New life for Maria Bonaparte.

Maria's Morning Part 3

"Wh-where am I?" Maria thought as her eyes fluttered open.

"This isn't the void or my bedroom. . ."

She tried to get up, but her right arm was too sore and she fell back down.

She heard the ruffling of the sheets, and then a man she didn't recognize looked down at her.

"She's awake, probably nothing serious, just a fainting spill,"

"Wha-?" she started to say.

"But what if it has something to do with the healed arm!" the nurse she found yelled.

"The arm wasn't healed, you're just being hysterical,"

"I saw the arm myself sir, it was hanging on by a thread! But it was completely healed when I came back,"

"Stop lying! You expect me to believe that a little girl's arm that was mangled by one of those darned machines somehow miraculously healed itself! I'm a doctor, not a priest, don't speak to me of such foolishness!" The doctor screamed.

"It's true, I saw it happen," Maria said in a low voice

The nurse and doctor turned to look at her, both forgetting that she was still there.

"You saw what happened?" the doctor asked.

"I saw the little girl's arm. It was awful, just shredded bits of skin and muscles barely hanging onto bone,"

"Did you see it get healed?"

"I-there was a bright light, and that's when I passed out. Is the little girl still here? Shouldn't you be asking her?"

The doctor frowned. "The girl is still here yes, though I doubt she'll have much to say,"

"Can you take me with you? I want to see for myself,"

"Of course dear," the nurse said. "Do you need any help getting up?"

Maria nodded, and leaned onto the nurse on the short walk to the girl, trying to hide the pain in her arm.

"It's you!" the girl said when she saw her.

You couldn't tell that not that long ago one of the girl's arms was a mangled mess. Her right arm looked fine, much finer than the rest of her, which was covered in a light coat of dirt, and drying blood on her dress that matched her short chopping hair.

"Hello," Maria said to the girl before turning to the nurse.

"Can you set me done on the cot, I should be able to get up once we're done talking,"

The nurse looked like she wanted to retort, but then she was called away by the doctor, and she quickly sat Maria down.

"Thank you for saving me," the girl said.

"You know that?" she said out loud without thinking.

"Yeah, my brother told me that you healed my arm somehow,"

"Don't say it so loud!"

She grabbed the girl's hand and pulled her close.

"Don't tell anyone about what really happened, okay? It has to stay a secret," she whispered.

The girl nodded, and Maria let go of her arms and leaned back.

"Sorry if I scared you, it's just really important for my powers to stay a secret,"

"Okay Miss . . .?"

"I probably shouldn't use my real name, even if it's unlikely that anyone at school will find out,"

"I'm . . . Milla, just Milla,"

The girl smiled. "Okay Milla, my name's Penny!"

"It's nice to meet you Penny, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure!"

"How did you get your arm hurt so badly?"

Penny's smile disappeared and she looked down at her feet.

"I tripped and my arm got caught in the machine,"

"Machine?"

"At the factory. I don't know what it does, expect you should watch out for the gears,"

Maria's eyes widened. "Why are you at a factory? Shouldn't you be at school?" she almost yelled.

Penny looked up at her confused.

"If I don't go to the factory, then Mama says we wouldn't have enough food,"

"I-oh,"

She didn't know what to say. She had plenty of unpleasant thoughts though.

"How desperate are they to send their child to a factory? Can they really not afford food without her risking her own life? I can't just let her go back to get hurt again, then this whole thing would be pointless,"

"Can you keep another secret for me Penny?"

"Sure!"

She slid two rings of her fingers and held them out for Penny.

"Take these and give them to your parents. It should be enough so you don't need to go back to the factory, and maybe enough to go to school,"

The girl just stared at the rings. After a few moments, she reached out and snatched the rings.

She looked between the rings in her hand and Maria.

"Really? I can keep these?"

"Of course, I have plenty more anyways," Maria said, showing off the rest of the rings on her fingers.

Penny looked stunned, but then she quickly wrapped Maria in a hug.

"Thank you!"

Maria was stunned for a second, before awkwardly patting the girl on the head.

"It's nothing, just be safe okay,"

"I will!"

Penny let go of her, and was now rocking on her heels.

"Mama and Papa and Theo are going to be so happy when I get home! Thank you!"

"You're welcome. Can you ask someone what time it is?"

Penny nodded again and left the makeshift room.

Maria sighed.

"I still feel so sore, will I be able to get back to the academy? I don't have anyone who can help me get back,"

"The nurse said it's 7:40,"

"Shoot! I need to go now, stay safe Penny!" she called out as she got off the bed.

She was still a little wobbly on her feet, and her right arm was still sore, but she managed to get out of the hospital without incident.

"Now, how do I get back exactly?"

The academy was huge and loomed over this part of the city, but she still struggled finding her way back.

"I really need a map," she thought. "Or a better memory,"

As she tries to redo the path that she took earlier, she accidentally bumps into somebody.

"Oh sorr-Alexander?"

"Maria?"