The Saviors of Maria

Chapter 1

"Chapter 1"

At Saint Mary's hospital, on a cold December night, two women went into labor. They were both alone and scared. One of them was named Charlotte Kirby, just out of high school. She was a second-generation rich young teenager with a trust fund that could last for many years without having steady employment. Her mother and father were sitting in the waiting room, pacing about anxiously. They had accompanied her to the hospital for support. The other girl, Maggie Brennan, was only a few years younger. Unlike Charlotte, Maggie was thrown into "The System" when she was only a baby. She had never found her parents, dead or alive. She came to the hospital in a taxi, alone.

Somehow, in this strange twist of fate, Charlotte and Maggie, two extremely different women, were thrust into the same situation. Both of them had relations with a man who turned out to be a coward. They both carried healthy baby boys inside their stomachs for forty weeks up until this point. Although Charlotte has more people to depend on, neither of them are truly not alone. Charlotte was carted in first as she screamed at the top of her lungs and placed in room 2a. Maggie came a few seconds before, screaming even louder, placed into room 2b.

"Okay, honey." The nurse assigned to Charlotte, cooed. "It will be a while before-"

"He's coming now!" Charlotte growled like a wounded animal.

"Oh, no, it'll be a while, sweetie." The nurse argued, gently patting her shoulder.

"But-"

"I'll be right back with Dr. Forman, dear. Take deep breaths."

The nurse left the room quietly, leaving Charlotte alone. She groaned to herself, shaking her head. She waited in pain for nearly an eternity when she couldn't wait any longer.

"Well, I'm having this baby, doctor or no doctor." She muttered to herself, starting to push.

Meanwhile, Dr. Forman was with another patient right next door, young Maggie. She did everything the nurse told her, breathing and pushing, breathing and pushing until a little baby boy was born.

"You did great, Maggie" The other nurse, Sharon, congratulated enthusiastically as she held the child. "He's so beautiful."

This is where our ladies show where their biggest, life-altering difference lies. At the nurses words, Maggie turned her head away in negative purity.

"I can't be a mother." Maggie said, her voice breaking.

Sharon looked at the child, his orange-red hair gleaming through Maggie's blood. His screams were almost angelic to a novice mother's ear but will slowly morph into the growls of a demon from hell as the weeks go by.

"That doesn't mean you can't hold him." She argued.

"It will only bring me more pain." Maggie responded, tears in her eyes. "Don't worry. You'll be a good mother to him."

Meanwhile, Dr. Forman entered Charlotte's room to find her baby nearly one quarter of the way out. The nurse frantically returned to her side, grabbing her hand.

"It'll be alright, miss." the nurse tried to console. "Just take deep-"

"Breaths! I know!" She growled, gritting her teeth. "I've seen this before!"

After nearly an eternity of breathing and pushing and pushing and breathing, Charlotte heard a melodic scream that, just like Sharon's child, will soon turn into the chorus of hell.

"It's a boy, miss." The nurse cooed, presenting him to her.

"Give Arthur to me." She snapped at the nurse, reaching for her son.

"What a nice name." Dr. Foreman tells her. "You don't hear it very much these days."

Charlotte cradles the screaming child in her arms, her heart bursting with pride. Baby Arthur had a small tuft of dark hair on his head in a tangled mess. His small hands grabbed his mother's pinky finger out of nervousness.

"It's okay, Arthur." Charlotte cooed, cradling him in her arms. "I will never leave you."