bench seat to give Thomas room.

“Where to, Doc?” Johns asks, smiling at him from the driver's seat.

“Zoey, where are we going, young lady?” Thomas asks.

She points to one of the abandoned high rises where the street kids live. “It's the one with the pointed top…the one next to the kitchen where they give out the rations,” she says.

John is about to pull away when Connie comes running out of the side door. She stops beside the van and puts her arm through the window. Clutched in her hand is a small, single-dose vaccine vial and a syringe.

She hands the treasured inoculation to Thomas. “Hey, Softy, you might need this after you save the day,” she tells him, as she releases the small, hermetically-sealed bag.

Dr. Pane looks at Connie and smiles. “Thanks... Really, you guys are the best. See you soon,” he tells her, and John drives the van down the narrow alley, heading toward the building Zoey has pointed out.

A few minutes later, John pulls up in front of an old high-rise. The name still gracing its double doors says “Monarch Condominiums.” When the van stops, the kids hanging out around the building’s entrance either run off around the corners of the building or high-tail it inside.

John opens the van door to let the two of them out. Zoey looks around before getting out. Just like any hunted animal, she checks for the hidden predator. She scans everything around her: every shadow or hiding spot near by.

Thomas follows Zoey onto the litter covered sidewalk, and looks back at John. “I need you to stay here for at least 15 minutes. I’m pretty sure that Zoey's sister is in trouble, but I can't take her to the clinic or the ER. I'll need your help to get her up to my place. Okay?” he asks.

“No worries, Doc! I've got your back on this one,” John says, grinning. “How often do I get to help a real life hero?”

Zoey and Thomas go in the front door. Inside, the stench of decay, human offal, and a subtle scent of fear permeates the air. Zoey doesn't seem to notice, but Thomas is rendered momentarily motionless. Nothing, in all his time as an undergrad, or medical school student, or in his overseas field work, or in the variations of his residency…nothing has prepared him for the level of despondency that surrounds him. His paralysis is made even worse by his knowledge that all this hopelessness has been heaped on the backs of children.

Then Thomas's mind comes slamming back to the horrific reality of today, and to the little girl in front of him and her sister.

Zoey takes his hand. “Come on, Dr. Pane, let's see if the elevator is working today. It will be quicker than walking up five flights of stairs.”

She pushes the up button and squeals with delight as she hears the mechanism groan to sudden life. The light above the elevator doors starts at the third floor and slowly...painfully slowly…starts down to the lobby.

Zoey is almost beside herself with excitement. “Maggie and I don't usually ride the elevator. Others have gotten stuck in there for a long time, or they were jumped by Malcom and his bad guys.” She goes on thinking out loud, “But no one will bother us. The whole building knows you’re here with me. They'll think you're a cop or something...”

She smiles as the elevator comes to a shuddering stop and the doors open about half way. Zoey gives the interior a quick check, and then goes into the elevator. She looks back at Thomas’s trepidation, and waves him forward.

“Come on Dr. Pane. Don't be a scaredy-cat. There's no one going to bother us,” she encourages.

“Ah, what the hell,” he thinks, and squeezes through the half-open doors. Zoey pushes the button for the fifth floor, and the doors squeak noisily closed all the way. The elevator starts to rise with agonizing slowness, groaning in protest.

Zoey, true to her nature, begins to jump up and down on one leg. Like every other child before her, she enjoys the lurching movement of the elevator between floors. Thomas holds onto the wall-mounted rail and glances down at an expired inspection sticker. “Shit,” he worries, “this elevator hasn't been serviced or inspected in over two years!”

He looks skyward, hoping that his guardian angel is on the job. But he's pretty sure she's on vacation in Florida, especially after all that's happened so far today. With another creaking, shuddering groan, the elevator stops on the fifth floor and the door cracks open to form a foot-wide gap.

Zoey laughs. She starts pushing the door open. “It's working pretty good today,” she says, praising the dilapidated mechanism.

They exit the elevator, turn left, and run down the hallway to the door marked 507. She looks up at the transom window above the door, and starts to panic.

He looks up at the window. Nothing appears to be broken. There's a piece of string with a hook on its end hanging beneath the partially open window.

“What's wrong Zoey?” Thomas asks.

Zoey's hand flies out of her pocket with a key. She tries to open the door, but in her panic she can’t seem to hit the hole. Thomas takes the key from her and unlocks the door.

She looks up at him as he opens the door. “It's Maggie! Something’s wrong. She didn't reset the door.”

Fear grows in the pit of his stomach. They rush in and find Maggie lying on a dirty mattress pushed against one wall of the the small apartment. The mattress beneath her pubic area is soaked wet, and a little blood oozes from the gaping opening into her vagina.

“Shit,” Thomas thinks, “she's in labor and in trouble.” He moves quickly to the mattress and kneels down. Maggie is unconscious, or nearly so. Her dirty, tattered dress is pulled up to her chest. Her knees are up, her legs are widely spread; she's been trying to give birth for far too long!

The baby is all scrunched up, filling her pubic cavity. He or she is too large to pass through Maggie's thirteen-year-old birth canal. Thomas lays his hand on her lower abdomen and feels another weak contraction squeeze the baby yet again. Maggie is exhausted and so is her baby.

Dr. Pane doesn't need to take vitals to know that Maggie and her baby are slowly dying. Jumping into action, he scoops her up and heads towards the door.

He looks around for Zoey, and sees her frozen in place, looking at her sister. “Zoey,” he commands, “get anything you need and meet me at the elevator.”

He looks skyward. “Please, if I have any favors left, I need one now!” he says quietly, rushing for the elevator.

He looks back and sees that Zoey has locked their apartment’s door. She has a small backpack slung over her shoulder, and now she’s hobbling as quickly as possible towards the elevator.

As soon as she passes through its door, she hits the button marked Lobby. The elevator seems somehow to sense the urgency of the moment, and moves a little faster downward. Its doors open a little bit wider for the trio who are exiting in a panicked rush.

Zoey jumps out of the elevator, hustles to the lobby doors, and has them open for Thomas and her sister. John sees them coming and starts the engine. One word from the doctor, and they are off towards his apartment.

“John, I need you to carry this bundle of medical gear up to my place. I need to start her treatment and deliver her baby really quickly!” he says, breathing rapidly.

“I got it, Doc! How is she?” John asks, dodging slower traffic as he moves the van along as fast as possible.

Thomas glances at Zoey. “I don't know for sure, John. She should be in a hospital, not in my apartment, but this is how it is right now. We'll make do with what we’ve got. If she's anything like her little sister, she'll be fine,” he finishes, hoping that he's right.

The rest of the trip is a blur of mental activity. Thomas reviews everything he needs to do, so he’s ready when the door to the van opens.

Maggie's hanging limp in his arms. They go into his ten-story condominium building, and run to the elevator. Zoey hits the up-arrow button, and the doors open with a smooth, noiseless motion. She swings around the doors and into the near corner, while John and Thomas follow her in. She looks at them expectantly, awaiting the floor number.

“The fifth floor, Zoey,” Thomas says.

“Same floor, Dr. Pane. That's so cool that you live on the fifth floor like Maggie and me,” she states happily.

The door opens and Zoey looks at the two men. Thomas points to the left, and she zooms off down the hallway. This morning's converging nexus continues to play out in his new reality. She skids to a stop in front of Thomas's apartment. The number on the door reads “507,” the same as hers.

She squeals again with delight. “I knew it... I just knew it! You're him! Maggie said you would come for us, and now you're here.”

Dr. Pane is totally confused by what she's saying, “I don't understand, Zoey,” he says.

But her answer, “You're my Knight…,” is lost in a sudden and painful cry from Maggie.

Thomas looks in panic from Zoey down to Maggie, and gets a renewed shot of reality. Maggie instantly folds up in a ball-like, fetal position. A powerful spasm pulses through the frail young woman cradled in his arms. She's dying, and so is her child. No more games. No more distractions. It's now a race between life and death!

“My right pants pocket... Get my door key!” Thomas grunts.

Zoey flashes into action, and is there in a second, reaching into his pocket to pull out his key ring. One quick look, and she's already opening the door with the apartment key that has “507” stamped into its brass metal. She twists the knob and flings the door wide open for Thomas and John to rush inside.

Dr. Pane walks into the room and up to the double bed next to the wall. He gives the bed a cursory inspection, concerning cleanliness, before deciding it will have to suffice. As gently as possible, he lays Maggie down on the bed. She instantly rolls in exaggerated slow motion onto her side. Her thin, underfed body is wrapped around the large baby bulge in her abdomen. She and her baby will die in this position unless Thomas does something soon.

So he leaps into action, grabbing the folded-up sheet with all of the obstetric equipment from the petrified van driver, who is still standing near the door.

“John!” Dr. Pane exclaims, “I need you to leave now, my friend. If this goes sideways, and it might, I don't want you losing your job over it. I’ll give you a call as soon as I can,” he says emphatically, grabbing the older man's arm. “Thank you, John.”

The older man lays his hand on top of Thomas’s. “Anytime, Dr. Pane. You just say when, and I'll be there with bells on!”

John gives the hand under his a final pat, and turns and walks out the door, closing it behind him.

Thomas turns to Zoey, who's standing there like a frightened animal, ready to bolt into the underbrush.

He gives the girl a brief smile. “Okay, Zoey, it's you and me. I need you to go into the bathroom and get all the wash cloths from the shelf near the sink. Soak them in really hot water and wring them out, and then bring them back here. I need you to wipe off your sister. Hurry now...” he tells her, as she darts away towards the bathroom.

