The Doc

Chapter 8

Alice followed Kelly, who was leading her through the colourful hallway of the daycare. It was a cold Friday morning and the snow was falling thick and fast outside. Alice was feeling slightly nervous volunteering in the daycare for the first time, and everything that came with it. But Maria suggested that she volunteer to help Bobby out while Kelly had been rostered in for patrol. She thought it might help her get back to her usual self.

They entered the small main room, filled with tiny furniture, and toys, the walls decorated with the drawings of snowmen and Santa and arts and crafts from the kids.

"Through that door is the staff kitchen," Kelly pointed over to the corner. "Help yourself to my coffee stash. You'll need it!" Alice chuckled.

"I'm sure they're not that wild," she smiled, making Kelly raise an eyebrow.

"Oh, just you wait," she grinned. "Anyway, I gotta meet Jesse at the gate. You good?"

"Sure!" Alice smiled. "Be safe out there."

Shortly after, the first kid of the group arrived with her mother. She was obviously reluctant on coming in and seeing a complete stranger. Alice did her best to reassure the little girl named Olivia before she went to greet her mom.

The next half hour went on like that as the kids came in with their parents, some of them shy, some intrigued by her presence and she quickly gained the affection of some kids as she made them laugh with funny comments and silly faces.

It was almost lunchtime and the room was temporarily peaceful.

Josh, Mia's older brother, was attempting to play with the twin babies; Kayla and Sophie. Kayla was ignoring him. She was much more interested in the jigsaw puzzle that Celia and Mia were attempting to complete. Kayla kept stealing their pieces, trying to help, much to the dismay of the two older girls.

"My puzzle!" Four-year-old Mia exclaimed, and Alice huffed out a laugh before she told her that that was not the right way to talk to her friends.

Sophie, however, was enjoying the older boys attention. He was shaking a rattle at her, which she found very entertaining. Alice smiled as Sophie's face lit up. Their play was disrupted, though, when Renee called out from across the room.

"Josh! Did you take my Barbie's dress?"

Josh turned around and approached Renee. "Of course not! It's tacky."

Renee didn't know what tacky meant, but she glared at Josh before turning to look at her naked Barbie. Alice stifled a laugh as she looked over to Bobby. Soon, it became impossible for the adults to keep their giggles down. Josh left Renee and headed over to his sister, Mia. The siblings were tormenting each other, though not in a way that Alice and Bobby felt needed reprimanding, or at least, not yet.

Josh picked up the ball that Mia had lost interest in.

"My ball!" he said.

Mia shook her head and reached for it, but Josh wouldn't give it back. After many tries, she seemingly gave up. As a last bit of retaliation, however, Mia ripped Josh's shoe off his foot.

"Mia!" Bobby sighed. "No grabbing!"

"You've ruined my favourite shoe!" Josh cried out, snatching his shoe back. He was overexaggerating, but that hardly mattered. Mia shouldn't have grabbed his shoe. 

A loud scream suddenly errupted and Bobby bustled across the room to Celia, who was clinging to Renee, terrified. "WORM!" she yelled. "WORM!"

"Get off!" Renee cried, pushing Celia off her.

"Girls! Calm down!" Alice exclaimed. "Where's the worm, Celia? Worms aren't anything to be scared of."

Celia pointed to Josh's shoelace and Josh's jaw dropped.

"My shoe isn't a worm."

Alice got to her feet and shook her head, laughing to herself at the kids antics.

"Alright, gang!" Bobby called out. "Who's ready for story time? Lets come onto the rug!"