Tough Love (On Hold)

Chapter 2

Anne disappeared down the street, forcing herself to not turn around. She wandered down to the bus stop and saw the bus already there, and decided to take this opportunity to escape. She climbed onto the bus, never to be seen again.

Meanwhile, Harry lay in the box crying and crying, cold and hungry and wanting his mother. As the night wore on, it got colder and colder, making Harry cry harder and his tears freeze on his red face. Harry now had icicles all over him, and was almost completely frozen, shaking violently.

At about 1:45 a.m., someone from the adoption agency named Leah Horanye was walking by and heard Harry's weakening cries. Curious, she walked over to the box and peered in. She gasped and immediately picked the boy up, looking at the frozen sticky note.

"It's okay Harry, we're going to get you warm and fed", Leah said and wrapped him up in her coat. Harry instantly snuggled against her chest, trying to get as warm as possible.

Leah carried Harry to her car and set him in the passenger seat. Usually kids were supposed to sit in the back, but Leah didn't have a carseat and Harry was so cold she was afraid he would die if she took her eyes off him. She turned the heater on and strapped the belt over Harry, relaxing slightly as he stopped shaking and slowly stopped crying.

She drove to Thomas Adoption Agency as quickly as possible and parked, wrapping Harry in her coat again as she hurriedly rushed into the building. The agency was open 24/7, so Leah easily was able to get into the building.

"I have an emergency and need to talk to Mrs Thomas immediately", Leah said urgently as she ran to the front desk. "What is your emergency?", the front desk lady asked anxiously, glancing at Harry's head sticking out of her coat. 

"I found him in a box by a dumpster behind Nando's", Leah said. The lady nodded, seeing the ice all over Harry now. She's in room 316, she said and Leah thanked her.

Leah burst into the room, and as she did she probably looked like a madwoman. Mrs Thomas looked up from her computer, startled.

"Leah?", She asked and took in her expression. "Leah, what's the matter?", she asked, worry all over her face. Leah pulled Harry out of her coat and cradled him in her arms, extending them so Mrs Thomas could see him.

"I found him in this state in a box by a dumpster behind Nando's" she said when she got her breath back. Mrs Thomas immediately got up and walked towards Leah, extending her arms as Leah placed Harry in them. "Oh dear, we need to get him into a warm bath and some warm clothes ASAP", she said after a second.

Leah nodded, walking into the room next to Mrs Thomas's office that was designated for bathing and treating the babies. While Leah got the bath ready, Mrs Thomas laid Harry on the changing table and stripped off his diaper and the note.

Harry had wet himself, and it had frozen onto him, making Mrs Thomas use extra caution as she carefully pulled it off. Harry's entire lower body from the waist down was red and ice cold to the touch, and he started crying again as Mrs Thomas brushed her fingers over his stomach, noticing the outline of the note reddened on it.

At this point, Leah had finished getting the bath ready, and took Harry from Mrs Thomas's arms, carrying him into the bathroom with Mrs Thomas right behind. She gently set him into the tub, making sure his head was above the water. "Who could do such a cruel thing as to abandon your child at only a day old"?, Mrs Thomas asked and rubbed at her eyes.

Mrs Thomas had the ability to determine how old a baby was within a matter of minutes, and she had guessed right. "I don't know, but we'll figure it out once this little guy is situated", Leah said and finished washing Harry. 

Leah wrapped Harry up in a towel as Mrs Thomas went and got a diaper and some clothes. After she had dressed him, Leah carried Harry into the nursery. As soon as Harry was put in a crib, he instantly fell asleep, exhausted.

After Hazel, the nursery occupant was notified about the new baby and put on watch Leah and Mrs Thomas sat down in her office. The last baby had been just recently adopted, and that gave Harry some silence for some much needed sleep.

"Now, tell me everything", Mrs Thomas instructed and listened intently as Leah explained how she was looking for her dog Bear who had run away when she found him. Mrs Thomas nodded every now and then, and when Leah finished she drummed her fingers on the table, deeply in thought.

"Mrs Thomas"?, Leah asked after a few minutes of silence.  "Hmm?", she asked, then suddenly snapped out of it as she and Leah shared a look. "Well, in all my years of owning Thomas Adoption Agency I have never had a case like this one", Mrs Thomas said and sighed again.

"We'll keep him here for awhile, and when he's better we'll put him on the site", Mrs Thomas said and Leah nodded.

Sorry it took so long to update, I got grounded and my parents took my phone and I got stuck after I got it back. Working on the 3rd chapter now, sorry it might take a little while to post because my life is crazy right now, I just got the lead in the school play and my boyfriend is acting weird. Not to mention the mountains of homework they give us, but anyways I'll update again when I can :)