by Regal

"Mama?"

 "Yes, dear. Everything is okay now."

 "Mama, did you see her?"

 "Who, dear?"

 "The angel! She had pink wings and yellow hair and pretty blue eyes. I was scared, but she took care of me. She held me when I was crying. She was ... pretty ... mama."

 "The sedative has taken effect, Mrs. Johnson," Dr. Leahy explained. "Your daughter will be asleep for at least several hours. Why don't you get some air?"

"No," Mrs. Johnson answered. "I ... I want to stay with her."

"She'll be fine," said Dr. Leahy. "It's time for my break. Let me buy you a cup of coffee. The nurses will watch after Sarah."

 Mrs. Johnson relented. "I suppose I could stretch my legs a little. The past couple of hours have been nervewracking."

 "For us, too," Dr. Leahy admitted as they walked down the hall toward the hospital cafeteria. "When the word came in that a delivery van had struck a school bus, we prepared for the worst. Fortunately, the bus was almost empty and no one was seriously hurt. And as luck would have it, there was an off duty paramedic right on the scene. She took charge until help arrived."

 "Those damned Scabs," Mrs. Johnson muttered.  

"Excuse me?" 

"Scabs," she repeated. "The delivery truck that almost killed my daughter was being driven by Scabs. What are they doing, allowing those creatures to drive?"

 "Mrs. Johnson, as I understand it from one of the policemen, the van's brakes failed. It was simply an accident. And the van's occupants actually helped with—"

 "They're monsters!" the angry woman interrupted. "Nothing but animals! They lock up the rabbits. Why can't they get rid of the rest of them so normal people and children will be safe?" 

As they entered the cafeteria, Dr. Leahy looked around and saw the person he was hoping to see. "I think there is someone you should meet," he said. He left Mrs. Johnson for a moment, then returned with a young woman.

"This is Marie Madison. She's the paramedic I told you about, the one who took care of your daughter. Marie, this is Mrs. Johnson, the mother of one of the school kids."

 "Pleased to meet you," said Marie. "How are the children?" 

"Just fine," Dr. Leahy replied. "Other than one broken arm, there were only some scrapes and bruises. They will all be going home by tomorrow."

 "You ... I ... I don't know what to say," Mrs. Johnson said slowly. "Thank you for taking care of Sarah." 

"You're welcome," Marie replied. "But I was only one of many."

 "Would you like to join us for some coffee?" Dr. Leahy asked. 

"I just had some," Marie replied. "Besides, I need to be going. I'm supposed to meet my roommate Colleen soon. I was just waiting around to hear if all the children were okay. It was nice meeting you." 

"Yes," Mrs. Johnson said. She watched the blond-haired, blue-eyed, pink-winged Marie walk away. "Sarah's angel. An angel with pink wings. I ... I thought she imagined it."

 "Marie is one of the finest paramedics I've known," Dr. Leahy said. "She helps with Lamaze and CPR classes, and she also volunteers her time at a homeless shelter."

The doctor smiled slightly. "Not bad for an animal, eh?"

Copyright 1998 by Regal. If you want to post this anywhere else, please ask the author for permission first. Thank you.

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