Fly Away Home by Vanessa Del Fabbro

search of ward 310. The hospital was much bigger than the one in Durban and nobody approached them.
    Finally, they reached their destination and discovered it was for surgery cases. Lucy had undergone an operation and had made it back to this ward. Francina flashed Hercules a broad grin.
    Sister Agnes wouldn’t be in until noon, they were told by a nurse, at which time visiting hours would be over. They were welcome to come back during afternoon visiting hours.
    Francina and Hercules found a place to sit and wait.
    â€œIf she’s as nice as that clerk says she is, then she’ll give us five minutes of her time even if it’s past visiting hours,” Francina commented.
    It was warm with the sun streaming through a window behind them, and before long she found herself dozing in her seat. She awoke to feel Hercules nudging her in the ribs.
    â€œIt’s almost noon,” he said. “Most of the visitors have left. We’d better pretend we’re leaving, too.”
    But their subterfuge wasn’t necessary, because just then they saw a nurse entering ward 310 with a heavy sweater over her white uniform and a handbag over her shoulder.
    â€œThat must be Sister Agnes,” Francina declared.
    They gave her a minute to settle in and then approached the nurses’ station again. The same one who had warned them about the end of visiting hours looked at them sternly.
    â€œWe’d like to see Sister Agnes, please,” said Hercules.
    â€œShe’s busy, and visiting hours have ended.”
    Francina noticed that the new arrival had appeared from her office, mug in hand, probably on her way to boil the kettle in the nurses’ station.
    â€œBut we have to see Sister Agnes,” Francina said loudly.
    â€œCome back at three o’clock,” the nurse repeated.
    â€œBut it’s important.” Francina noticed that the newcomer was listening. “It’s to do with our daughter.”
    She moved closer to them. “Can I help you with something?”
    â€œI told them to come back when visiting hours started again,” explained the nurse.
    â€œWould you like to step into my office?” Sister Agnes asked Francina and Hercules.
    â€œThank you, Sister,” said Francina. She was tempted to give the junior nurse a look of triumph, but stopped herself.
    Sister Agnes’s office was a windowless square space lined with books. Francina and Hercules sat down across from her desk, and launched into an explanation of their search.
    Sister Agnes nodded as she listened. When Francina was satisfied that she had clearly conveyed the risk of losing Zukisa if Lucy wasn’t found, she sat back in her chair and waited.
    Sister Agnes was in no rush to speak, and Francina wondered if all the nodding was just her manner, and she didn’t remember Lucy, after all. She didn’t consult the computer on her desk to jog her memory. Perhaps she was considering the ethical implications of divulging information about a patient. The clerk had said that Sister Agnes was nice, and to Francina, “nice” meant willing to disregard red tape when someone was in need.
    Sister Agnes got up and asked Hercules to help her move a stack of journals out of the way so the door could close. Then she sat back down at her desk.
    â€œI wish you had come here two months ago,” she said.
    Francina gasped. “She died?”
    The woman reached across the table and placed her hand over Francina’s. “No, she didn’t. She was seriously injured, but God showed her His mercy.”
    Sister Agnes explained that when the time had come for Lucy to be discharged, nobody came to collect her. “She couldn’t walk on her own. We couldn’t possibly just put her out on the street.”
    â€œShe had a boyfriend,” offered Francina.
    Sister Agnes shook her head. “We never saw him once while she was here.”
    It turned out the kind soul had arranged for a