Thomas turns back to Maggie and scoots her up towards the head of the bed. Then he turns her sideways, across the mattress. He goes to the pile of supplies, pulls out the birthing pack, and rips it open. Laying out the different bits, he selects a sharp pair of surgical scissors and moves back to Maggie. It only takes him a few seconds to cut her dress away. She moans quietly in protest, as he pulls the dress off of her.

He spreads out the plastic birthing sheet and the thick absorbent pads that will help soak up the fluids that are part of every birth.

“Okay, now let’s get you onto the birthing pads,” he groans, picking Maggie back up and laying her down in the center of the absorbent material.

He makes sure she stays on her back while he tries to get her to relax and uncoil from her fetal position. Gradually, as he presses gently on her legs, she lays out flat. She's unconscious. Her breathing is rapid and shallow...almost a pant.

Zoey runs in and lays the armful of washcloths down near Maggie's hip. Thomas's grabs one and quickly wipes the inside of her arm at her elbow, and then on the back of her hand.

“Zoey, I need you to take one of the cloths and wipe Maggie's privates for me. Next, start with another cloth on her face, and work your way down, washing her as you go. Make her breasts especially clean, because we’re going to have a mighty hungry baby in a few minutes.”

Thomas starts talking to himself. “Okay, fluids first! She’s so dehydrated...”

Dr. Pane quickly sorts through the birthing-kit items and finds the I.V. cannula, a rubber strap, and a sterile wipe. He doesn't waste any time, immediately putting the tourniquet band across her bicep, and feeling around for the vein in the crook of her arm.

“Shit, it's so damn small! There's no time to find one in her hand,” he muses quietly to himself. Then he holds her arm steady and inserts the needle into her arm.

“Okay... okay! Good! I got it inside the vein...” his tension eases for a moment.

His movements become more precise. He reaches for an I.V. bag of Lactated Ringer’s Solution and hangs it from a curtain rod hook. Next he brings the plastic tube down to Maggie's arm and connects it to the cannula. He opens the clamp holding back the life-giving fluid, and lets it flow into the dehydrated girl. Wide open, it's a constant, rapid drip.

Dr. Pain gives a satisfied grunt and gets the mild sedative and muscle relaxant from the kit. “She won't need all of this. It's an adult dose,” he muses to himself. He quickly injects about half of it into the other port on the cannula.

Thomas looks over at Zoey, diligently cleaning her sister's arm and upper torso. He gives her a quick smile. “Ready to meet your new nephew or niece?” he asks, as he picks up a catheter.

“A what?” Zoey responds, “Oooh, you mean her baby! Yep... is everything okay?” she asks simply.

“I think so, but let's stay focused. You keep washing, and I'll take care of the rest,” he states, matter-of-factly.

“The catheter is next, then the spinal block,” he thinks to himself, as he continues to work through his mental checklist. As Thomas moves down to her groin, he sees the barely noticeable patch of dark peach fuzz that's decorating the top of her pubis mons. “So tiny and so young,” he thinks, as he spreads the swollen folds of her blood-engorged outer vaginal lips. Her teenage pussy is discolored by all of the blood and hormones that have permeated her womanhood. Out surges a gush of birth fluids from deep inside her uterus. All this part of her natural lubricants, as her body responds to the birthing process.

Thomas finds her urethra, inserts the catheter with a practiced efficiency, and attaches the collection bag on the outer end. He deftly opens the clip, which lets a weak trickle of very dark amber urine out of Maggie's bladder.

He huffs in mild concern, even though he expected it, considering that she hasn’t taken in any fluids since her labor started.

“Zoey, I need you to help me hold Maggie still while I give her a shot to help her with the pain. Okay, Sweetie...” he looks up to tell his small assistant.

Maggie has uncoiled and is looking better already, as the fluids work their magic and rehydrate her depleted body.

He lifts her onto her side, facing Zoey. “Okay, here we go. Don't let her move. Just lay on her. Let your weight hold her down for me,” he instructs, already finger-counting down the vertebrae of her back.

He finds the right spot and gives the location a quick inspection. Then he cleans the area with a sterile swab. “Okay, hold tight!” he tells Zoey, and quickly inserts the needle just above the nerve bundle to her lower extremities.

Maggie let's out a painful grunt, but doesn't move, and a second later the sedative has already begun numbing the nerves to the lower part of her body.

All this prep, and then the main event... Dr. Pane waits a couple of minutes to let all the drugs take effect. He removes the collection bag from her catheter, and slides a pelvic lift under her smallish butt.

Now that she’s in a birthing position, Thomas puts on his surgical LED headlamp, and turns it on. He lays out all the different part of the birthing kit: scalpel, gauze, cesarean suture kit, Betadine, sterile water, scissors, umbilical clamps, spray-on plastic bandage, bulb syringe, and several other miscellaneous items.

“Time’s a-wasting,” he thinks, as he uses the Betadine to clean off the area where his incision will be. Thomas picks up the scalpel and starts in on a four-inch incision, horizontally across Maggie's lower abdomen. He carefully cuts through each separate outer layer, leaving the uterine wall for last.

He wipes off the blood, packs the incision with gauze, and pushes the baby back just enough to allow him to safely cut through the uterine wall without harming the child inside. The incision is quickly followed by a sudden gush of blood…and the head of a baby. He eases its head out sideways, and then gently rolls the baby onto it's back, letting its shoulder align with the opening. Seconds later, Thomas is holding a very slimy, mucus-coated little girl.

He rapidly wipes off her face and uses the bulb syringe to evacuate her nasal passages and mouth. Dr. Pane is about to hold her up by her feet and whack her butt, when her eyes fly open and she gives him a piece of her mind.

Thomas holds the newborn gingerly, and watches with growing approval as she wails her displeasure with the world in general. Her fingers and toes are splayed widely…okay, she's got ten fingers and ten toes. Her color is changing from a sickly bluish-white color to a nice, bright pink as he watches.

The little beauty finally winds down, and looks up at the man who’s holding her. Her dark, newborn’s eyes are darting about looking for someone to feed her. She also starts to make lots of hungry, sucking sounds. The proud doctor reaches down to pick up a few gauze pads, and cleans her up a bit more, before laying her between her mother's legs.

He changes his focus after hearing a hungry, needful moan coming from Maggie. Her eyes are bright and shining, and the light bluish gray of her eyes is the same as Zoey's.

She weakly croaks, in a dry gravelly voice, “My baby...is it all right?”

Thomas smiles at the new mother. “Give me a few more seconds, and I'll introduce you to your new daughter.”

“A girl... Zoey did you hear. It's a little girl,” she says, starting to cry softly.

He hurries to put the umbilical clamps in place, and to cut the baby free from her mother. It only takes him a few more seconds to wrap her in a soft, fluffy terry towel.

“Zoey, stack those pillows behind Maggie's back for me,” he instructs his young assistant.

Zoey quickly helps her sister to sit up slightly, and then puts a reading pillow, and several others, behind her back.

Maggie reaches up weakly, and takes her daughter into her arms. Their endless moment lasts for nearly five minutes, as mother and daughter bond, one to the other. It’s the ageless process between a mother and her newborn.

While they get to know each other, Dr. Pane is busy removing the afterbirth from Maggie's uterus and checking for any residual bleeding. Everything is fine, and after a quick rinse with the sterile water, he begins to suture up her incision, one layer at a time. The uterus is his major priority. He uses small, closely-knit, intricate stitches to close the incision, to give her the opportunity for natural childbirth later in her life.

As he works quickly to finish the necessary work between Maggie's legs, he listens to the three girls: the doting mother, the proud sister, and the very hungry, newborn girl. The baby's noisy sucking sounds are starting to get much more insistent. She's about to wake the dead if she doesn't get fed, and really soon.

Dr. Pane glances up as he finishes his sutures. “Maggie, you need to bring her up to your nipple, Sweetness. She's hungry and needs to feed,” he states, as he sprays her sutures with the plastic bandage sealant.

Maggie sniffles and starts to cry softly. “I'm not very big. How is she going to get enough milk from me. I mean, look at them...” she sniffles again, and looks down at the baby in her arms and the ultra-small breasts barely protruding from her mostly flat chest.

Her nipples are standing up, hard as little rocks atop her dark purplish areolae. But the soft mounds of mammary flesh beneath them are woefully thin and just beginning to bud into real breasts.

Zoey has now joined Maggie in crying softly.

Thomas smiles and points to the baby. “It's okay. Just bring her up and get her mouth near your nipple. She'll do the rest. You'll get bigger over the next few days as your hormones help to make more milk for her. She needs to suckle to help bring in your milk. This is all totally normal.” He motions with his hand for her to bring the baby up where she can feed.

Maggie turns her eyes towards the hungry infant and then lifts her towards her tiny teat. The baby gurgles happily as the warm, hard nipple slides uselessly across her lips. But instantly starts to fuss when she can't find the treasured source of nourishment. Time is ticking by, and the baby bomb is about to go off again.

Thomas speaks softly. “You have to help her, Maggie. This is her first lesson. Everything she is or will be will mostly come from you, especially at first. Now use your hand, and guide her to your nipple.”

Tears running freely down her cheeks, Maggie brings the baby in close and eases her nipple between her lips. Maggie gives a startled cry of pain, as her daughter latches on to her teat.

“Ouch! Oh crap, that hurts like hell!” Maggie cries out, cuddling the child closer to her chest. “Where the hell did she learn to suck that hard. Oooch…damn, girl, lighten up...” she complains, but the baby isn't listening.

