Piety had never been comfortable in hospitals. The smells and generic art with pastel colors always brought back terrible memories. Uncomfortable by being in the medical environment, waiting for word on Glenda, it launched Piety into recollections of the past. 

Her mother had worked on and off as a nurse’s aide and it was not her calling, as much as a job she could do with a limited education and ambition. Piety’s mother would put on her uniform with sullen jerks and tell her children that she would not be a professional ass wipe forever. She would spin a story to her kids that she was supposed be a registered nurse, but instead she had gotten pregnant. She had chosen to be a mother over a fantastic career. It had all been bullshit, Piety’s mother had dropped out of high school at 16 and only got a GED when even nursing home, required her to get one. 

Piety tried to not think of the past. "God, I fucking hate hospitals." Piety said under her breath.

The waiting area Piety had to sit in, while doctors worked on Glenda had those chairs that no one could sit in for long. They were better than the hard-plastic ones of her youth, these had little padding and wanted to give the impression that they might be comfortable. The truth was they, still had that wipe-able fabric covering and seats that tended to hit you either in the tail bone or low back, making you shift weight every few moments. The florescent lighting made everyone look pale and wane, there was a background  buzz of the coke machine. The machine had that irritating buzzy whine akin to a mosquito. Piety wondered if she could physically push the damn thing into the parking lot.

 A woman with a name tag that said Peggy and  the title admitting clerk sat behind her desk with the cultivated air of a woman who did not want your questions or to be bothered. Piety learned that when asking where the bathroom was earned her a hand gesture and no eye contact. Piety decided that people should have a personality screening before working in public service jobs.

Jack decided to bother Peggy from the important work of texting on her phone. He asked her again to send a nurse or doctor to tell them how Glenda was doing. Peggy languidly picked up her phone to call into the ER. She told Jack that a doctor would come update us when they had something new to say, Mrs. Peabody was stable. Piety tuned out as Jack pressed further.

A custodian in a dark blue uniform pants and lighter blue button up shirt pushed a housekeeping cart past towards the public restrooms.  The smell of chemicals and squeak of wheels, again triggered old memories for Piety. She rubbed at her eyes listening to the man tunelessly whistle  as he worked emptying trash baskets  and  cleaning the ladies room then the men's bathroom. Piety closed her eyes, it was late , she had been terrorized again by the supernatural and she sat at her personal ground zero for bad memories. She would rest her eyes and ignore that antiseptic toilet cleaner smell.

In that weird space between sleeping and awake Piety  remembered being taken to nursing homes and hospitals as a child. She had to sit in waiting areas to be passed off like a football to her father. That indescribable smell of toilet cleaner, Windex and something fake flowery was too familiar. The only thing missing was the smell of piss and old people stink of patients who lived in hospital gowns and pajamas. 

With a mental shiver Piety thought back to the elderly who were shoved into to waiting areas with blaring TV’s to moan or ask the same question over and over. Old women in ridiculous hairdos of thin wispy white piggy tails and hands with thin skin and  bulging veins. The old people would call Piety names of children’s who had grown up years ago. It would scare the hell out her seeing the aging madness and she would try evading their clawing crone like hands. They wanted to touch Piety and her brother, pet them like lap dogs and babble at them.

When Piety was told that her mother had gotten a job at the hospital, she was excited. No more being left at the warehouse of the pre-dead.

The hospital was better since the elderly insane people was minimal but those waiting rooms held their own dangers.

 At twelve Piety sat with her 5-year-old brother waiting for her father to get off work and be passed off from their mother, who was already working.Piety knew that her job was to keep her brother quiet, playing with whatever toys was in his backpack. Her mothers’ boss was not thrilled with this pass off that her parents did as one worked 7-3 and the other 3-11. The boss nurse said if no one complained she would turn a blind eye to it.

Initially Piety did not complain about the sweaty chaplain who always seemed to know when they were there and would sit and chat. Piety never liked Reverend Baker who came with suckers or gum and ask all the annoying adult questions every single day, “What are studying in school?” or “What’s your favorite TV Show?” the little man was not grossly fat, but on the cusp of unfit, with a pot belly and spindly legs. His hair was a thinning blond that he had absurdly tried to comb over the bald spot. Piety as a child shuttered at the way his eyes would pass over her to lock onto her little brother. He stared at her baby brother like a hungry dog would a steak.

