Dorothy Grey

The Decision
 
 
As Janice looked over the coffee table at the little girl, dressed in her school clothes, hair up in a ponytail, bolting down her breakfast, she once again felt a wave of love. This perfect girl was brought to them three short years ago, a skinny girl dressed all in rags, with nothing more than a note written on a scrappy piece of card. Janice remembered that night so well, it was bucketing down with rain as it had been for the whole week. The doorbell rang and there was Gladys, the fostering coordinator, with the saddest bundle of skin and bones barely covered in rags Janice or her husband Marcus had ever seen. As Janice invited them in, Gladys was clutching a small bundle of notes within a plastic bag to keep them dry, the girl with her hair matted to her head by the rain had no possessions, no soft toy to cuddle, nothing. Janice told Marcus to make a hot chocolate drink for the poor little mite, crouching down on her haunches as she looked at the little girl, just smiling, she handed her a soft towel she was holding. The girl lifted her head up, her large brown eyes fixed onto Janice’s and she broke into a huge smile, her whole face seemed to radiate love, taking the towel off of Janice she started to dry her hair, handing the towel back with a small nod and a shy little thank you then glancing over to Gladys she said in a beautiful sing-song voice. “She looks nice, I think I’ll be happy”. She then wandered over to the coffee table, sat down, back straight already looking less street urchin. 
Gladys was quite taken aback by the change in the girl's demeanour “Well you are an obvious hit with Dorothy. I’ll give you what background we have which is very sketchy I’m afraid. She was found huddled under a large puffy jacket in a shop front in Newport, on the spitty estate. All she had are the clothes you see her in and this small card” handing a piece of card over to Janice who gasped as she scanned the short note scrawled on the card. It simply read
 
Name: Dorothy Grey 
Age: eight years old.
In need of a forever home
 
Janice felt hot tears of anger welling up. “Who the hell writes such a cold note then abandons a little child like her…. In need of a forever home, that’s what dog homes write when looking to get their dogs adopted! That is sick, poor little devil”. Gladys nodded in agreement. “Which is why we need someone trustworthy to look after her as the police and social services conduct their investigation into who her parents are and why they abandoned her.” Looking over at Dorothy who was supping her hot chocolate and eating some Jaffa cakes Marcus had found in the cupboard. Gladys glanced back at Janice. “I know you said you were probably going to give up fostering but you have always done so well with let’s say difficult cases, the biggest problem we have, Dorothy seems to have total amnesia, the psyche team on pick up believes total memory lock possibly from past trauma, maybe in a loving family environment it may unlock her mind, which is why I thought of you. Please take her in only until we make contact with her family.” Janice nodded, when she got the phone call earlier that day from Gladys she was at first reluctant, both Marcus and she had done their bit spending the last 15 years fostering children, usually taking on the more difficult cases, the ones other foster parents had given up on. Also Marcus had recently come into a large inheritance from the death of his mother, being an only child of a wealthy couple, his dad died tragically whilst on a skiing holiday, so when his mum also recently died of cancer. They suddenly found themselves financially secure. She was going to turn Gladys down, but as the full story of how the girl was found was laid in front here, she just couldn’t say no. “We will look after her, maybe as you say she may get her memory back. But I shudder to think how bad her past life must of been to cause total amnesia like that”
Three years on Janice and Marcus continued to foster Dorothy. The little girl couldn’t or wouldn’t remember her past life, despite numerous appeals. Her picture was circulated country wide, no one came forward.
From day one the pair of them were completely besotted by this enigmatic little girl. As time went on they both fervently hoped social services would give up searching. When Gladys phoned them that the search for her real parents was being put on the back burner, they made the decision they would take the plunge and legally adopt Dorothy. 
Janice sat down at the coffee table watching Dorothy finish her breakfast, nervously playing with a large brown envelope, Janice eventually cleared her throat with a loud cough. “Dotty, Marcus and I have had a discussion and we would really like to legally adopt you as our own. Financially and legally it would make sense for you. You will at last have a place, somewhere you can call your real home.” Stopping thinking this wasn’t the right tone to conduct this conversation with a small child. She sounded like an accountant, not a loving mother figure. Starting again she continued. “What I meant was well these last three years have been the happiest in our lives and we just want to be able to see you grow up with us if you are willing to have us as your adopted parents” 
As Janice spoke she started to get a familiar swimmy feeling she seemed to get when she spoke to Dotty, her head started to pound, a thin sheen of sweat pricked her forehead as the little girl's impossibly big brown eyes bored into her, as she stared at Janice Dorothy spoke. “You love me, carry on loving me. I am yours”. With that Dorothy looked down at the table. Janice shook her head, she felt like she had just resurfaced after almost drowning, her heart rate was raised, she felt a little sick but then it passed. “So Dotty what do you think you know we love you very much do you want us to become your full time parents”. Dorothy looked up from the table with a massive smile across her face as she rushed around the table grabbing hold of Janice, hugging and squeezing her. Janice instantly started feeling dizzy again, her muscles seem to be turning into liquid as she barely had the strength to hug Dotty back. “Woo little thing, let me breathe!” Dorothy let go, turning her back on Janice for a second, she had her hands up to her face as she shook her legs. With a sigh of contentment she turned back to see Janice still struggling to breath. With concern in her voice Dorothy asked her “My gosh Janice you look poorly, do you think you need a little lie down on the couch? I’ll finish getting packed and my lunch ready. You do look unwell.”
Janice nodded, thinking a quick five minute rest would recharge her batteries. It seemed odd she did seem to be getting more and more tired recently. As she stood, still feeling shaky but happy it went so well. Dorothy looking up from prepping her cheese sandwich piped up “Janice will it be alright if I call you and Marcus, mum and dad. I mean I’ll never know my own parents now and you will be my parents so can I call you mum and dad. With tears of joy in her eyes Janice nodded “Of course darling nothing would ever make us happier.” With that she tottered out of the kitchen to lie down on the couch in the front room. Within seconds she was asleep. Dorothy peeked her head round the door, seeing Janice asleep, crept forward putting an arm out, was going to touch Janice’s forehead but withdrew her hand murmuring to herself. “Not too much, not too quick”. Then skipping out of the door she picked up her school bag, running to catch the school bus to tell all of her friends her news.

