Nora goes back to the girl’s house later that night after Christina and Ginger were in bed asleep. Kelly was in Nora’s car keeping watch for her.
Nora managed to pick the lock of the back door and walks inside. She scans the place but, doesn’t find any type of security system.

She moves quietly throughout the house. She finds the master bedroom and looks inside. The bedroom was messy. There were empty beer cans and Jack Bean whiskey bottles littering the floor. The room stunk of spilled booze and unwashed socks. The guy that was the girl’s father was a slob.

There were hooks in the ceiling and on the back of the bedroom door were leather whips of different styles and shape. There were several sets of leather cuffs that could be hung from the hooks in the ceiling. She looks around some more and finds bricks of marijuana and cocaine hidden underneath the bed stuffed up in the box mattress. She leaves it alone and searches the rest of the house.

She finds the girl's bedroom and couldn't believe what she was seeing. All the girl had for a bed was a bunch of tatter smelly blankets for a bed. There were deadbolts on her bedroom door and a five-gallon bucket in one corner of the room. She checks the windows and noticed they were nailed shut.

She looks in the closet and there were only two pairs of blue jeans, blouses and two dresses. The clothes smelled nice and clean. She looks around the closet some more and discovered some books, a jar of peanut butter that was halfway gone and half a bag of bread.

Nora couldn’t believe that the man kept his daughter locked up in the room. She leaves the girls room and looks around some more. All the cabinets had locks, including the refrigerator. She finds two more bedrooms. The doors were locked. She picks the locks and walks in. In one room had a bunch of money and guns in it. There were crates of hand grenades, AK’s and other assorted weapons. As for the money. There had to be at least a couple of millions all bundled up and ready to be transported. She was going to grab a few for the girl before she leaves.
She leaves that bedroom and goes to check out the other room and couldn’t believe what she found inside the room. There were ten white plastic five gallons buckets that were sealed. She unscrews the cap off one and smelled the contents. It smelled like alcohol to her and nearly burned her nostrils. She finds a large stack of cocaine bricks, several bags of Ice and over thirty blocks of heroin.

She finds several unopened boxes of cellphones of different brands. She grabs a few of them. You can never have too many burn phones. She knew this was what the guy was using them for.

She pulls her cellphone out and starts taking pictures of everything. She makes sure she had several clear pictures of everything.

She locates a gym bag and heads back into the bedroom that had the money and fills the bag up with the money for the girl. She adds the unopened burn phones she found too. She’ll go to the bank tomorrow and start an account for the girl.

Ginger’s case worker was working with her lawyer to get custody of the girl that was in the hospital. The report she got from the doctor that was tending to her wasn’t good. This wasn’t the first time she has been hit in the head. He found several scars on top of her head. She had several STD’s that they had to give her shots for. She was malnourished, underweight and had needle marks on each arm.

All her fingers had been broken and healed incorrectly. He had to rebreak her fingers and reset them. They did a cat scan and MRI of the girl.
The doctor did discover she had a few cracked ribs and her arm had been broken before.

Nora relocks the back door and heads back outside to Kelly; who had been waiting in the car for her.

“What did you find out?” Kelly starts the car and put it in gear.

“The guy is a drug dealer and treats his daughter more like a slave than anything else. You should have seen the condition in which he makes her live. She didn’t even have a bed to sleep on. He makes her sleep on the floor on a pile of tatter worn out blankets.” Nora couldn’t believe how he treated his own daughter.

Kelly could tell Nora was mad. She has known Nora for several years and knew she donated to National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, Saint Jude’s Hospital and Make a Wish foundation. If it had something to do with kids, she donated to it.

“What’s in the gym bag you brought back?”

“Money, I took it for the girl and several unopen cellphones. The guy was going to use them as burn phones.” Nora figures she would do the same.

Kelly drives them home and pulls into the garage. Once they were parked. Nora takes the gym bag and stuffs it in a hiding spot she uses in the garage. She takes the burn phones into the house with her and put them in a secret cabinet she stores a few she owns in.