Piety was always polite and answered the repetitive adult questions and her brother annoyingly would cling to Baker begging for candy. Her little brother loved the stupid games the man would invent, and Piety’s mom seeing the ecclesiastical collar never questioned a thing. When the preacher said he had an office space he shared with the other chaplains and he would be happy to babysit the two children. Piety's mothers face was one of relief that her kids could be out of site and mind while she worked.

 Soon the waiting area with grubby toys and old magazines was left behind for a small office with had plastic chairs, a desk and a wastebasket always brimming with the used Kleenex of the bereaved or in shock of being in a hospital with a loved one’s life hanging in the balance.

The latest game was her brother having to play look for the candy. First it was the tiny office and soon there was no new place to hide the Werther’s candies. So, the game changed to her brother being told maybe the candy had moved to being on Bakers person. Piety remembered thinking the game had been odd, but now it was very peculiar. No longer was the candy  in a coat pocket but now it was in a pants pocket. Gleefully, her toddler brother, would scamper on to Baker's lap like a monkey his hand darting into the pants pocket digging for his Weathers. The preacher would offer Piety a dollar or two to get soda or go to the cafeteria for a snack. He would make no attempt to hide his dismay when she would say, “No thank you, my mom always wants me to keep Silas in sight.”

Piety had resorted to reading a book when they had relocated to the private office. She would sit in the hard-plastic chair under the worn painting of Jesus on a cross. Knowing the girl wouldn’t leave the preacher barley acknowledged Piety. The man had become her brother’s playmate and unadulterated fan. It was when her brother said, “Pastor Baker your pants have no pocket.” Piety’s feelings of warning blazed to life.

With the position of the desk Piety realize she only say the man from the waste up and the tippy top of her brother’s head. Her brother petulantly said, “No candy in that pocket.”

The preacher replied quickly, “That darned hole, it must have fallen out. Never mind here is one right here.” And he pulled a candy out of the desk.

Piety knew something was wrong and she knew that her little brother should not be close to that man.

“Silas, come here.” Piety said and as her brother came over, she said “Stay here by me.” The preachers mouth open to complain, a look of anger in his eyes.

It was then there was a  nock on the door and her father tired and dirty from the factory said, “Hey kids let’s go home, thank you Pastor Baker.”

The pastor stood shook Piety’s fathers hand and said, “So, soon? Time flies with your children there so well behaved.”

Piety resolved to tell her mother about the strange candy finding game. When she did her mother had been putting on her uniform for work and applying lipstick. When Piety told her about the pocket that had no end and the candy game , her mother snapped the lipstick shut jamming the cap on and she turned on Piety, “ I don’t know what you read in your filthy comics or godless fantasy books like that Hobbit thing , but that is a man a god and you need to pray about your dirty mind. I have a good job because he keeps you out of sight of my boss and her bosses.”

Her mother said in a clipped tone, “ You’re being difficult since you hate doing whatever Piety doesn’t want to-do. Suck it up, so I can go to my shit job.” She glanced at the clock, frowning she was going to be late with this nonsense. “Well learn this lesson little girl. We all do what we don’t want to do. I wipe asses all day when I wanted to be a nurse and push pills. I wanted a normal life where I tell people what to do and I don’t have to get dirty. Too bad I did the right thing and have a baby. I work to feed you, so don’t tell stories about that pastor who is doing us a favor so I can work.”

The drop off happened with Piety’s mom’s fingers digging into the tender flesh of her arm as she pulled the girl close and hissed, “You be nice to the reverend got it! No wild stories.”

Piety nodded with tears in her eyes from the pain of the grasp and she knew the underside of her arm would be bruised. Baker showed up as normal and with sickly sweet tones told the children how happy he was to see them. Piety gave him a look that blazed that she was not fooled by this “man of god” she refused to allow her trusting brother near the man. The pastor had a cooler in the office and he said , “ You guys want a Coke or maybe a root beer?” 

"This was new", she thought, " something is not right."