Dr Smith’s Concern
 
Four years on. Janice was stressing in the kitchen. “Come on Marcus, we only have an hour or so before Dotty returns with her school friends, I need to lay up the table, can you set up the disco lights out around the hot tub and sort the music system out.” Janice blew out her cheeks, she thought they would have had everything set up a few hours back and would now be just doing the finishing pieces to make the party sparkle. Unfortunately both her and Marcus became very drowsy halfway through the morning, having a quick lie down on the bed they both promptly fell asleep so lost a good couple of precious hours. Waking up with a start Janice went into panic mode. She wanted it to be perfect for Dotty, turning fifteen seemed such a milestone. Obviously they couldn’t be entirely sure if she was fifteen or not, all they could be guided by was that little card Dorothy had when she was discovered which purported she was eight years old, so they decided to make the day she came into their lives her birthday, celebrating each year starting on her ninth birthday a year after she entered there house and lives. 
Marcus wandered into the garden. Armed with fairy lights, a disco ball, Bluetooth speakers and his mobile phone. Placing everything down on the table they had set up under the gazebo next to the hot tub. He started to string up the fairy lights, nailed up the disco ball and synced the lights and speakers to his music playlist on his phone via Bluetooth. All completed he sat down rubbing his legs thinking he couldn’t believe how much he ached after such little effort. Legs were sore, back ached and the headaches he suffered seemed to be getting progressively worse. He put most of the symptoms down to getting older but really after all only turned fifty last year surely he shouldn’t be this bloody decrepit. Also falling asleep in the afternoon for no good reason. Quite often after saying goodbye to Dotty in the mornings, giving her a hug he would suddenly feel so lethargic afterwards. Drained would be the word he would use. Shaking his head he was pulled out of his musings when his phone started ringing, still being hooked up to the Bluetooth speakers the whole gazebo boomed and the fairy lights flashed, grabbing the phone shaking from the shock of the noise, he saw it was the doctor’s surgery ringing. Accepting the call he said hello. “Ahh Mr Braithwaite? Yes good it’s Dr. Smith here at the Wye Valley surgery. Uhmm we have the blood results back for your adopted daughter Dorothy. All normal but I would still like to see her preferably with you and Mrs Braithwaite in the surgery. Would Friday late afternoon let’s say 5pm be convenient?” Marcus confirmed Friday at 5pm would be fine, wandering back into the house he saw Janice putting the last finishing pieces to the party food. Smiling to himself he walked up behind her, clasping his hands around her midriff, turning her round he clamped his lips onto hers giving her a big kiss whilst at the same time giving her bum a bit of a squeeze, “Why Mr Braithwaite, I think you are being a bit inappropriate aren’t you!” Giving him a friendly slap on the arm. Pulling away laughing, Marcus suddenly frowned looking at Janice. “Turn a little to the light. Why do I believe you are going grey Mrs Braithwaite.” Janice patted her head. “Oh don’t Marcus, I know also look at my face, look at these wrinkles they are I swear getting deeper everyday. Never had a wrinkle or grey hair until recently, now I’m looking like my mother!”
Again Marcus laughed but then the twinge in his back stopped him. “Oh hell there goes my back, what a pair we are, sleeping all afternoon. Bad backs,wrinkles and grey hairs we are only fifty not eighty!” 
Just then they heard the minibus pull up outside, peeking out of the window they saw Dorothy piling out of the minibus with her schoolmates all laughing, full of joy. Marcus had a slight frown on his face, looking at Dorothy she looked so much younger than her friends, he was once again struck by the same recurring thought he got whenever he saw Dotty next to her contemporaries, did they get her age so horribly wrong? Whereas her friends all looked like proper almost grownup little ladies, Dorothy still looked like the eight year old they met seven years ago. He knew academically she seemed to be staying up with her classmates in fact in some classes she excelled, especially history. Her history teacher told him the stuff your daughter knows outstrips my knowledge on any historical subject. So he knew she was at least mentally the right age. But looking again at her as she skipped up to the front door, physically? That was a different matter. That reminded him about the phone call he received. “Oh Jan, Dr Smith phoned, Dotty’s blood all came back normal but he still wants to see us all on Friday at 5pm.”
