Five Years Later

"Is this all we've ever got to look forward to, Harriet?" Rose asked her friend with a roll of her eyes in the dorm one night. "Growing up to be a servant?"

"We're foundlings, it's how it is," sighed Harriet.

"It's not like we can do anything about it," said Polly from beside Rose.

"I want to," Hetty sighed.

"But we can't, we'd get put in the tench!" Mary said.

The tench was a dark, cold, dirty old ice house that Matron locked a foundling in if they did something unforgivable. Mary was terrified of it, because of a past encounter years ago when she was just a new foundling. Rose thought it was only a matter of time before she got put there.

"Here you go," Harriet muttered to Rose, handing her a silver backed hairbrush that they shared round the five of then each night.

Rose took a second to look at herself in the back of the brush. She certainly looked a lot different from the last time she had seen her reflection.

Her hair had grown out since Matron had cut it five years ago. It was now a light brown, long, and straight. Her face had also changed. It was now... older, somehow, with rosy cheeks, pale lips and piercing green eyes.

Rose liked to think that she had inherited her last name, Green, because of her eyes. She didn't know if this was true, of course, but she hoped it was. Foundlings all had their names changed, anyway, so she knew that even if she had been named Green because of her eyes, it wasn't her first name anyway.

Matron had also been undeniably right.

Her past wasn't clear anymore. She couldn't remember her brother, or what his name was, or even what he looked like. It was all a memory. One that she wouldn't get back.

That day, the girls were in the laundry, sorting through all of the clothes and washing them before using a mangle to squeeze them and hanging them up to dry. It was dull, repetitive work.

And Rose wasn't feeling so well.

"Rose, are you alright? You're burning up," Polly asked her, frowning in concern.

Truth be told, Rose was feeling really warm and sweaty, and also a bit dizzy.

"Polly's right, Rose, it looks like a fever," frowned Polly.

"I'm fine," Rose got out, fetching another sheet from the basket to wash.

"Stay away from me, Green!"

Rose turned to see Sheila, Elizabeth and Monica, three other girls in their dorm. Rose rolled her eyes. Monica and Elizabeth were pests, but Sheila, the one who had spoken, was just downright insufferable.

"Urgh, Rose's got the lurgy!" Elizabeth added.

"Don't be stupid," Rose rolled her eyes.

"Leave her alone!" Hetty shouted.

"Bleuch!" Elizabeth mimed being sick.

"Don't go near her!" Monica added.

"Who wants to go near her anyway?" Sheila scoffed.

Rose felt too dizzy to retort, so she just uttered. "Leave me alone."

"Don't worry. We will."

But then all three of them started to chant. "Rose's got the lurgy! Rose's got the lurgy! Rose's got the lurgy! Rose's got-"

"What on earth is all this noise?!" Matron demanded as she walked into the laundry, outraged.

"Urgh-" Rose started-

Before she dropped to the ground, out cold.

𑁍𑁍𑁍

She wasn't aware of much, just of being shaken slightly by her friends, then put into a wheelchair and transported to the infirmary.

She did hear some things, though, as she was inspected.

"... yes, it's a fever... this is influenza..."

"... the child is in danger, we must hurry..."

"... I did tell you yesterday... the hospital needs to be on shutdown..."

And then... that was Mr Cranbourne...

"Matron, I am afraid we have just lost two boys."

And that, that exactly, lodged something in her mind.

𑁍𑁍𑁍

"You can't catch me!"

Running in the fields... Jake chasing after her...

"Matron, I am afraid we have just lost two boys."

Ned.

Ned...

Ned...

He was smaller than her, and he was laughing... Jake was chasing them both...

He was smart... and funny without realising it... and he was brave, but she was braver...

"I promised I'd look after him-"

Ned...

Ned...

"Ned..." murmured a sleepy, sweaty Rose as she awoke slightly, the room floating around her, not quite clear.

"Matron, I am afraid we have just lost two boys."

Lost...

Two boys...

"I'll look after you, I promise..."

"Ned..." she murmured again.