“Instinct, Maggie. She knows how to suck from instinct. It’ll be painful at first, until your nipples harden up and you get used to nursing her. I'll get you some cream that will help deaden the pain. But that's just part of breast feeding. You're doing fine...really!”

Maggie looks up and glances over at Zoey. “But I don't know anything about babies, or being a good mother,” she pouts, and the water-works starts up again.

Thomas smiles and says, “Trust me, not many new parents know much either. But look at her,” he tells Maggie. He reaches up and pulls the fuzzy blanket away from around her child.

“Look at her, Maggie. Look at this perfectly healthy little girl. You did that. You created this incredibly beautiful and wonderfully made little person. She's yours and you’re hers...” he sniffles himself, “and you’ll be fine. You have Zoey, and there are others who will help.” He stammers to a stop, and covers the baby with the fuzzy blanket again.

Maggie and Zoey have been watching him intently, but now the baby starts to fuss at Maggie’s breast. “You need to shift her to the other side. She's emptied that breast,” Thomas tells her.

Maggie frowns with pain, but moves the baby over to her other breast. The baby, happy again, goes back to her noisy feeding frenzy.

Maggie looks at her, and then at Thomas, and asks, “Who are you, and why am I here with Zoey?”

Zoey quickly pipes up, and a tidal wave of words tries to get out in one massive rush. But all she can get out is, “He saved me, and you too...and the baby. His name is Dr. Thomas Pane. He's the best ever, Maggie...the best,” she says again. Then, after thinking for a few seconds, she goes on, “He's the one you told me about. The one coming to save us.”

Dr. Pane doesn't answer Maggie's question, but instead he picks up one of the newborn formula kits. He opens the sealed bag and takes out the bottle and the baby formula. Using a little distilled water, he mixes the formula in the bottle and then pops it into the microwave for about 10 seconds. He adds the nipple next, and gives the bottle and a quick shake. He has it ready just as the baby starts to fuss again.

Maggie waits trustingly for this unknown man to come gather up her baby for a top off. He leans down and, smiling, collects the wriggling infant into his arms. She's still hungry, but not as ravenous as before. Dr. Pane hasn't fed many babies, either, but he knows he'll have to step up and help out.

The little girl is very active and alert for a newborn. He nuzzles the plastic nipple between her lips, but she's not buying this yucky, poor substitute for her mother's nice warm teat. Her brow wrinkles in growing displeasure, and she somehow manages a piercing glare up at the doctor.

Thomas's growing frustration, and the baby's refusal to take the bottle, is going to end in a total meltdown. But then he remembers something that his mother told him about his own refusal to take a bottle. She got him to finally take it by coating the nipple with a drop of honey.

Dr. Pane quickly goes over to his pantry and gets down a bottle of honey. He squeezes out a single drop of the sticky amber fluid, and coats the nipple with it.

He holds the small white tub of formula up, and lets the baby get a good look at it. Her sucking sounds are becoming more urgent, as her wee little body burns through the snack her mother gave her like a nuclear reactor. Thomas crosses his fingers mentally, and lowers the nipple to the infant's lips.

Her brow wrinkles again into a deepening frown as she feels the cold, rubbery nipple on her lips. But this suddenly turns to euphoric delight when the honey tears into her newborn taste-buds. Like a 10-horsepower, professional grade Shop Vac, she starts in on the bottle of formula. Slurping and gurgling away, she drains the bottle in a matter of minutes. When she’s finished, she lets out a small burp of satisfaction. Thomas moves her gently to his shoulder, to see if there's a bit more air in her tiny stomach.

As he softly pats and rubs her back, she burps one more time. She’s motionless when he moves her off of his shoulder. She's already fast asleep. Thomas, smiling, turns to give the baby back to her mother, but both Maggie and Zoey are already asleep as well.

“Okay, well… I have a few things to catch up on before I get a few winks myself,” he muses silently.

Dr. Pane lays the baby down beside her sleeping mother, and, seeing that the I.V. bag is empty, switches it out with a fresh one. He'll start Maggie’s intravenous feeding as soon as this bag of Ringer’s is finished up.

“Okay, baby first, and then clean up all the mess from the delivery...” he notes to himself.

He opens the fuzzy blanket and notes that “little miss priss” has already had a nice, healthy bowel movement. Perfect. Everything is kicking in and starting to work. Thomas quickly cleans her butt, and then begins to work on the rest of her. Inside her mother, her skin is protected by a layer of mucus that now needs to be removed. It takes him a few minutes to wipe her down, and then put on a little baby oil to help with dryness. Next, he works to trim up her umbilical cord, tape it to her little belly bulge, and put a small T-shirt on her. Add a newborn diaper and a swaddling blanket, and she's good to go.

He folds another of the fuzzy blankets, and lays her back down against it to keep her from rolling, while he goes to fetch a temporary bassinet. In the bathroom, he dumps out the extra towel from his plastic storage tote. A folded towel in its bottom, covered with a changing-table cover, will work for the next few days.

Thomas drags his sturdy coffee table over, next to the bed, and puts the improvised bassinet on top of it. Then he lays the sleeping newborn in it, on her side, with a rolled towel behind her back.

He moves over to the bed, to stand beside Maggie. She's sleeping peacefully, and is looking much better, thanks to the fluids being pumped into her. The doctor part of him watches her chest rising and falling in a normal sleep pattern. He lifts her wrist and feels a strong, steady pulse.

Thomas takes a few moments to marvel at this incredible young woman who is lying asleep atop a bed covered in all the mess of childbirth. Somehow she's managed to take care of Zoey and gestate another perfect little human being, while being abandoned, half starved, and in fear of her life, 24/7. Truly, she is a unique individual... And now he starts his clean-up.

His first order of business is the afterbirth. He hurriedly places it in the specimen bag provided as part of the birthing kit. He'll get John to run it over to the Pathology Lab, to make sure things are okay and that all of it detached properly. Maggie doesn't need an infection, or further bleeding…not for a while.

He sets it aside and takes a quick look between her legs. He gently spreads her swollen vaginal lips apart, so he can watch her body drain for a few seconds. There’s a little more of clear fluids, but no blood. Good! She’s progressing well. He makes a mental note to check her vaginal canal again later, to make sure that her cervix is closing up. A good time for that would probably be when she's feeding the baby in a few hours. He puts the specimen bag inside the fridge, and then goes back to the bed to finish up.

He gathers all the soiled clothing, bloody gauze, and absorbent pads, and dumps them into a fresh bio-hazard bag. He lifts her butt off the bed and puts a new pad under her. Finally, he covers Maggie and Zoey both with a clean, fresh sheet. He’s exhausted. He walks over to his recliner, lies back, and follows the girls into a blissful sleep.

The tiny human alarm clock goes off almost exactly two hours later. Yep, “little miss priss” is awake and hungry. Thomas's deep, throaty groan is nothing compared to the deafening noise coming from inside the plastic tote on the coffee table.

Thomas hauls his tired ass up from the comfort of the recliner, and shuffles over to look at the unhappy baby. He bends down, gathers her into his arms, and lifts her upward. As he holds her up close, she quiets down and gives him another of her already patented looks.

He leans in close and kisses her cheek. “Okay, let's get you cleaned up before we give you to your Mom,” he says, looking over towards Maggie.

Maggie’s awake and looking at him with a very bright and happy smile. “You're going to spoil her, Dr. Pane,” she warns playfully.

He smiles back at her. “What…? A pretty young lady should always get a good morning kiss!”

He unwraps her, quickly changes her diaper, and wraps her in another of the fluffy blankets. He brings her to her mother, who reaches out to take her. The baby sees her mother and starts making loud sucking sounds. She begins to thrash her tiny arms about in growing excitement.

Mother and child spend the next few minutes making faces at each other, while Maggie covers her little girl's face with a barrage of happy, wet kisses. The baby finally decides that she needs feeding more than being kissed, so she squawks a pitiful, unhappy cry.

Maggie panics for a moment, but then quickly brings her baby down to her left nipple. The newborn, feeling the warm nipple between her lips, latches on with hungry gusto. Maggie's painful moan soon becomes a contented purr, as she hums some nameless tune to her little girl. Mother and daughter settle into the normal feeding cycle that will now be the center of their lives for the next few weeks.

Thomas glances as Zoey. She hasn't moved a muscle. He’d forgotten how much she's been through today. Stabbed first thing this morning, carried off by a strange Doctor, treated, vaccinated, and then present at the birth of her niece. That’s a full day for most nine-year-olds.

He leaves Maggie and the baby to do their thing and goes over to the counter to make up another bottle of formula. A few seconds in the microwave and a drop of honey, and Dr. Pane is ready and waiting.

Dr. Pane calls John to come pick up the placenta. Next he calls the two nurses, Mary and Connie, to tell them everything went well. Mother and daughter are getting acquainted, and are on a normal, two-hour schedule. Last, he calls his boss at the hospital to request a two-week vacation for an unexpected family issue. He’s surprised that nothing is said about taking the time off. In fact, his boss says that if he needs more time to just let him know. No ass chewing, or anything...

He's just hit the disconnect button on his smartphone when he hears Maggie say, “Thomas, she's ready for you. I don't think I lasted as long as the first time. You sure this is going to work?”

Dr. Pane smiles and tosses his phone on the table, as he hurries over to gather up “miss priss.” She's starting to fuss and flail about a bit, but as soon as he picks her up, she settles back down.

Thomas leans down to kiss her mother on the forehead. “Don't worry Mama...things will be fine. Just give it a couple of days,” he encourages her.

