toward the girl. When she was almost close enough to make contact, she squatted down so that she and the child were at eye level. Reaching behind her, she felt around for the hot dog plate. Finding it, she grasped the plastic rim and held the plate of food forward. “Were you lost in the woods, honey? That can be so scary. All that darkness, all those sounds. Did you get separated from your mommy and daddy? If you did, I can help you. I can help you go back where you belong.”
The girl’s nostrils flared, but whether from the words or the scent of the hot dog, Julia couldn’t be sure. For a moment there—maybe at the word
back
or
help
—there had been a flash of fear in those young eyes.
“You’re afraid to trust me. Maybe your mom and dad told you not to talk to strangers. That’s normally good advice, but you’re in trouble, honey. I can only help you if you’ll talk to me. How else can I get you home? You can trust me. I won’t hurt you,” she said again. “No hurt.”
At that the girl inched slowly forward. Not once did her gaze waver or lower. She stared directly at Julia as she scuttled forward in her awkward crouch.
“No hurt,” Julia said again as the girl neared.
The child was breathing fast; her nostrils were blowing hard. Sweat sheened her forehead. She smelled vaguely of urine because of the diapers they’d been unable to change. The hospital gown hung slack on her tiny body. Her toenails and fingernails were long and still slightly grimy. She reached for the hot dog, grabbed it in her hands.
She brought it to her nose, sniffed it, frowning.
“It’s a hot dog,” Julia said. “Your parents probably brought them on the camping trip. Where did you go on that trip, do you remember? Do you know the name of your town? Mystic? Forks? Joyce? Pysht? Where did your daddy say you were going? Maybe I could go get him.”
The girl attacked her. It happened so fast that Julia couldn’t respond. One second she was sitting there, talking softly, the next, she felt herself falling backward, hitting her head on the floor. The girl jumped on Julia’s chest and clawed at her face, screaming unintelligible words.
Max was there in an instant, pulling the girl off Julia.
Dazed, Julia tried to sit up. She couldn’t focus. When the world finally righted itself she saw Max sedating the child.
“No!” Julia cried, trying to get to her feet. Her vision blurred. She stumbled.
Max was back at her side, steadying her. “I’ve got you.”
Julia wrenched away from him and fell to her knees. “I can’t
believe
you sedated her. Damn it. Now she’ll never trust me.”
“She could have hurt you,” he said in an irritatingly matter-of-fact voice.
“She’s all of what—forty-five pounds?”
Her cheeks hurt. So did the back of her head. She couldn’t believe how fast the attack had come on. She let out a shaky breath and glanced around the room. The girl lay on a mattress by the back wall, asleep. Even in slumber she was curled into a tight ball, as if the whole world could hurt her.
Damn it.
“How long will she sleep?”
“Not more than a few hours. I think she was looking for a weapon when I came in. If she’d found one, she could have really hurt you.”
Julia rolled her eyes. No doubt he was one of those people whose lives had never been touched by violence of any kind. “It’s hardly the first time I’ve been attacked by a patient. I doubt it’ll be the last. Part of the job description. Next time don’t sedate her without asking me, okay?”
“Sure.”
She frowned. The movement hurt. “The question is: what did I say?”
“What do you mean?”
“You saw her. She was fine. I thought maybe she was even understanding a few words. Then:
bam!
I must have said just the wrong thing. I’ll listen to the tapes tonight. Maybe that will give me a clue.” She looked back at the girl. “Poor baby.”
“We should get you cleaned up. Those scratches on your cheek are pretty deep, and God
The girl’s nostrils flared, but whether from the words or the scent of the hot dog, Julia couldn’t be sure. For a moment there—maybe at the word
back
or
help
—there had been a flash of fear in those young eyes.
“You’re afraid to trust me. Maybe your mom and dad told you not to talk to strangers. That’s normally good advice, but you’re in trouble, honey. I can only help you if you’ll talk to me. How else can I get you home? You can trust me. I won’t hurt you,” she said again. “No hurt.”
At that the girl inched slowly forward. Not once did her gaze waver or lower. She stared directly at Julia as she scuttled forward in her awkward crouch.
“No hurt,” Julia said again as the girl neared.
The child was breathing fast; her nostrils were blowing hard. Sweat sheened her forehead. She smelled vaguely of urine because of the diapers they’d been unable to change. The hospital gown hung slack on her tiny body. Her toenails and fingernails were long and still slightly grimy. She reached for the hot dog, grabbed it in her hands.
She brought it to her nose, sniffed it, frowning.
“It’s a hot dog,” Julia said. “Your parents probably brought them on the camping trip. Where did you go on that trip, do you remember? Do you know the name of your town? Mystic? Forks? Joyce? Pysht? Where did your daddy say you were going? Maybe I could go get him.”
The girl attacked her. It happened so fast that Julia couldn’t respond. One second she was sitting there, talking softly, the next, she felt herself falling backward, hitting her head on the floor. The girl jumped on Julia’s chest and clawed at her face, screaming unintelligible words.
Max was there in an instant, pulling the girl off Julia.
Dazed, Julia tried to sit up. She couldn’t focus. When the world finally righted itself she saw Max sedating the child.
“No!” Julia cried, trying to get to her feet. Her vision blurred. She stumbled.
Max was back at her side, steadying her. “I’ve got you.”
Julia wrenched away from him and fell to her knees. “I can’t
believe
you sedated her. Damn it. Now she’ll never trust me.”
“She could have hurt you,” he said in an irritatingly matter-of-fact voice.
“She’s all of what—forty-five pounds?”
Her cheeks hurt. So did the back of her head. She couldn’t believe how fast the attack had come on. She let out a shaky breath and glanced around the room. The girl lay on a mattress by the back wall, asleep. Even in slumber she was curled into a tight ball, as if the whole world could hurt her.
Damn it.
“How long will she sleep?”
“Not more than a few hours. I think she was looking for a weapon when I came in. If she’d found one, she could have really hurt you.”
Julia rolled her eyes. No doubt he was one of those people whose lives had never been touched by violence of any kind. “It’s hardly the first time I’ve been attacked by a patient. I doubt it’ll be the last. Part of the job description. Next time don’t sedate her without asking me, okay?”
“Sure.”
She frowned. The movement hurt. “The question is: what did I say?”
“What do you mean?”
“You saw her. She was fine. I thought maybe she was even understanding a few words. Then:
bam!
I must have said just the wrong thing. I’ll listen to the tapes tonight. Maybe that will give me a clue.” She looked back at the girl. “Poor baby.”
“We should get you cleaned up. Those scratches on your cheek are pretty deep, and God
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