Janice nodded. “Ok no problem, look , she's at the door, let's talk about that later.”
Letting Dotty in with her friends the party started in earnest. Janice showed them the food laid out in the kitchen, there was suitable coos of delight from the party guests as they saw the extent of the food and drink. Marcus then showed them the setup outside in the gazebo. How to play the music, what volume was permissible. Not wanting complaints from neighbours. Next uncovering the hot tub, he told them how many at one time it would take then both he and Janice retired upstairs into their bedroom to let them have their party. 
Lying on the bed they could hear the merriment, the splashing of water as the guests hopped in and out of the hot tub, the music then started up. It all seemed to be going really well. Turning to Marcus, Janice gave him a big kiss. “I think we are doing ok don’t you love?” Marcus nodded but he had a slight frown. “I do worry a little about Dotty still looking so young. Strange don’t you think? Even if she was younger than eight by a couple of years when she was picked up, she would surely still look like a teenager by now?” Janice just shrugged her shoulders. “She’s a late bloomer that’s all, look we had all the blood tests done on her. There is nothing wrong, you said so earlier. I can’t see anything wrong with her, she is perfect. The best child we could ever wish having” 
Sighing Marcus could see by the clenched jaw line. Janice’s deepened frown, she was clear in her own mind there was no problem, thinking she was probably right, but still wondering what the Dr would have to say on Friday, he turned over to read a story on his Kindle.
As the final guest was collected by their parents, Janice walked back into the kitchen looking at the now very much depleted food spread on the table smiling with satisfaction that the bulk of the food seemed to have been consumed. She started to busy herself, throwing away leftovers, washing the larger containers and putting plates in the dishwasher. Dorothy came rushing in, gave Janice a big hug. “Thank you mum, you are the best one I’ve had for a long time” 
Janice’s head started swimming, she had that feeling of drowning again, weakly pushing Dorothy off her she sat heavily on a chair, looking up with a frown at the little girl, my god I see what Marcus meant saying she is so young looking. “Uhmm what do you mean I’m the best one you’ve had for a long time” 
Dorothy for just a split second looked flustered, regaining her usual composure she said “oh is that what I said? Sorry meant to say you're the best mum I could ever wish for, why don’t I help you tidy up, I mean it was my friends who made the mess, only seems fair if I pitch in.” Janice nodded weakly, she could do with a hand it seemed to have taken it out of her. She still felt a bit weak and sick. “Thanks dear oh by the way Dr. Smith phoned. Your blood tests were all normal but he wants to discuss something with you and us this Friday after school. Ok with that?”
Dorothy with a guarded look at Janice. “What does he want to say to us? I mean I’m fit, I may be small but I’m powerful”
“I know you are dear, I said as much to your dad but I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to go and listen to the doctor, tick that box, then we can be left alone in peace.”
Dorothy was still frowning but then nodded. “Ok mum I’ll go with you and dad but I don’t want anymore tests, I’m fit and well, I just want to be left alone with you and dad. You give me everything I could ever need.”
Janice nodded, Dotty certainly was fit and well, indeed Janice couldn’t even pin down in her mind a single day of sickness from the little girl. Huh if only I could say the same thing for myself. I’m so tired and weak. “Ok, that's settled. I think the kitchen is tidy enough for tonight. I’m going to bed, it is very late, goodnight lovely see you in the morning”
“Goodnight mum, I love you and dad. Thankyou for my birthday”