Holding Shorty in one arm, he quickly checks the bottle. It's still warm enough. He picks it up and lets her get a good look at it, before he brings it down to her lips. She's ready, this time, and she hooks onto that crappy artificial nipple just fine. It’s the same as last time...she slurps and gurgles away. Her noisy nursing seems to be normal for her, as she drains the bottle in near record time.

He throws her up onto his shoulder and gets another tiny burp out of her, but when he brings her back down she's still awake. Okay, so back to Mama you go. He rapidly checks her diaper, and then he wraps her up for her next sleep cycle and gives her to her mother.

Maggie starts off talking to her baby about all of her dreams, how pretty a baby she is, and how happy she is to have such a wonderful little person in her life. Then she hums that same nameless tune, and her daughter nods off to sleep in her arms. Maggie just holds her tight and looks up at Thomas, and smiles sweetly.

“When I was sleeping I had a dream about her,” Maggie says. “She was a little older, maybe five, and you were holding her hand in front of a door that said ‘Kindergarten.’ You said, ‘It's okay, Tommie. You go play with your friends, and your mama will be here after school to pick you up.’ Then you kissed her cheek, and she ran inside the room as you opened the door.”

When he doesn't reply, she continues, “It's okay. I see things sometimes; you know, like this. Yes, it's weird, but her name is Tommie. After you...” she states matter-of-factly. Then she continues to hum her song while watching her child sleep.

A little while later, Thomas gathers up his namesake, Tommie, and puts her into the plastic tote. Her mother smiles and closes her eyes for another short nap.

Dr. Pane replaces her Ringer’s I.V. with a Parenteral Nutrition bag. It's about half a gallon of all kinds of goodies. This will help Maggie not only with hydration, but also with the nutrients she needs to get her back on her feet. He also drains the very full urine-collection bag.

Thomas hears a quiet knock on the door. He quickly makes sure that everyone is covered, before opening the door. John is there, waiting in the hallway.

“Hi, John. Thanks for coming over to pick this up. Please take it to the Pathology Lab and give it to Dr. Cooper. Explain things to her, and have her send me a text of the results,” Dr. Pane explains in his best professional manner.

John smiles. “Okay, Doc. Anything you say. How are they doing?”

“Well, shit, John...so far, so good. Mama and baby are doing great, and sister Zoey is asleep.”

John's smile gets even bigger. “You did good, Doc! Mary and Connie say hi. They'll be over tomorrow sometime…you know, to bring you some baby supplies, clothes for the girls, and some food.”

Thomas returns John's contagious smile. “Thanks, John, for everything. Beer and dinner on me!”

Dr. Pane turns to get the specimen bag from the fridge.

John stays just outside the threshold of Thomas's apartment, and waits for the doctor to bring him the specimen bag with Maggie's afterbirth.

Thomas hands over the bag, and then stops to look at the man he's often ignored most mornings. The old Black man looks at the young doctor, and says, “It's okay, Dr. Pane. Things have a way of changing sometimes. Today is that day for you.” He pauses and glances into the apartment. “Go take care of those young'uns. I'll be seeing you soon!”

John turns, and, smiling from ear to ear, heads down the hallway.

Everything has been taken care of, so they all settle back down for another brief rest. The newborn child resting in the tote is now in charge. Everyone is here to meet the demands and needs of this one small person.

The rest of Tommie's first day is a continuing series of two- to three-hour naps, feeding, sleeping, and pooping, all intermixed with the happy sounds of a newborn and her new family.

Next morning, fourteen hours later, Zoey comes out of her preteen coma with a constant stream of endless questions, and a gaping maw where her stomach should have been. “I’m so fucking hungry, what's to eat?... How can I help?... Can I hold the baby?... When will she wake-up?... When will she go to sleep?... Can I feed her too?…” And on and on!

Both her sister, Maggie, and Thomas are in a state of emotional shock after the last 24 hours. A lone bachelor now has three girls in his all-too-small apartment. A new mother has the responsibilities of caring for a newborn and an over energetic sister. And Zoey is a ball of preteen energy. Now that everything seems to be going much better, she's ready to get involved with everything all at once.

Zoey joins the melee of caring for a newborn about twenty minutes after she woke up. She’s hungry, but she soon discovers who comes first: the baby. Tommie wakes with her usual brief-but-noisy crying spurt. Once she's satisfied that everyone is paying attention to her urgent needs, she settles down to be fussed over.

First, Zoey gets a quick lesson in diaper changing, including what to do with a poopy diaper, and how to wipe a baby girl's butt. The technique is specifically directional, and cleanliness is a serious concern. Then there’s how tight to put the diaper back on, and, finally, how to hold an infant while supporting its head.

Auntie Zoey takes to this like a duck to water. With a smile splitting her face, she takes her niece to her mother for her next feeding. Her own hunger forgotten, she sits beside her sister to watch her breastfeed the baby.

Thomas watches the two older girls whisper excitedly together as the baby tries to nurse and still get a good look at the new family member. For a newborn, she is quite attentive when awake. Although suckling hungrily on her mama's teat, she stops every so often to give Zoey a little more attention. But her raging hunger always wins out, and back she goes to her noisy slurping and gurgling while feeding.

The sisters start yet another round of making faces at, and baby talk with, Tommie. Their coos and purrs are the music of a happy family. When Maggie's first teat has been drained, she quickly switches to the other, and then looks over at the man who is watching them from across the room.

“Zoey, you need to go help Thomas with the bottle. ‘Short stuff’ here will soon need to be topped off by your hero. It's his job to bottle feed Tommie.”

Maggie's reference to him being a hero goes back to Zoey's ramblings about some type of knight story. No matter... things will settle down as we all move forward.

Zoey zooms over to watch Thomas prep Tommie's bottle. This includes the microwave warming and the drop of honey.

“Okay, young lady. If you're going to feed her, go sit down in the recliner and I'll bring her over to you. She's still not quite finished nursing,” he tells her.

The nine-year-old giggles happily, rushes to the recliner, and climbs into it. She gets comfy, and she waits expectantly with the baby's bottle.

A few minutes later, Tommie finishes up and starts to look around in a newborn's limited fashion for Thomas. She's starting to get used to the routine, and she knows that he's supposed to be here to feed her. She's about to announce her displeasure when Thomas scoops her up and gives her a quick kiss on the forehead.

“Okay Princess, I'm here. Let's get you over to Zoey for your bottle,” he exclaims, but not before giving Maggie a quick peck on the cheek.

He brings Tommie to Zoey, to be fed. Zoey positions her arm just right, and takes the baby from Thomas. A few seconds later, the baby is suckling from the bottle just as she normally would. She seems to like to her auntie just fine.

Burping a newborn is a technique that would best be learned another day. Thomas lets Zoey and her niece bond for a few more minutes before he picks up Tommie. He gently brings her up to his shoulder, and rubs and pats her back gently. A little burp later, she's all done.

They all head back over to Maggie. Thomas leaves Maggie and Zoey to fuss over the baby while she's awake. He checks Maggie's Parenteral I.V., and decides that it's time to get some solid food into her.

Everyone is hungry, so while the girls giggle and whisper away, he goes to work fixing them all breakfast. Scrambled eggs, sausage links, bacon, and toast are all on the menu. He sees that the baby is already asleep and waiting for him to tuck her into her plastic tote.

Dr. Pane, the physician, shows up for a few minutes to check on Maggie, and her genitals as well. The sutures are doing great. She's no longer leaking any fluids, and the swelling is starting to go down as the hormones leave her erogenous zone. Her stomach and lower abdomen are all shrinking and tightening up just fine.

Working as quickly as possible, he closes off the I.V. and closes the valve on her catheter. Maggie isn’t quite sure what's happening, and looks a little apprehensive.

“All right now, breakfast is on the table. Zoey, take one of the pillows and put it on the chair nearest the bed.” He looks down at Maggie. “Come on, Maggie, let's get you up and moving.”

Dr. Pane, smiling with encouragement, reaches out to take Maggie's hand. “You can do this! The food and a little exercise will make you feel a whole lot better. Plus, Connie and Mary, a couple of friends of mine, are coming over to help,” he tells her, and pulls on her hand.

To his complete surprise Maggie stands up easily on two very shaky legs, and wraps her arm around his waist. Almost without realizing what he's doing, Thomas hooks his arm under her armpit, and pulls her closer. Her lean, lithe nakedness is pressed up against his side. “You're doing great... Maybe my friends can help you with a hot shower, too.” He escorts a smiling Maggie to the table for breakfast.

He takes a moment to go to his closet and get another of his gray T-shirts for Maggie. It's got long sleeves, and it’s one of his favorites from “Salt Life.” He brings it back to the table and helps her put it on over her head.

Zoey is watching with a grin, and is shoving food into her mouth as if this is the end of the world and the last meal she'll ever have.

Swallowing a massive mouthful, she looks over at Maggie as she smiles up at Thomas. “Mags, you won't believe how good this stuff tastes! I can barely remember food like this, before Mama and Papa...” she sniffles, slowing to a stop.

Zoey gazes down at her half-empty plate and cries softly. Thomas leaves Maggie and walks around the table to quietly add a few more scrambled eggs and a few more strips of bacon to her plate.

Then he whispers, “We have plenty of food here, and I can always get more anytime, so eat your fill.”

Her response is, again, totally unexpected. In a blur of motion, she flies out of her chair to wrap her arms around his waist. Thomas is completely out of his element, so he sets the dish of scrambled eggs down so Maggie can get some for herself, and slowly kneels in front of Zoey.

