The Girl Most Likely To ... - Part 26
by Barbara Lynn Terry

Chapter 1 - Dinner (continued).

Sharon was very concerned for her sister, because Janice had always shown that nothing bothered her. Well, almost. There was the time a year ago when she came back looking like someone had just run over her favorite puppy. Well, someone had, so to speak, but he is in jail right now. But, since then, Janice had been strong, standing up for her beliefs; until today. The decorating party, the caroling, the gushing over Rachel in her new party dress; it just brought back memories from when she was young.

Now, Sharon sat with her and comforted her, knowing it was because her mother had not come to see her since she was brought to the home. Eve was working and had just walked in. She was told to grab a plate and help herself. She got her food, and saw Janice crying.

"Janice, what's wrong?"

"Eve," Sharon answered her, "she's feeling how much she misses having fun like this."

"Oh, Janice. Honey, we are here for you. You just wait. We will all work on getting her up here. If she refuses, we will make her an offer she can't refuse." Janice sniffled a giggle, but was still upset. "Listen, sister, you and Sharon have been the ones to help the others. If she doesn't want to come to see you, we will make sure she knows how much she has hurt you by leaving you here. Eat your dinner, sis, everything will be all right. You'll see."

Janice slowly ate her dinner, and mostly just picked at it. Suddenly, her plate dropped to the floor, and Janice started sobbing uncontrollably. She was so upset, that she had blacked out, and Naomi called for the ambulance.

When the ambulance from town got there, Janice was still unconscious with an erratic pulse and cold sweats. They took her to the hospital in town, and Naomi and Eve followed them. Naomi used her siren on her SUV and her emergency lights. When they got to the hospital, the ER doctor was very concerned, because he knew Janice from when she came in to town.

"How did this happen?"

"She was very upset, and it kind of got too big for her, and she just blacked out."

"All right. Are you her mother?"

"No, I'm deputy sergeant Naomi Petersen, Pine Meadows County Sheriff's office. I invited the girls from the home to have dinner at my house and help decorate the house and sing Christmas carols. She was remembering how much fun she used to have as a young girl, when she just started crying, then it just got worse. When she blacked out I called for an 11-41 and had her taken here."

"All right. Her pulse is erratic and she has cold sweats. I think I'm going to send her upstairs for a couple of days. This way she can rest, too."

"Thank you, doctor. Here is my cell number. If there are any changes with this girl, give me a call."

"I will, dragon lady."

"Dragon lady?"

"Yes, you're the lady that took that oaf down at the truck stop. Right?"

"I see I haven't officially even started work here yet, and already I have a nickname. Next you'll all be asking me where Bruce Lee is."

"We all know where he's at. He lives in Seattle."

"Yes, he does...kind of. Anyway, give me a call if there are any changes."

"Will do, dragon lady."

Naomi left shaking her head and smiling. So, she thought, she now has a reputation. Maybe it will help her do her job without much of a problem. At least she hoped so.

"Sharon, she will be all right. They put her on three west so she could get some rest. She needs that more than ever, right now."

Three west was the general medical floor where not too serious patients were taken. Heart patients were taken to two west. The second floor also held the adult ICU just around the corner from two west. The floor where chiropratic patients were taken was on five north, because it was where patients with broken legs, arms, backs, necks would be and given physical therapy as they healed. Stroke patients were on three west, until it became necessary to put them on two west.

Rachel and Renée were very concerned about Janice. Even though Rachel has been at the home less than a full week, she has come to know the girls as her siblings...her sisters. Renée was lucky, she had a younger brother and sister to help look after; Rachel was an only child.

"Renée, do you think she will be all right? What I mean is, you don't think she could have a relapse andbe in here loner. Do you?"

"No, Rach, I think Janice is going to be just fine. But we need to do something about getting her mother up here to see her daughter."

"What I am going to say, sis, is just between you and me...nobody else."

"Yes, of course, sis," Renée answered.

"Pinky swear." They hooked their two left little fingers together. "What I was going to say is, that Janice comes on as a strong girl who doesn't take any bs from anybody. But deep inside she is as scared as the rest of us at the home. Janice and the other girls have told me that her mother hasn't seen her, or written to here since the day she came to the home. We have got to find a way to get her mom up here."