As she opened her eyes, her ears rung, and she looked around. "Where am I?"

"The infirmary," Nurse Winterson, the nice, younger nurse at the hospital, said to her, pressing a cold cloth to her head. "You've got influenza. You need to drink."

Slowly, Rose sat up and drank from a cup. The water was cold and it soothed her, but only temporarily.

She lay back down after drinking, her head spinning.

"What about Ned? Is Ned alright? I-I need Ned to be alright-"

"Hush now, quiet," whispered the nurse.

"But I remembered," said Rose stubbornly. "Everything- it all came back... what if Ned's got the flu? Cranbourne said two boys died..."

"Rose, lie down. Come on!" Winterson told her. "I'll check my list."

As she did, Rose swore she felt every muscle in her body tense and lock up. And then she came back over. Rose was on the brink. Ned just couldn't be dead, he couldn't-

"Ned, you say?" Winterson asked, sitting back down on her bed.

Rose nodded vigorously.

"Not even in the infirmary," said Winterson kindly. "He must be fine."

Rose sighed, relaxing considerably and lying back down.

She couldn't rest, though. Her memories had been restored. She now remembered everything, including Ned.

And that just made her happier than she could every imagine.

𑁍𑁍𑁍

She returned to the dorm a few days later, once Winterson was sure her temperature had gone back to normal.

"Rose! You're better!" Polly called her down the dorm to their spot at the back.

Unfortunately, Sheila and her cronies were on the other side, down the bottom.

"Full of contagion, you only have to look at her," Sheila smirked.

"Say that again, I dare you," Rose snarled.

"Rose! What's the matter with you?" Harriet came and dragged her away, Sheila rolling her eyes at them.

"I need to find Ned," Rose said in a murmur.

"Your foundling brother?" Hetty asked.

Rose nodded. Hetty hadn't forgotten about her brother. He was called Gideon. Rose cursed herself for forgetting about hers.

"Ned's in the boys' wing. You won't get near him," Harriet sighed.

"He might not even remember you," Polly put in. "I had a foundling brother once, now I don't even remember his name."

"That's the problem, being here, Matron makes you forget," Rose said angrily. "Well, not anymore. I'm going to the boys' wing. I'm finding him."

No one had the heart to agrue with her.

𑁍𑁍𑁍

"So what will you do if you meet him?" Polly asked Rose the next morning, when the five of them were on floor cleaning duty. "What will you do then?"

"I'll look out for him," Rose sighed. "Being ill taught me it's never too late-"

"For goodness' sake, will you stop dreaming?" Harriet came up to the two of them. "You'll never even make it to the boys' wing."

"Harriet, I've made up my mind, I'm going to find him," Rose said firmly as she opened the cupboard in the hall to get more supplies.

However upon leaving, she saw a... vent. In the ceiling.

And she smirked.

Without hesitation, she took her broom and pushed it into the vent, lifting it up and off to reveal a... hole in the ceiling. Up into the rafters.

"Look," she smiled, looking to her friends and getting them to come into the cupboard to see the hole in the ceiling.

"If there's one here..." Rose started. "There's got to be one in the boys' wing."

"She's a genius," murmured Polly, looking up at the ceiling.

"You'll never get up there!" Harriet was in disbelief.

"Watch me," was Rose's reply.

"I like it," Hetty shrugged. "Tell me what it's like, Rosie."

"Oh no, please don't go! You'll get thrown in the tench if you do!" Mary exclaimed. "Matron-"

"Matron will have to catch me first," said Rose, climbing up on the cupboard shelves and pushing the vent further off with her hands. "Keep watch."

As she got up into the rafters, Rose couldn't help but feel that old interminable feeling build up inside her again. The kind of thrill she hadn't gotten in a while. The kind of thrill she could only get from adventure.

She smiled as she swung herself upwards, now standing in a dimly lit attic.

"Here, Rose," Polly said, climbing up on the shelves to hand her friend a candle.

"Thanks," Rose smiled. "Now, traps shut till I'm back."

They all nodded as Rose took the vent and covered the hole back up, so there was no trace of her going up there if Matron was to look.