As he kneels, she releases her hold on his waist. Without a word, she wraps her arms around his neck and kisses him full on the lips. It’s not a little girl kiss, but it’s not an adult kiss either. It’s a Zoey kiss meant just for him. Somewhere along the way he finds that he has wrapped his arms around this wee snipe of a girl, and he hugs her tight. Unthinking, he begins to kiss her back...just for an instant. But then he refocuses on the moment and the nine-year-old in his arms.

He tries to release her, but she holds on tight. Her face is so close to his that he turns a bright red, but her smile only broadens.

“That was nice Thomas. Thank you for fixing breakfast,” she snorts playfully, and casually lets her arms fall from around his neck.

Zoey smiles sweetly and then returns to her chair and her breakfast. Thomas snaps back to reality when he hears Maggie giggling behind him.

“You're in trouble now, big boy,” Maggie says. “She likes you!” She badgers him, just a little, between mouthfuls of scrambled eggs and bacon.

“Hey, you might want to slow down and chew your food,” Thomas says, laughing, as Maggie continues to stuff her face.

“No fucking way!” she cusses. “Just look at Zoey putting that plate of food away. One more go at the eggs and they'll be a goner,” she notes, spooning more food into her mouth.

Thomas sits down and smiles happily. He watches the girls finish up a dozen eggs, two pounds of bacon, and a package of sausage links. And that’s not to mention the OJ and milk that's being consumed as well.

He gets himself a couple of pieces of toast, and settles in with some apricot preserves, just to get something into his stomach. He adds a cup of hot tea, and he’s okay for a little while.

He’s just finishing up when there's a loud knocking at the door. Since he’s expecting Connie and Mary, Thomas goes to the door and opens it without looking through its peephole.

The nurses are excited because they know that the good doctor has not only saved Zoey, but Maggie and her baby too. To them, he is every bit the knight in shining armor that Zoey seems to think he is.

As the door opens, they rush the unsuspecting doctor, but after a couple of quick hugs, the nurses are all about Zoey, Maggie, and the baby. Although the baby is still sleeping, they start their overall assessment of how well Dr. Pane is doing with his new charges. They're concerned about the girls because they know that the good doctor is a confirmed bachelor, with little or no knowledge of caring for children, especially girls. And now he's got three of them: a teenage mom, a preteen, and an infant.

The nurses give the girls a quick visual inspection, and then they turn on Thomas like a couple of female hellcats.

Before they can verbally eviscerate him, he tries to head them off. “Hey…hey…for God's sake! Maggie only gave birth a little over 24 hours ago. What do you want from me, the parting of the Red Sea? Or what,” he says, grinning at the nurses. “I've been pretty busy. I top off ‘short stuff ‘ every two hours or so while Zoey slept for over 14 hours. She is just now starting to help. So cut me some slack.”

The ladies retract their claws, and finally relax a little. They leave Thomas with the girls and go out to haul everything in from the van. John helps with the heavier stuff. And then they’re back and are busy talking with the girls. Finally, as he finishes his toast, they surround him at the table.

Mary points to the door and says, “Git! We’re going to need about two hours to get them cleaned and dressed so they look like little girls again. So go with John and check in with the hospital, and see how things are going there. Okay?”

Connie pipes up and asks, just in case, “Anything medical you want us to do, Dr. Pane?”

“Yes, Thanks Connie. You can take out her catheter, but don't remove the I.V. port. I'll take it out in a couple of days, just in case.”

Thomas knows when he's outnumbered. He gets up from the table, puts on a pair of athletic shoes, and walks to the door. He turns briefly to see the girls smiling and waving good-bye. A few minutes later he climbs into the van’s front passenger seat, next to John, for the drive to the hospital.

“Where to Doc?” John asks.

“To the hospital, please. I've got a couple of hours to waste, while the nurses do their thing,” he replies with a tired shrug of his shoulders.

John gives him a toothy smile. “The hospital can wait. Let's go get you some breakfast and a good cup of coffee.”

“You're right, John. Breakfast sounds pretty good. The hospital can wait a few more minutes,” he says, watching as John drives away from his apartment building.

John takes him to a little hole-in-the-wall diner. An hour or so later both are well fed and heading towards the hospital. John stops outside the ER entrance to drop off Dr. Pane.

“Text me when you're ready to go back home, Dr. Pane.” He says, giving the good doctor a brief smile as Thomas closes the door. John waves goodbye and drives off towards the Vaccination Clinic.

Dr. Pane stares at the large pane windows and sliding glass doors that lead into the hospital. They appear different today, strangely surreal. It’s as if he's stepped through some type of time warp, or an altered vision of the future.

Still in a trance-like state, he moves slowly towards the doors. He's about to turn around and run, when the doors open with a metallic whoosh of escaping air, and there in the doorway is one of his favorite colleagues, Dr. Judith Crush, one of the best ER doctors in the hospital. She looks up to see him standing there like a deer in the headlights, and she rushes up to give him a big hug.

“I wondered when you would show up to check-in. Connie and Mary kicked you out, right?” she babbles away as she embraces him. But then Dr. Crush suddenly looks up when she hears the sirens of an incoming ambulance.

“Sorry, Dr. Pane! I wish I could talk more, but duty calls.” She turns away as a couple of ER nurses come out to help with the emergency patient.

Thomas rushes through the doors before things get busy, and walks down the hallway towards the main doors into the hospital. He pulls out his ID card from his wallet and touches it to the door pad marked “Staff Only.” He continues down some much quieter hallways towards the small office he shares with another Intern.

He logs onto the hospital’s computer system and checks his email. Nothing! All of his normal stuff isn't there: no staff meetings, no schedule, nor any of the frequent updates. There’s nothing except a note from his boss, asking him to stop in and see him if possible, and a notice approving his vacation…except that it says “Pending.”

Thomas frowns, but it doesn't really matter. Pending or not, he can't leave the girls by themselves until the baby is a bit older. He suddenly realizes that his job isn't as important as the three little girls back at his apartment.

He switches from his email account to his on-line checking account, to review his balance. The girls will need all kinds of stuff. Everything from clothing to smart phones. Damn, he thought he was poor before... He laughs to himself and looks at the balance.

“Yes!” he thinks happily. His salary for the last two weeks was transferred into his account late last night. But there's something wrong: the number is much higher than he expected. Shit, now he'll have to work with accounting to get the discrepancy corrected, before he can spend a dime.

Because of this error, he starts to review all of the account information, and he finds more mistakes. Instead of “Intern,” in now says “Staff.” He looks again at his name...yes, Dr. Thomas Arthur Pane, Staff Doctor at Chicago Memorial Hospital. “Damn,” he thinks, “how did that get all screwed up. I go away for two days, and already everything is messed up.” He laughs again. “Kinda like my life right now. Well maybe not messed up, but definitely changing by the second.”

Thomas closes the computer link and leans forward to pick up the receiver on the hospital phone. He is just pressing the “O” for the operator, when he hears a knock on his door. He hangs up the receiver, and turns to see his boss, Dr. Lot, standing in the doorway.

“Ah, good, Thomas. I saw that you were logged into the system, so I thought I would pop by and say hello.” He smiles and walks into the office.

He pulls the other office chair over, and sits down. “So how are the girls doing this morning? Mary and Connie told me they were off to help out. I see they threw you out so they could take care of all that girl-stuff,” he says, smiling.

“Yeah, they said I need to check-in, here at the hospital, and not come back for a couple of hours. They were pretty insistent...” he states, as Dr. Lot laughs.

“Don't worry about them. They just want to help. We'll get you a bit more help as soon you need it. Take your time and wait until things settle a bit. I've changed your vacation request to Family Leave, and I’ve given you six weeks of it. We do that for all our Staff Physicians, Dr. Pane. Oh, yes, and congratulations on your promotion. We'll figure out a placement strategy when you return to work in a few weeks,” he concludes, handing Thomas one of his business cards.

“My personal cell number is on the back. You call whenever you need something. I've already sent you a couple of text messages detailing healthcare and schooling options for the girls...should you choose to keep them.” He stops, thinks, and then says, “Thank you, Dr. Pane. You did something special yesterday! You've opened a number of eyes with your heroics...”

Thomas is not quite sure what to think, so he simply says, “Thank you, Dr. Lot.”

Dr. Lot stands. “My pleasure, Thomas,” he says, and he walks out through the door, closing it as he leaves.

He’s stunned by this sudden turn of events. He shakes his head, trying to clear his mind. He pulls his cell phone out, almost automatically, and looks at the time. Just a little over two hours have passed; it's time to go back home...back to the girls.

He hops out of his chair, suddenly excited. His excitement comes not so much from his talk with Dr. Lot, but because he can go home to Maggie, Zoey and Tommie. His life's purpose is now defined by three children. He's off, homeward bound in flash of happiness.

He closes his office door behind him, and then he notices that there are a number of people lining the hallway. Friends, colleagues, acquaintances...all there to say hello and to wish him well. “See you soon,” they say, “don't be a stranger when you get back. Say hello to the girls. You're doing a good thing, Dr. Pane…” and on and on until he walks through the ER doors and sees John and his van waiting to take him home.

Back in the safety of the van, he asks, “What the hell was all that John?” He’s still a bit confused by all the notoriety.

John is laughing out loud. “Well, Dr. Pane, it seems like someone took this video of a certain doctor rescuing a young girl from a group of juvenile thugs. Seems it went viral, and now that doctor is some kinda hero.”

Thomas shakes his head at John. “Thanks, Buddy...” he says sarcastically.

John keeps chuckling while he waits for Thomas to buckle up, before he pulls away from the hospital entrance. A few minutes later, he stops in front of Thomas's apartment building. “Tell those two crazy nurses that I'm waiting and don't have all day,” he teases, still laughing.