"We will have to have Naomi and Trooper Jim in on this, too. Rach, I think we should all sit down with Naomi and figure out what to do. I have an idea." Renée went over by Naomi. "Sis, may I talk to you?"

"Yes, Renée, what is it?"

"It's Janice. I was told that her mother hasn't seen her since the day Janice went to the home. We have to get her up here, so Janice can see her."

"There is already something in the works. But here is something all the girls and even you can do. You can write her letters explaining that Janice is very frightened at the home without her mother's visits. Kind of explain that Janice would be the first one to admit she has problems and needs help with those problems. But she also needs her mother, too. Girls, gather round, please." Naomi told them what she had just told Renée, and everybody said that was a cool idea. "All right, who wants to sing more carols?"

A chorus of "me" came from all the girls.

All the girls were having the time of their lives. Outside of therapy and a visit now and then, several of the girls were very happy that Naomi came in to their lives. Naomi promised to help, but they had no idea that she meant what she said. This is why Janice broke down. She was not used to being treated like a human being, with kindness and respect.

Most of the girls, as was said earlier, came from good families, but because of their antics, embarrassed their families to no end. So, their families dropped them off here via the children's court. Some were brought here by their parents, because their parents wanted them to get help for their problems. Every girl at the home knew they had problems, and after being at Pine Meadows for a while came to know every girl there as her sister. The best help that they ever got, was from each other; until Naomi and Rachel came in their lives.

Now they were at Naomi's house, and were being told it was their house, too, because they were all sisters. The girls weren't just invited to work on decorating "Naomi's" house, but to decorate "their" house. Then they sang Christmas carols, had dinner that none of the girls had to cook, and it was served buffet style. To Janice this was the nicest thing that happened to her since coming to Pine Meadows. Gloria and Renée started the next carol.

"Chestnuts roasting on an open fire
Jack Frost nipping at your nose
Yule-tide carols being sung by a choir
And folks dressed up like eskimoes.

Then all the girls joined in.

"Everybody knows a turkey
and some mistletoe
Help to make the season bright
Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow
Will find it hard to sleep tonight

"They know that Santa's on his way
He's loaded lots of toys
and goodies on his sleigh
And every mother's child is gonna spy
To see if reindeer
really know how to fly.

"And so I'm offering this simple phrase
To kids from one to ninety-two
Although it's been said
many times, many ways
Merry Christmas to you."

I don't have any chestnuts, but I found an acorn," Janice said, actually smiling. Joy raised her hand in the air as if in a victory salute and stated with absolute clarity...

"From the tiny acorn the mighty oak shall grow." A chorus of right on was heard reverberating throughout the house. Naomi was standing back and watching these bond with each other. Not one girl told the other to shut up, or be quiet or anything that was negative. This was still Saturday, and Maddy told Naomi they had to get back to the house so the girls could get their proper rest. Naomi agreed.

"Girls, did everybody have fun?" There was another chorus of "yes" from the girls. "Mom says it is time you were getting back to the house so you can get your proper rest. I would love for you all to spend the night, but we don't have enough beds, although we do have the room. I think it would be better if you all slept in your beds, tonight. You can all come back tomorrow. I am sure there is something we can do."

"Like we can bake Christmas cakes and cookies," Sheryl said, almost jumping in the air.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea, Sheryl. Thank you. I also think to avoid any arguing, I will write all of what needs to be done, and place the slips in a bowl. Tomorrow, you will all pick what you will be doing in the baking party. There will the prep team, the baking team, the icing team and the serving team. That should give everybody something to do, and have fun doing it.

As the girls left, Carl, Renée, Gloria, Ruth, Sandi, Mandy and Naomi all got hugs from the girls. They were not in the least tired according to Diane Jensen, who was fifteen and said she was used to being up late on a Saturday night.

"How long ago was that, Diane?"

Diane shrugged her shoulders slightly, "two years ago."

Naomi looked at Madelline and gave a knowing wink and smile. The girls all got in the bus, and they headed for home.