Once that was done, she heads towards her bedroom and strips out of her clothes. She walks into the bathroom and takes a shower with Kelly. They fool around in the shower some and finally make it to bed. Nora had her black nightgown on and Kelly had her cream white one on. Nora was spooned against her from behind with her arm draped over her.

Five hours later, Nora’s cellphone goes off. She touches the snooze button and goes back to sleep. The Alarm goes off a second time. She gets up out of bed and heads into the kitchen to make breakfast for Ginger and Christina. She prepares a bag lunch for Ginger and a lunch box for Christina. She knew Christina could go out to lunch if she wanted to, but she figures she’ll eat lunch at her work. She fixes a quick breakfast for both girls. The coffee was already brewing.

Christina comes walking in first and waves good morning as she grabs a cup of coffee for herself and some breakfast. Ginger comes in next and grabs an orange juice and breakfast as well. Once they had finished their breakfast. Nora changes while they put thier dirty dishes in the dish washer and grab their lunches to takes them to school and work.

Just before Ginger steps out to the car. She looks towards Nora.

“Are you coming this afternoon to my class, mom?”

“I’ll be there Ginger. I want to see how Mr. Talbot teaches the class. I went through your Government book yesterday before you went to bed
and read the chapters he required of you. I also review the homework he assigned as well.” Nora covers up a yawn.

“Tired mom?” Ginger just smiles.

She knew Kelly and her mom tends to make love to each other. She didn’t mind if they did. Neither one of them were forcing her to be like them. She didn’t know which way she really swung.

Ginger grabs her school bag and lunch. She follows Christina out to the car. She sits in the back seat by herself. Kelly wasn’t coming with them this morning.

Nora takes Christina to work first and drops her off. She then heads towards Ginger’s school to drop her off. As she pulls up to drop Ginger off.

“Do you need anything, Ginger?”

“I’m fine mom.” Ginger leans in the middle of the seats and gives Nora a hug.

Nora returns the hug “be careful and have fun sweetie.”

Ginger gets out and heads inside the school. As she walks in, she notices William was waiting for her. She wonders what he wanted as she walks up to him.

“Morning William, what can I do for you?” Ginger stops near him.

“Oh, hi Ginger. I was told you sometimes tutor students. I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind helping me?” William was having a hard time in Trigonometry and needed some tutoring.

“Sure, what subject do you need help with?”

“Trig. I’m failing the class and if I don’t pick my grade up. I’ll be kicked off the football team and we can’t afford that right now.”

“No problem. What day is good for you?” Ginger adjust her backpack.

“Would tomorrow be okay? I have football practice on Thursday and Friday, plus this weekend.”

“Tomorrow will be fine. Do you want to come over to my house or me over at yours?” William didn’t mind going over to her house.

“Why don’t we meet at mine. My mom will be up here this afternoon and I’ll let her know.” Ginger didn’t think Nora would mind.

“Thanks, Ginger.” William gives her a smile and heads off towards his first class.

Ginger heads towards her first bell class. She’ll inform Nora when she comes up to the school this afternoon for Mr. Talbot’s class. She walks into class and over to the desk she has claimed as hers.

Hospital:
Nora heads towards the hospital after stopping at a toy store to buy the girl a teddy bear. She didn’t see one in the girl’s bedroom last night.
She heads up to the floor she was staying on.

She waves to the nurses as she walks into the room.

She notices that the young girl was still out for the count. She hadn’t moved since they put her in the room. Nora walks over and tucks the teddy bear next to her. She brushes some of the girl’s hair out of her eyes.

“Your father should be ashamed by the way he has taken care of you and treated you.” Nora wonders who her mother was and what she ever saw in the man.

The doctor walks in “Ms. Midnight, how are you doing?”

“I’m doing good doctor. I’m just concerned about this girl. How much longer do you think she’ll remain in a coma?” Nora was concern about her.

“I don’t know. Hopefully, she’ll wake-up in a few days.” Doctor Goodman checks her vitals and blood pressure.