Thomas walks around to John's open window and rests his hand on the older man’s forearm. “Again, John, thanks, for everything. Most heroes have a sidekick helping them...”

“You're welcome, Doc. See you soon,” he says with a smile.

Thomas walks to the elevator and pushes the “Up” button. The doors open immediately, and two minutes later he's standing outside his apartment.

He rings the doorbell and hears Zoey yelling, “I got it!”

Outside the door, Thomas takes a deep breath and waits. Zoey opens the door and freezes in place. She's wearing a bright green pullover shirt with a pair of red shorts. Her pale white skin is a healthy reddish color from all the scrubbing it took to get her clean. Her long, dark-black hair is pulled back in a ponytail. Her pale, bluish-gray eyes are locked on his. She's smiling from ear to ear, and it's just for him.

“Don't worry guys,” she taunts, “it's only Arthur. He finally decided to come home and check on us.”

For a long moment, Thomas is unable to take his eyes off Zoey. Finally he looks up to see a slowly moving Maggie, holding Tommie against her bare chest, hobbling her way towards the door. The baby is latched onto her left teat, but Maggie seems determined to welcome him home anyway.

Then it happens. As he watches Maggie’s ungainly, slow, and painful approach, her beauty slams into Thomas like a ton of bricks. It’s not the beauty of her physical form, because she looks like shit right now. She’s skinny and underfed, with long and tooth-pick-thin legs, childish budding breasts, drawn and pain-pinched face, and dark-black hair pulled back in a ponytail like Zoey’s. But it's there, glowing like a beacon from a lighthouse on a cold dark night…her indomitable spirit. She's given everything, to grow and nurture this baby she's carried so close to full term.

But her bright smile warms the heart of this lonely man with just a hint of something else, something not yet there...

As he walks through the door, Zoey takes his hand and leads him towards Maggie and the baby. Moments later he has his arms around them all. He pulls them close and kisses each of them, while the girls shower him with kisses in return. Tommie starts to fuss, and doesn't settle down until her mother passes her to Thomas. He holds her up close, kissing her on the cheek. After the baby has gotten a good look at the handsome young doctor, she calms down, cooing and gurgling happily.

Zoey runs off to go get the bottle for Thomas. Tommie's pretty mellow, but her regimented feeding has been interrupted most rudely. The bottle he gets from Zoey is reusable, and much larger than the disposable preemie ones. The baby takes one look at that gigantic bottle and starts to make her usual sucking and smacking sounds.

A few seconds later, Thomas has her nursing away. Zoey closes the door behind him, and he moves into the room holding the baby. Connie and Mary are watching him and the girls with tears in their eyes.

They have cleaned up his apartment, cleaned and washed the girls, and changed the bed linens. There's even a clean sheet on his recliner. Shit, even the breakfast dishes have been cleaned and put away.

He and the girls stop in front of his friends. “Thank you for taking time to come up here and help out. Also, please thank all the people who made food for us. I haven't had much time to cook,” he tells them sincerely.

Zoey and Maggie both give each of the nurses a big hug.

Zoey says, “Thanks for all the clothes and stuff. Are you going to come back with more food?” she asks enthusiastically.

Mary answers quickly. “You bet! We've got to make sure that stinker over there takes good care of you gals. All he knows how to do is use Uber Eats...”

Maggie has buttoned her top back up, and takes a bit longer to look at the two nurses, her new friends. “Thomas is lucky to have you two as his friends. Please come back as soon as you can. I'm sure that stinker over there will do his best until you come back with more goodies. And tell everybody thanks.”

The nurses both laugh, and walk towards the door, with Thomas following along while feeding the baby. She's as noisy as ever, as she chows down on the bottle of formula. The ladies stop at the door and turn towards Thomas.

They look back at the girls, and Connie gives Thomas a quick hug. “They're something special, Thomas. They’ll need lots of love and attention, but I think they've found the right guy for the job. Don't take too long before talking to them about their future. They need to know your plans for them.” She reaches up to run her hand down his cheek.

Thomas looks over at Mary, and smiles his thanks. She says, “We'll see you in a few days.” Then she continues crisply, in a professional tone, “Her catheter came out easily, and she was able to get a good solid stream going. It was a little painful, but that should pass in a couple of days. Her vaginal canal is back to normal, and her cervix is all but closed as well.”

Dr. Pane nods his head at the two of them. “Thank you, ladies, again!”

They both come close to look at Tommie once more, but the little piglet is now in a newborn’s food coma, having drained the bottle dry. Her little belly is distended from all that she's eaten. Her eyes barely open as Thomas lays her over his shoulder, gently rubs her back, and gives her a few quick pats. After a healthy burp, he lays her down along his arm for a final viewing.

The nurses giggle, and Mary pats his hand. “You're in so much trouble here, big boy...” she says.

They open the door, and with a quick wave, head down the hallway. Thomas closes the door and looks back at Zoe and Maggie. They both want a little “me time” with him.

He takes the sleeping baby over to the plastic-tote bassinet, but then remembers to check her diaper. It's wet, of course, so he does a quick change and then places her inside her temporary bed as usual.

Now that the baby is sleeping, the other two girls want a little more loving. They're excited just to finally be clean and safe, and to have food to eat. Now they just need to be held and comforted, very much like the infant who’s now asleep in her tote. He puts Disney+ on the TV, and lets them watch some of their favorites, new and old.

Before Tommie wakes up, Thomas warms up some spaghetti and makes some garlic cheese bread for supper. They all enjoy the meal, and then some family time when Tommie wakes up. Her feeding-and-sleep cycle is starting to get a little longer.

Zoey and Thomas talk with Maggie, and they agree to start rotating shifts, to help with the baby. Working one-shift-on, one-shift-off will let all of them get more rest until the baby’s cycle lengthens enough to become a nightly sleep cycle.

Thomas takes the late-night shift, and Zoey will do the early morning. The daytime will be more or less normal for everyone except Tommie.

When he finally announces that it's time for bed, the girls grumble with a little disappointment. They've all enjoyed the evening together, and wish it would be a little longer, but the baby will be up—and hungry—all too soon.

A few more quick hugs, and the girls start getting ready for bed. Mostly, they mischievously torture the young doctor, taking off their clothes in front of him. Thomas has been so busy, the last day and a half, that he's forgotten how beautiful young girls are. Each is different from the other, but they definitely share similar sisterly traits: the dark-black hair, the smooth and alabaster-white skin, and those light, grayish-blue eyes.

Everything is revealed, as they both run around in only panties. Zoey's body displays the skinny, but otherwise normal, proportions of a nine-year-old. However, Maggie's willowy, thin, and leggy frame seems more a centerfold for Miss Anorexia of 2027. But they are both quite lovely…especially Maggie, glowing with motherhood.

He watches her slowly get ready for bed. Even though she’s still in pain, he can see the grace of each motion, the way she watches her sister, her glances at her baby as it sleeps peacefully, and, yes, the sly little glances his way and the smiles she gives him when she sees his eyes on her. There were also the soft little caresses as they watched Disney+, her hand resting on his chest, and her head lying on his shoulder, all as if it were somehow part of the natural order of things.

When he turns his head, he sees Zoey watching him intently. She comes close and takes his hand. “She's pretty, hmm, Arthur!” She stops to watch her sister pull a gray T-shirt over her head. “Am I pretty too?” she asks, giving his arm a tug.

Thomas kneels in front of Zoey. “Yes, Princess. You are just as pretty as your sister…maybe even a little prettier,” he tells her. Zoey smiles happily.

“Good,” Zoey says. “You know, I can do all the stuff she can do. My tits aren't as big, but I know all that sex stuff. Want me to show you?” she says, excitement creeping into her voice.

Understanding slowly dawns upon Thomas, as Zoey throws her arms around his neck and gives him another one of her not-so-little-girl kisses. She snuggles in close, rubbing her bare chest across the thin material of his T-shirt. Her tiny nipples are hard, excited little nubs of rubbery flesh. They're not much, but he can feel them poking at him through his T-shirt.

Her kiss is a mix of emotions, all wrapped up in the tiny lips pressed against his: Will he kiss me back? Does he really like me? Will I be able to stay here with Maggie and the baby? Is he my knight in shining armor? Will he let me care for him?

Thomas is unable to resist Zoey's girlish charms, and he responds for a few moments. His flesh is aching for the love of another. The lonely doctor is a man of flesh and blood, and here, with her arms around him, is a consenting young woman. She’s not a little girl, judging from her words and actions, but rather a seasoned street warrior with knowledge far beyond her years. But even so, he must not lose himself to the passion of the moment. Her older sister is watching, and she’s probably wondering what the fuck he’s doing to her little sister.

Their kiss is slow to fade, and the feelings it aroused linger long after Thomas has slowly pulled away. He doesn't want to hurt her by refusing her offered gift. Far from it. But still, she is a child. “That was nice, Zoey,” he stammers. “Let's head for bed, okay?” While he’s trying to downplay the lustful growth between his legs, Zoey sniffles, and runs off towards the bathroom.

Maggie smiles warmly. “She's quite persistent, Thomas. You saved her life... You saved my life, and Tommie's as well. She has nothing to give you but her love. Don't refuse her, please. Let her care for your needs,” she says quietly, looking towards the bathroom and her sister.

Thomas, unsure what to do, busies himself checking the front door lock and setting the door alarm. He turns back and sees that both Maggie and Zoey are already in bed, both covered by light blankets. Zoey ignores his approach by facing the wall.

He leans down to kiss Maggie on the forehead, and then he looks over at Zoey. “Goodnight, Zoey. Goodnight, Maggie. Sleep well...” He hesitates, and looks over at Zoey. “I'm sorry, Zoey. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings.”