Before Piety could say anything her brother was accepting a can of coke from the man. He drank the pop in greedy gulps , Piety’s mom didn’t keep soda in the house. Baker smiled a sharks grin, “ Do you want one Piety?”

“No, thanks , daddy says it rots the teeth.”

“Your daddy is a wise man, but one coke is no big deal , I bet you get when you eat at McDonalds.”

“ Silas and I don’t eat out much.”

The pastor nodded and reaching in the cooler opened a root-beer for himself and Silas’s gaze was drawn to the open cooler and the sight of so many different types of soda. The pastor handed a second one to the boy as he sipped his own. Piety reached to take it away and Silas pushed away at her hand, “ I want more.” the boy whined.

Piety couldn’t figure out this game, but she knew that like hide the candy there had to be a reason for it. Soon her brother squirmed, and Baker said, “Someone has the wriggles, do you need to go to the bathroom young man?”

Her brother nodded a yes and the pastor held out his hand well I can take you to the men’s room. I feel like it too.

Piety leapt up, “I can take him, I am supposed to watch him.”

“Now Piety, we are going to the men’s room. You really shouldn’t go in there.”

Her cheeks flushed, of course she didn’t want to go into the men’s room. Piety just knew that Silas should not be alone with this man.

The pastor for the first time put a little steel in his voice, “ You wait here we are just going down the hall.”

She took a step, “ I don’t think…”

“Young lady I am a pastor and your mother leaves you in my care , sit down and we will be right back.”

They left and piety felt a wrongness in the pit of her stomach. She paced the tiny room and then with decision opened the door to stalk after them. The bathroom down the hall she went to in a quick step. She waited and a man in a white coat exited and she said, “Excuse me sir is there a little boy, my brother in there with a pastor?”

The man said, “ No , miss just me, however there is another public restroom at the other end near the back stairwell.”

She thanked him and went at a quick pace not quite a run to that restroom. It was isolated and had a sign that said closed for cleaning on it. She waited for what seemed like many minutes and she thought to turn and find a hospital worker to see if her brother was in there. When she heard a scuffle of rubber on floor , maybe like sneakers. With no further thought she pushed open the door and marched in ignoring the urinals and feel of wrongness invading this male space. She went to the handicapped stall and saw the adult feet and saw her brother struggling and whimpering, “ Lemmy go!”

She felt rage and like a bubble in her chest it rose and from with in her knew knew that somehow she could make this stop. She touched the stall door and it flew in as if she kicked it and Baker turned, his belt unbuckled . She reached for her brother huddled in his underwear by the toilet and she said, “ Silas come”

The child scrambled not thinking to grab his jeans in a puddle by the floor. He ran to her and she pushed him behind her. The Preacher hissed, “ I took him to the rest room and he peed himself I was just helping him.”

“With your willy out?” she retorted

The man righted himself and said, “You’re a sad sick child I told your mother that no girl your age should think such things. Tell her about this and I will tell her how much you need help.”

Silas crying muttered, “ Pie Pie, was I bad? ” using his childish nickname for her.

She raised her hand and Baker flew back into the wall and pouring all her anger into her arm and by extension Baker he had landed with a thud rose and hit the wall again. She was ready to make it happen again when the door opened and her mother seeing the scene and her child in underwear crying took Piety’s arm and muttered something and pulled her into the hall. 

Piety in present time sat up completely wake.  Someone had nudged her out of the memory/dream .

Then this thought came to her , she had always been told she attacked the pastor physically and cost her mom her job.

Why now had she remembered the …magical …force of pushing the pastor into the wall?

Had be mother done something…

The reverie was ended with a voice that said, “Piety Jones?”

She glanced up and saw a woman in a lab coat and scrubs. Her name tag said Dr. Singh. Piety nodded at the woman who sat across from her and said, “I’m looking after your Aunt Glenda.”

“I’m not really related, she was my real aunts’ best friend that I inherited after she died.”

“I see, she has you listed as a contact so I wanted to let you know she has a Subdural hematoma and is in a coma, we will be transferring Ms. Peabody to ICU we will need do surgery to get that blood clot off of her brain.

Piety nodded numbly and asked, “ Can I see her?”

“She is unconscious and we are keeping her like that you can have a few minutes but she has to go to surgery immediately.”