Nora just stands nearby and watches the young girl. As the doctor was about to leave. The young girl opens her eyes and looks at the room she was in. She notices she had a few machines connected to her.

Nora was about to walk out when she notices the girl awake “Doctor, she’s awake.”

Doctor Goodman quickly moves to her side. He starts checking her responses. He was surprised that she woke-up.

Nora stands back and watches. She hopes the girl can answer some question for her. She wants to know who her mother was.

The information she collected last night. She sent to a friend of hers with the DEA. They had worked together for five years before he left the DSS and went to the DEA. He informed her he would investigate the person. The judge wasn’t allowing the girl's father bail. He already had domestic assault charges and assault with a firearm charge against him. She placed charges against with assault, attempted murder, and child abuse.

Melody didn’t know what to make of the Doctor or the well dress Hispanic looking woman observing her. She was confused on how she got her. The last thing she remember was getting backhanded by her father and hitting her head against the door. She notices all her fingers were bandaged up.

“W-Where am I-I?” Melody was looking towards the Doctor and the woman.

She was looking towards the Hispanic looking woman.

“You’re in the hospital. I saw your father backhand you and you hit your head on the door frame.” Nora notices that the girl was nervous.

Melody notices the teddy bear lying next to her. She picks it up and hugs it tightly. The last one she had was thrown into a fire barrel by her father. He did it to punish her. When she went to try and pull it out, she burned her hand.

“What is your name and how old are you?” Nora was curious and could see how much the young girl loved the teddy bear she bought her.

“M-My name is M-Melody W-Wolcott and I-I am 13 y-years old.” She looks directly at Nora.

“Well Melody, I’m Nora Midnight and this is your Doctor. His name is Doctor Richard Goodman. I have been given temporary custody of you till the courts decide what to do about your father. Do you know who your mother is or where she might be?” Nora was curious about her mother.
“M-My mother d-died of an o-overdose.” Tears leak from her eyes as memories of that day surface.

“Melody, has your father always abused you and sold you out to other men?” Nora moves closer and records their conversation on her phone.

“Y-Yes! I-I'm supposed to make three hundred d-dollars every night for h-him.” She shivers as she squeezes the teddy bear tighter against her body.

Nora notices she has a stutter to her speech. She could see that she was a little cautious and scared as well.

“Melody, does your father shoot you up with the drugs he sells?” Nora had seen the track marks on her arms.

“Y-Yes.” She shakes again.

“Doctor Goodman, did your blood test show any drugs in her systems?” Nora looks over at him.

“Yes, we found traces of cocaine and heroin in her system and when we tested her hair. It came back positive for history of drug use. We have given her an injection of Naltrexone to help her. She only needs to take it once a month.” Dr. Goodman figures Naltrexone should help her.

“How long will she need to take it?” Nora knew kicking a drug habit, especially one forced upon you was going to be hard to kick.

Nora turns her attention back to Melody. She walks over and sits on the edge of her bed.

“I’m going to need to leave and take care of some business Melody. However, I will return later to check on you. I have a cellphone for you with my number already programmed into it. All you need to do is press 1 for me. If you press 2, you’ll get my wife Kelly. If you press 9, you’ll get some friends of mine. Please, only use that one if I and Kelly don’t call you in twenty-four hours. It’s for emergencies only” She pulls a flip phone cellphone out and hands it to Melody. Nora had programmed the number Cheshire had given her into the phone. Nora knew if Cheshire or Jack came, they would protect Melody, Ginger and Christina should something happen to her and Kelly.

Melody looks at Nora “y-you promise to r-return?”

“I promise.” Nora gives her a hug and place a kiss on her forehead.

Nora gets up and steps outside Melody’s room to speak with Dr. Goodman.

“Dr. Goodman, if there is anything that Melody needs to be done or needs. Let me know, please. I have to leave to handle some business, but I will be back.” Nora knew she needed to be at Ginger’s school for her Government class.

“Don’t worry Ms. Midnight. She’s in good hands.”