Janice tottered upstairs, to lie down next to her snoring husband. Picking her kindle up she started reading, but the words were just whirling around before she knew it she was fast asleep. As both of them slept, neither of them heard or saw the door open. As the small shape of Dorothy entered. Neither of them felt a small hand on their foreheads or saw the shimmering light as the hand on their foreheads glowed. They slept oblivious to all of this. If anyone was looking closely at the faces of Janice and Marcus at that point, they may have noticed the fine wrinkles in their skin deepening, some of the finer hairs on the head blanching becoming grey. Eventually the small hands withdrew and murmured as she left her stepparents to sleep “Not too much, not too quick, made that mistake before!” The little girl crept out her whole body now shimmering in the half light. 
Friday afternoon soon came round. The three of them sat in the doctor's waiting room. Dorothy sat between Janice and Marcus, her head down looking balefully at the floor. Janice's leg nervously twitching, she knew how much Dorothy hated the doctors. The last time they were there, when they took bloods from her for several tests she really got very stroppy. It was the first time Janice had seen her angry with both of them. This time hopefully it will be better. Just a chat was what the doctor told Marcus on the phone. 
The little side door opened and Dr. Smith popped his head round calling out their names. Standing up they all trooped in to sit three a breast on one side of his desk. Dr Smith gave them a professional smile as he finished tapping on his keyboard. “Thank You all coming down, I know this is a bit unorthodox but I really would like to talk to you all. The blood tests as I told Mr. Braithwaite came back negative for any obvious problems but I am concerned about Dorothy size. She is well under the average weight for her age, also she just doesn’t seem to be maturing at any sort of rate at all. I know some people are, as they say, late bloomers, but really I am concerned she hasn’t started blooming even a little bit. If not too personal a question, can I ask. Have you started menstruating yet Dorothy?” 
Dorothy sullenly shook her head. “That’s what I thought, it is very strange. It may be a genetic problem, something stopping her hormones from kicking things off. I know by her blood tests, she is producing estrogen so why it’s not doing its job I’m at a loss to say. What I propose is for her to go to a specialist unit. There is one in Cardiff, they will be able to do more in depth tests, like MRI scans and DNA profiling to see if there is any abnormal gene in her genetic make up.”
As Dr. Smith spoke, Dorothy started squeezing Janice’s hand. She pushed herself into her side, a terrified little mouse of a girl. Marcus looking over saw how scared Dorothy was, turning to Dr. Smith
“To what end doctor? What would it achieve in the long run? As it has already been established she is fit and well, never had a day illness to my recollection, so if she has got a genetic defect it is not causing her any illness. It’s also not causing her any mental deficiency. She is academically in the top five percent in all her classes, she is athletic, fit as a flea. So if all it’s going to achieve is cause her distress and have no change to her outcome I do not see the need to put her through it.”
Dr Smith was quite taken aback by this. “I presumed you would want to know why your fifteen year old step daughter had the body of an eight year old. Yes she is bright, very fit as far as I can ascertain, I mean I find it strange she hasn’t had any of the usual childhood illnesses that may be part of the genetic defect within her. But I can see she is distressed and obviously I cannot force you to get her tested, if anything changes then please I beseech you to maybe reconsider your stance on this.” 
The three stood, as the doctor shook Janice’s hand he noticed her wincing. Holding her side, Marcus also seemed to struggle to get up out of his chair. As they left Dr. Smith sat musing why do these older folks take on young children when they are in their dotage. He flicked on the computer tapping in their names scanning the screen he dropped the biscuit he was holding as he read their ages. Oh my god he thought how the hell could two fifty one year olds look so old. He had presumed they were late sixties early seventies. Shaking his head he tapped in no further action at this time to be taken on Dorothy notes, then standing he wandered into the waiting room to call in the next patient. Looking out of the open door he could see the Braithwaites walking along slowly holding the hands of the diminutive girl between them, shaking his head to dislodge the thought it looked like grandparents taking their young granddaughter out for a walk, calling out the name of the next patient he turned and walked back in to his surgery. 
 


