The slow-witted nurse was wrong about there not being any patients here. A pale old woman lay in a dark room, oxygen tubes in her nose and IV lines in her arms. Monitors and machines still hummed with life. I'm not too late!
The old woman turned her head to face Samantha. "Hello, dear, come in," she said in a quavering voice.
Samantha put the gun away. "I'm sorry to intrude like this, ma'am, but you're in terrible danger-"
"Why, is that you, Jackie? You really should stand up straight, dear. Look how big you've gotten."
Samantha knelt down beside the old woman's bed, taking her hand. "That's right. It's Jackie. We've got to get you out of here right away."
"I'm afraid we can't go outside today, dear. It's raining," the old woman said. Samantha looked into green eyes that had turned cloudy with age.
"Mommy, I don't want to go," Jackie says.
"I know, honey, but you have to go to school if you want to get smart," Mommy says.
"Why can't you come with me?"
"Mommies and daddies aren't allowed." Mommy bends down to straighten Jackie's blue jumper and matching head band. "I'm sure you'll make all sorts of wonderful new friends."
Mommy takes Jackie's hand and leads her over to the door. She kisses Jackie on the forehead. "Now you be a good girl. Mommy will be right here at noon to pick you up."
"Can we get ice cream then?"
"Only if you're good." Mommy gives Jackie a hug and then opens the door. "I'll see you later, honey."
The door closes behind Jackie and Mommy is gone. Jackie stands by the door for a moment, staring at groups of girls all dressed like her playing on the carpeted floor. A lady in a pretty white dress with hair the color of Jackie's piled up in a beehive put an arm around Jackie's shoulder. "Ah, there you are. My name is Mrs. West. We're going to have a lot of fun together." When Mrs. West smiles, a gold tooth winks at Jackie like a pirate in her picture books. Jackie shivers at this and looks back to the door, but Mommy is gone.
"Attention, class. Attention!" Everyone stops playing to stare at Jackie. She blushes and wishes Mommy hadn't gone. "We have a new student today. This is Jacqueline Fuller. Everyone say hello."
"Hello Jacqueline Fuller," the entire class says. She blushes even more until she feels on the verge of passing out. No one calls her Jacqueline, except Mommy when Jackie does something bad.
"Jacqueline, tell the class about yourself."
Jackie stares at the other girls, sweat forming on her forehead. What should she say? Her mind goes blank and from her mouth come a series of nonsense syllables. "Jacqueline, dear, you have to speak up so everyone can hear you."