Thomas is about to turn away, but has second thoughts. He asks softly, “Zoey, could I have a hug, please!”

She grunts noisily, but doesn't move. “I'm mad at you. Go away…,” she sniffles, crying softly.

“Okay, Zoey. Sleep tight,” he tells her, but he winks at Maggie and says, “Oh, crap… We don't have any more blankets. I guess I'll have to sleep without one and get cold... If only someone would come sleep with me. Maybe someone who has a blanket to share…,” he finishes, and turns off the light by the bed.

Thomas takes off his shirt and pants and sits down on the recliner. He lifts its handle so that it reclines, and he lies back. Sleep's the furthest thing from his mind, because now he must wait for Zoey to forgive him.

A couple of minutes later he hears her soft movement off of the bed and a quiet chuckle from Maggie. Closing his eyes, he waits for her. When it comes, her touch is soft and hesitant. “I'm still mad at you, but you can share my blanket,” she tells him, crawling up to lay beside him on the recliner.

She has on her T-shirt nightie, and the blanket is clutched under her arm. It takes them a few moments to spread out the blanket to cover them both. She doesn't say anything, but Thomas leans down and kisses her cheek.

“Thank you, Zoey. See you in the morning,” he tells her.

She grunts out a throaty, “Goodnight!”

It’s warm and comfortable beneath the blanket with her. Thomas enjoys the wonderfully enticing smell of little girl. It only takes a few pleasant minutes, before they both drift off to sleep.

The Tommie alarm clock goes off a couple of hours later. Thomas almost nods off again, but remembers he's got the first shift.

Maggie giggles as the baby is about to let loose. “You want me to get her, Thomas?” she asks, lightheartedly.

“No. Just wait a second until I can get out from beneath Zoey,” he says quietly.

He groans a bit as he extricates himself from beneath the skinny nine-year-old. She barely notes his departure, as he rushes over to pick up the baby. Tommie gives him a dirty look, but calms down when he hands her down to Maggie. Between the two of them they get “short stuff” fed and her diaper changed, and they keep her entertained until she's ready to crash again.

After he has put Tommie back down, he leans down to kiss Maggie. She reaches up and pulls him down for a quick kiss on the lips.

“Zoey isn’t the only one who likes being kissed,” Maggie says. “Maybe I could get a few more lip locks from you when she's not watching,” she teases.

Thomas groans softly as he turns out the light. But then he smiles as Maggie starts making smooching noises. “Hey…my lips are dry...can you moisten them for me?” she pleads.

He leans down in the dark, and finds her lips waiting. Their kiss is longer and more heated than he expects, or is prepared for. His cock quickly responds to the lustful allure of the attractive young woman who’s kissing him. He’s reluctant, but he breaks away from her.

Thomas stumbles back to the recliner, picks up Zoey, and sits down with her in his lap. Then he lies back and pulls the light blanket up over the two of them. But sleep is far from his mind right now.

Then in the darkness he hears Maggie’s snort of quiet laughter. “That was nice, Thomas. Goodnight, Arthur...”

He’s surprised as his mind simply shuts down, overloaded by the events of the last few days. Maybe some sleep really will help. And Zoey has the next shift, so now Thomas will get the extra sleep. Time slows, and then stops, as he drifts off to sleep.

He vaguely remembers the next Tommie alarm cycle and feeding. His only solid memory is of Zoey climbing back onto the recliner with him, and then he goes back to sleep.

Thomas sinks into a deep REM sleep, but his dreams are troubling. It’s not a nightmare, and they are focused on the girls, specifically Zoey. He's only had a couple of wet dreams in his life, and this one is wonderfully real. She's still with him on the recliner, but the little imp has his cock in her mouth, and she’s giving him a very satisfying blow job.

Maggie is even there in the background, saying, “Dammit, Zoey, he may not be ready for this! Please give him another day or so. He's going to freak...trust me.” She stops for a few seconds, and then continues, “Are you listening to me? Shit, Zoey...”

Thomas is enjoying the extra sleep, and this vivid dream of Zoey pleasuring him is just too much to pass up. He grunts and moans with pleasure, and he lift his hips to thrust his cock deeply into her mouth. He’s amazed at how talented she is, for a nine-year-old girl. Her hand is wrapped around his shaft, and she’s pumping his hardened flesh and as she bobs her head up and down. So real—so very erotically real—and she's making pleasantly alluring sucking, slurping noises.

About half of his seven-inch love pole is wet from the ministrations of the moist recesses of her mouth. She looks up at him, her light, grayish-blue eyes fixed on him. Her eyes are filled with lustful need. She wants him to accept this, to let her give of herself. There’s so much joy and pleasure she can give him, if he would just let her.

He sits up straighter in the recliner, bringing his hand up to cup the back of her head. He holds her steady and he starts to thrust his hips upward, driving the thick head of his cock deeper into her throat. She whimpers slightly, but lets him delve ever deeper. He fucks her face, moving quickly into and out of her mouth. He moves ever faster, his need to fill her mouth with his hot, sticky cum is getting closer and closer.

His grunts and moans are more insistent now. He's lost to the power of his lust, and to the strength of this unusually erotic dream. The sounds of Zoey's sucking and gagging are trying to break through the fog of fatigue and concern, but his need to unload his balls into her mouth is overriding everything. His sensibility, his caution, his ethics—everything is gone, buried in the subconscious mind of his dream world, as, again and again, he drives his cock up and into the little girl's throat.

There are only a few more moments left, and as he fucks Zoey's face, his loins open up and the first massive geyser-like blast of cum spews from the end of his cock. Thomas lifts her head up, pulling his dick from her mouth to let the hot, stick goo splatter on her pretty face.

Gasping for air, she calls out, “No, Thomas, not on my face, please.”

His eyes, partially closed, spring wide open. His dream world suddenly collapses into the real world of his apartment. His cock is back inside Zoey's tiny mouth, and he gazes down in shock and growing horror as her small hand pumps load after load of pearly white cum into her mouth. She’s sucking and slurping happily, and Zoey continues to swallow each load with apparent delight.

The fiery need in his loin is finally depleted, and Thomas watches Zoey suck the last dregs of cum from the tip of his dick. She smiles at him while using a finger to wipe her face clean of cum. She wastes none of it, licking her finger clean after every careful wipe.

When she's finished, she crawls up higher in his lap to get even closer to him. His eyes never leave her naked body, and she loves how his eyes linger on her chest and her small nipples, hard with lust and pointing proudly outward from the flat plain of her bosom. “If only he would reach up and grasp my butt,” she thinks.

Her legs straddle his lap, her knees near his hips. Zoey leans in, resting her torso against Thomas's well-muscled chest. “His chest isn't covered in hair like some of the old guys I had to fuck for money,” she remembers. She and Maggie only whored themselves out for a little while, until it just got too dangerous, with all the gang pimps trying to hurt them for stealing clients.

She didn't like it anyway. But being with Thomas feels so much better, so right. “Damn, he feels so good,” she thinks to herself, “and his smell...clean and fresh like he's just came out of the shower. He wouldn't let either of us come in with him last night. Maybe today, or soon. He's holding still and not telling me “no,” so let's see if he’ll let me go a bit further. The baby will be awake soon, and that will ruin everything.”

Zoey lifts her head from the crook of his shoulder. Her hand guides his lips to hers. Boom, sparks fly, and wham, his arms fly around her to hold her tight! She’s surprised by the strength in his arms, as he squeezes her tightly, pulling her against him. Yes, their kiss blazes into a heated inferno of lustful need, each wanting the other.

His arms unwrap themselves from around her small, thin body. His hands roam over the soft skin of her bare back. Ever so gently, his doctor’s touch caresses the abrasions and cuts healing slowly, before moving down to find her firm, small buttocks. He moans into her mouth as their tongues play and dance with each other. Zoey returns his moan with one from her own heated pleasure, as he explores the pliant flesh of her small ass.

He’s ready, but Zoey needs to get him inside her hairless kitty before he realizes what's happening. A little fondling and a blow job might be okay, but she’s pretty sure that fucking a nine-year-old preteen might be a bit too much for Dr. Pane's moral compass.

Zoey breaks their kiss and leaves him gasping for air while she reaches between his legs for his hard cock. It pulses with a life of its own, as she holds it lightly. She moves it beneath her, and aligns the thick, torrid shaft with the opening into her body. Thomas, startled out of his relaxed state of mind, starts to squirm.

“Zoey, no, please. I can't do that...” he protests, but half-heartedly.

Her arm stiffens against his chest, and she shoves him backwards against the leather back of the recliner. As he slumps, defeated, she brings her fingers up to his lips and traces the shape of the smooth fullness of his mouth. Then she leans in to give him a quick, deep kiss.

“Shhh…,“ she tells him, and lowers herself onto his steely shaft. The bulbous head of his cock slowly spreads the tiny lips of her preteen cunt. Her arousal-filled slit coats the head of his cock in a slick, slimy lubricant.

She carefully lodges his helmet-shaped glans into the tiny, teardrop-shaped opening of her vagina. Zoey sighs happily, and lowers her body onto his cock. She's not a virgin, but her tightness is still that of a preteen girl. She rolls her hips around in a circle, helping him to ease into her glove-like love canal.

Her painful grunt let's him know that his penetration is not without some discomfort. But Zoey, undaunted by a little pain, continues to let her weight down slowly. Thomas has closed his eyes, and is working hard to resist the urge to take control and ram his cock into Zoey. Certainly, this feeling is amazing…even better than her mouth.

