5

Benton looked at the box of supplies everyone had gathered and dropped off in his office over the past two hours. It had grown to the point it was overfilling. He grabbed a trolly to help him get everything on it so he could wheel it out to his car. He was eternally grateful that no one had asked any questions of him. They seemed to not care at the fact he wanted these items or the fact there was a baby, let alone a newborn baby, in his office. He had fashioned a wrap to be able to hold the baby and have use of his hands.

He had blankets wrapped around the newborn. Benton went out to his car and loaded up the backseat with the box with all the supplies. He looked at everything that was there and then down to the infant. That was the one thing he didn’t have. A car seat. Though he didn’t plan for an accident, he knew that he wouldn’t feel comfortable driving with a newborn without the proper seat for it. He wasn't sure how he was going to get one at this time of night.

That was when one of the ones he called his minions walked up next to him. “I thought I would let you borrow this.” He stated as he looked at Jonathon. “I won’t need it for a couple of days. It will allow you to get one for yourself.”

“Thank you,” Benton started as he looked at the man before him. “I was just thinking about that.”

“I know you haven’t said who that is or where its mother is, but by the way you are acting, I have an idea. The nurses upstairs were talking about a woman they had to kick out after she had an emergency c-section. Apparently, there was a problem with the billing and who would take care of it. That doesn’t matter. They were ordered by the director of the hospital to get her out on the street and not to give her anything.”

“Really?” Benton asked, somewhat surprised by that reaction. Then he thought about the little weasel of a man that ran the hospital. Everything was a bottom line for him, and he cared nothing for human life. Somehow the reaction he had to the girl for whatever reason. Didn’t surprise him. He was starting to really hate this place.

“Yeah.” He replied. “The nurses didn’t ask any questions either. It isn’t normal for us to be upstairs and gathering anything. They would actually turn their backs so we could get what we wanted, and they wouldn’t see. It was like they had their own agenda.”

“They probably wanted to help, but they couldn’t,” Benton said.

“I know, doc. Just take care of the girl. From what I heard, she has gone through a lot today. Also, just a word that I overheard. The stepmother that she came in with might have done something to her to cause this.” The man said as he looked at the doctor who was cradling the baby. They walked back into the building and down the stairs to the basement.

The man parted ways with Benton in the main hallway. He continued towards the back of the hallway, where no one ever went. He rounded the corner to the room he placed her in to find her nearly hanging off the wheelchair. He looked at her, and then he helped get her into the seat a little better.

That was when he really looked her over. Though she was asleep, she was a beauty. Though she was young and he didn’t know how young, he had to say she was an older teenager. He was hoping that she was at least of legal age. Though right now, he didn’t care. He started to walk, pushing the wheelchair slowly out the door. He had wrapped a blanket over her shoulders, knowing that she might not feel it, but it was cold, and he didn’t want her to get sick on top of everything else.

As he neared the car, he unlocked the car, and then he placed the brake on for the wheelchair. He lifted the baby out of the carrier he had fashioned out the blankets and then placed him in the car seat and fastened the straps around the baby. He was careful to tuck the blankets around the baby. He had seen many people do it around him though he hoped he was doing it right now.

That was when there was a sound from in back of him. He turned and looked and saw that Jade was now awake. Though she was looking around and didn’t know what was going on. He hoped that he wouldn’t have to tell her everything again as he smiled at her. “Where are we?” she asked softly as her eyes were trying to focus on him.

“The parking lot.” He chuckled. “I am getting the baby ready in the car seat. Then I will help you get up and in the car.”

“Where are we going?” she asked.

“To my house.” He said as he looked at her. “You need somewhere to go, and right now, that is your best option. Remember, I am a doctor. You are going to need one around.”

“Okay.” She said as she closed her eyes again.

“Jade, I need you to stay with me.” He said as he chuckled and then moved to get her in the car. That was not as easy as he thought it would be. He had to basically lift her without stretching her incision. She should have never been placed in the wheelchair and left in the front of the hospital in the first place. After getting her in the car, he walked around the car and then got in to begin to drive back to his townhouse.  

His life just got a lot more complicated. What had been a boring and slow night in the department had turned into something that he knew was going to change his life. He smiled to himself as he thought about having two more people in his townhouse to share his space with.