The final day
 
As Marcus picked up the toothpaste squeezing a small pea sized amount of the paste onto his electric brush, turning on the power he started to clean his teeth, wincing as it hit a bad tooth. Finishing he spat out the paste watching the blood stained gloop hit the porcelain sink. Shaking his head he washed the red mess down the drain. Looking up he caught his reflection in the mirror, what was a shock to him a few months back,now he is immune to the shockingly old man who peered back at him. Looking around he located his cane, slowly hobbling out he saw out of the hall window, Dorothy playing in the garden. Looking up she must of spied Marcus looking at her through the window. Waving, she made her way back into the house. “Daddy, daddy did you have a nice birthday today? I hope you did. Oh where’s mum? I was going to show her my history test paper results. I got one hundred percent - I’m on course to get an A Star in it that’s good isn’t it” 
Marcus smiled down at Dorothy’s excited face. “It is brilliant love, I think your mum is sleeping. She tried to do some gardening this morning and well it took it out of her.” Dorothy looked at Marcus tilting her head to one side. A small sad look on her face. Shrugging, she turned and walked off to her bedroom. Marcus feeling a wave of nausea, oh oh here it comes, he tried to hobble into the bathroom, realising he wasn’t going to make it, instead he headed into the kitchen and retching he was sick in the kitchen sink. Looking down, his vision blurred. 
“Daddy why not go and lie down with mum. I’ll clean that up then I’ll be up to see you in a minute I have your birthday present” Marcus nodding his head leaning on his stick turned and hobbled his way back to the hallway. Slowly climbing the stairs he made it to the bedroom. Sitting on the edge of the bed he stuck his walking stick into the back of one of his slip-on shoes pulling his foot out then repeated the same on the other side. Lifting his legs up he laid on the bed next to his wife. Janice’s eyes fluttered open. “Hello dear” she said in a small croak of a voice. Continuing in hardly no more than a whisper “Happy birthday love, fifty three you old git!” Marcus started to laugh which turned into a wheeze then a cough. Old he thought no we are not old, we are dying though, still at least we had dotty. Just then the door opened, and Dorothy walked in. “Hello mum, dad. I’m sorry it’s time, she held her hands out touching their foreheads. “Just a small amount of life force left in both of you, it will be enough to keep me going till my next family find me” Janice swam out of her dreams long enough to say “Why Dotty? We loved you, we cared for you so much, did we fail you in some way? Just please tell me.”
The small girl pulled her hands off their foreheads. 
“Yes mum you did love me, I have been loved and cared for, for well over a thousand years now. You will die today but your life force that has been my sustenance for these last eight or so years will stay alive within me with the rest of my loving parents for another millennia, now hush close your eyes and let me release you.”
Janice closed her eyes and felt the small hand of the girl she had cared for, who she knew for a while was feeding off of them but she let it happen, that after all was what a loving mother did. 
After a few minutes Janice and Marcus breathing stopped. Dorothy removed her hands. Closing her eyes she waited then her entire shone brighter than any iridescent bulb. Her entire shape started changing, when the light within her died she went to the long mirror in her bedroom, reflected back as that of a small boy. Picking up a card, with a pen he wrote 
 
 
 
Name - Danny Grey
Age - Eight years old
In need of a forever home
 
Pocketing the card he picked up Marcus trousers and found his wallet. Taking out the two hundred pounds that was within it, looking back one more time at his latest parents, Danny Grey walked out of the house and headed for the station to get a train to a new town and his next forever home.

THE END