Zoey suddenly stops with a agonized moan. Thomas can feel the head of his cock compress against something deep inside the little girl. He's up against her cervical opening. Shit, five whole inches of his rod are buried inside this woman-like child. She stops to catch her breath, and then starts to use small, short, jabbing strokes to fuck herself on the throbbing penis that’s deep inside her vaginal canal.

His length and thickness feels wonderful, deep inside her widely stretched vagina, but it really hurt when she pressed him up against the barrier to her tiny womb. “Damn!” she thinks. “I was hoping to get all of him inside me. Guys like the balls-deep feeling they get from filling a girl completely. Well, that will have to wait for another day.”

Thomas’s initial protests are long gone, as this little snip of a girl continues to fuck herself on his throbbing hard-on. She is such a wonderful little tease, sometimes using long, full-depth strokes that knock painfully against the doorway to her womb, and at other times, little cock-caressing, pelvic-tilt strokes of no more than an inch. Rapid or slow, in every way she works her magic on his penis.

Dr. Pane has fucked a fair number of young ladies, but this is the first time that one of them has used her body to make love to him. She’s warmly pressed against him and she humping his cock like a wanton whore. Closer, ever closer, she brings him towards another orgasm.

At the same time, Zoey's little frame is quickly building towards her own orgasmic conclusion. Her energetic humping has them both on the verge of a most satisfying erotic release.

Zoey's squealing moan is instantly followed by the reaction of her body, convulsing and bucking around on the cock buried deep within her immature cunt. Thomas feels the walls of her tiny kitty contracting, milking his manhood, and he follows her release with one of his own.

His hands grip the cheeks of her butt, he takes the last few, fulfilling strokes, and starts to empty his balls deep inside her childish vagina. He pumps her tightness full of his heated cum, over and over again. She's so small that his cum oozes out from around his cock, while with each squishy thrust back inside her, his cock refills her hairless kitty.

Finally, each of them is spent. Zoey's cuddles in close and lets Thomas hold her tight. “Zoey, that was absolutely wonderful, but I think we should be careful how much we do it. I don't want to hurt you,” he tells his very tired little lover.

Zoey's about to lodge a verbal protest, when Maggie pipes up. “He's right, Zoey. Too much fucking with an adult-size cock really could damage you. Besides, this is his home, and we need to respect his wishes. I'm sure you can still do blow jobs and such. Just limit the fucking until you’re older.”

Thomas nods in agreement at Maggie, and so Zoey reluctantly agrees. Thus begins the next phase of their lives together. They all take care of Tommie, and the good doctor shares a lot of satisfying, loving attention with Zoey.

Their lives move along during the next six weeks in a blur of activity. Most of it is taking care of the baby, but the girls are now both fully vaccinated and they’ve started back to school. Zoey's in the third grade, and Maggie is finishing her sixth-grade year at home. Maggie will go back to in-person classes in the fall. The hospital continues to be very helpful, giving them the help they need to get them back on track.

Tomorrow will be another day of change. Dr. Pane's family leave is over, and his new job at the hospital requires his immediate attention. Their last work-free day together is filled with plenty of hugs and kisses. The baby is getting more active, and is starting to sleep eight hours a night. And, even more important, Zoey insists that Thomas get laid one more time before going back to work. But like all things, their evening comes to a close, and they all settle in for a good night's sleep in their brand new king-size bed.

Epilogue:

The next morning is one gigantic traumatic event. The girls are upset, and even Tommie is unhappy: The resonance of their happy family is off, and she knows it.

Thomas somehow makes it out the door, only to stand in the hallway wondering if he should go back inside. But he knows he's needed by others, and that it's his job that pays the bills and supports his new family.

John is waiting for him downstairs, for the short ride to the hospital. Dr. Pane looks and there are two others in the back of the van: Connie and Mary. They smile and wave at Thomas.

“How are the girls doing?” Connie asks.

“Not a good morning... They were all a bit upset with me having to leave,” he tells her, looking out the window at his apartment building.

Their ride is silent, all the rest of the way. John drops the nurses off at the Vaccination Clinic. There's a new sign on the side of the building, but it can’t be read: it's covered by construction plastic.

John takes Dr. Pane to the ER entrance, and lets him off. “Thanks John,” he tells his friend, and he heads inside.

His boss, Dr. Lot, is waiting just inside the door. “Hi, Dr. Pane. I'm glad you're back. We've missed you around here. Let me show you to your new office. We have something a bit better for our newest staff doctor.

“Oh, and we need to stop in my office to take care of a little paper work first,” he says, ushering Thomas into his office.

Thirty minutes later, they are on their way to Thomas’s new office. They walk down the hallway where all the hospital officers reside, and they stop in front of the boardroom. Inside are a bunch of people.

Dr. Lot opens the door and points inside. “There are a few of your friends, co-workers, new staff, and the board members, all of whom would like to congratulate you on your new position.” He laughs when the young doctor is startled by the cooing of a small girl child and her mother.

Zoey is standing beside Maggie and a slobbering, very noisy Tommie. They rush up to throw their arms around Thomas. “Surprise, Arthur!” chirps Zoey.

Dr. Lot clears his throat. “Your attention please, everyone! This is Dr. Thomas Arthur Pane, the new director of the New Hope Pediatrics and Vaccination Center for the north-central housing area of Chicago. And this is his soon-to-be family: Maggie, Zoey, and Tommie Pane.”

The morning zips by with all of the hoopla of the official opening of the new pediatric center. John takes the girls home after all the festivities are over. Dr. Pane uses the rest of the day to get started in his new job, but at 5:00 PM, his newly-assigned secretary reminds him that his day is over, and that he should go home.

John is waiting. He drops Thomas off, promising to come get him tomorrow at 6:45 AM sharp.

Thomas almost sprints to the elevator. A few minutes later he's skidding to a stop in front of his apartment’s door. He knocks lightly, and Maggie opens it. She's crying softly, and turns back into the apartment.

He rushes in to gather her into his arms. “Okay, what's wrong Maggie?” he asks.

Her soft, pathetic moan is almost heartbreaking. “I went to the OB-GYN today for my postpartum examination. And she said I shouldn't have vaginal sex. Breastfeeding isn't all that safe, as a contraceptive, and I could still have another baby. But she won't put me on the pill until I stop breastfeeding Tommie,” she sobs miserably.

“Fuck, I've been waiting for weeks to be with you,” Maggie continues. “I hate watching Zoey getting all the attention. But now, I still get nothing...” she sobs even louder.

Thomas gives her a quick squeeze and walks over to the only dresser drawer that the girls have left him. Inside is a pink and white tube of spermicide lubricant. He hands the tube to Maggie, and starts to rapidly take his clothes off.

“I thought this might be a problem, so I picked this up at the drug store the other day. Want to give it a try?” His voice is deep and lustful. “So where is Zoey?” he asks, his shirt already off.

Maggie reads the tube’s label, “Fucking-a...” she blurts out. “Zoey’s at Amy's for a visit. I told her to call before she came up,” she says, pulling her shorts and panties down her long lean legs.

“Good. And the baby?” he asks, rushing to get his pants and underwear down around his ankles.

“She's fine for another hour or so,” Maggie answers, her voice shaking with excitement. She unbuttons her top, slips the garment off of her shoulders, and lets it fall to the floor.

Maggie backs up towards the bed. As her legs touch the edge, she flops backward onto it. Her torso’s on the bed, her legs are hanging down, and her feet are on the floor…she's the epitome of teenage enticement. She's enjoying Thomas's lecherous glare, and she spreads her shapely legs. The last six weeks of good food have worked a miracle. She's simply beautiful, laying there.

The tube of spermicide lubricant is in her hand, and she waits for Thomas. They’re like two horny teenagers—or at least one of them is, anyway. Thomas moves up to kneel between her legs. He runs his hands up and along Maggie's thin but firm legs. Her tummy is flat again, and, other than a faint scar above her pubis mons, you would never guess that this girl was not a virgin.

“Hurry, Thomas! Zoey could call at any time,” she cautions.

He needs no further enticement. Thomas takes the tub of spermicide, and quickly coats his cock. Next he squirts a generous amount inside Maggie. She's excited, and the liquid of her arousal is already starting to weep from her vaginal opening.

All of those moments together, the gentle touches, their heated kisses, the passion left unanswered, all of it is coming together here and now. He leans over as she sits up, and their lips meet again. This time they let their lust, and their need for each other, burn brightly, letting it consume them. It molds and melds them into one.

Their kiss ends in a rush of expectant energy. Thomas reaches down and brings his throbbing cock up, nuzzling its soft tip into the entrance to her body. With a quick hip thrust, he slips inside. Her deep, throaty moan of pleasure is followed by a squeal of painful penetration.

Thomas slips into her all the way in one firm, continuous thrust. He pauses for a moment, and then begins to fuck Maggie. His long, balls-deep penetrations begin slowly at first, but soon the urgency of their lovemaking consumes them both.

Flesh impacts flesh, as they plunge headlong towards a tumultuous orgasm. Maggie's climax spreads through her body in wave after wave of warm, comforting love for the man between her legs. Thomas, feeling his growing love for this abandoned young woman, begins to fill her teenage pussy with ropes of thick, white, sperm-filled cum. Her womb is no longer empty: It’s filled with his seed.

When they’re finished, he lays atop her. Their rapid breathing slowly returns to normal. A few minutes later, Maggie's phone rings.

“Shit, that's Zoey. She'll be up here in a few minutes. Probably with Amy,” Maggie states. A moment later, Tommie begins to fuss, and a new “Feed me, I'm hungry!” cycle begins again...