Then, she began to creep along the rafters, climbing over beams and dodging spider webs.

Then, finally, she saw another vent, and light coming up from it.

As she looked down, she realised it was the records office, where all the files on foundlings, past and present, were kept. It was situated between the boys' and girls' wings, as all teachers had access to it.

As she bent lower, Rose saw two boys in there in foundling uniform, one with brown hair, one with blonde, talking in hushed voices and writing something down hurriedly.

Neither had glasses, so Rose deduced quickly that neither were Ned.

They might know him, though, she thought, as she debated going down there. It was dangerous, true, but these were definitely foundlings, and no foundling was allowed in the records office, so they were breaking rules too.

So Rose just went for it, as Rose always did.

Slowly and quietly, she removed the vent, and then she jumped onto the desk that the vent was above, her dress swooshing around her.

The two boys turned to look at her as she did.

"Never met a smart girl before," the one with black hair commented.

"Funny. I've met plenty of stupid boys," Rose retorted.

The blonde boy laughed upon hearing this, and the black haired one rolled his eyes.

"How'd you manage that?" He asked her.

Rose sighed, jumping down off the table. "The name's Rose. Rose Green. I need to see my foundling brother."

She tried to get past and out the door but the black haired boy stood in her way. "By breaking into our wing? Are you mad?"

"Ned needs looking after, I promised him!" Rose said, attempting to get past him.

"Ned?" The boy frowned. "He's doing fine."

"Since when?" Rose raised her eyebrows.

"From the moment I stopped him getting bullied by the big boys," the boy said back. "He's really smart, though. We're mates."

Rose crossed her arms. "And who are you, exactly?"

"Will," the black haired boy said. "Will Burton."

"And I'm Mathias Grigg," the blonde one nodded.

"So... you know Ned? Ned Swann?" Rose checked, and the boys nodded. "Do you..." she paused. "Do you also know Gideon Smeed? He's my friend Hetty's brother-"

"Yeah, Gideon's our mate, too," Mathias said.

Rose took a second. "So, Will and Mathias... if you're Ned's friends, will you help me?"

"Sorry, I've got more important stuff on my mind," Will retorted.

"Like what, writing letters to your sweetheart?" Rose mocked, deftly stealing the letter that Will had in his hand.

"Ah- give that back-" he said, chasing her round the big desk. Rose was fast, though, and stealthy.

"Why should I?" Rose said, looking down and reading the letter, scoffing. "What is this? You two clearly didn't pay attention in literature!"

"Stop it-" Mathias started, also lunging for the letter and failing.

"Dear Mr Grace," Rose read in a mocking tone from the letter. "Please take the best foundling boys we have into your home-"

"That letter's private-" Will said, lunging across the desk. Rose was far too quick for him.

"What are you trying to do, fix yourself a little apprenticeship?" Rose giggled. "Does Matron Stinking Bottomly know about this-?"

"It's our way out of here!" Will finally yelled at her, ripping the letter out her hand and facing her. "Mr Grace... he takes in runaways, street kids, alright? He trains them to go to sea. All we need is an official letter of recommendation."

He headed round the desk and Rose stayed where she was, unsure if she should follow. Finally, Will plucked up enough courage to softly take her arm, pulling her round. His hand was warm and gentle on her skin and she felt goosebumps erupt from where he touched.

"Look," said Will, showing her an article. "I nicked it from Cranbourne's newspaper."

Rose looked at it. It was an advertisement for Mr Grace, and it spoke very well of his training apprenticeships to fight at sea.

Rose frowned, looking up at Will with wide eyes. "You're going to sea?!"

"Us and the boys reckon anything's better than this place," Mathias shrugged from where he was stood, far off at the window.

"We leave tonight," Will told her, causing her eyes to snap back to his. "And both Gideon and Ned are coming with us."

Rose watched in despair as the two boys went about the room, checking everything.

"Straight after dorm patrols, our gang's getting out of here," Will said, bringing Rose over to a map of the hospital.

"You can't! I need to see Ned!" Rose shouted stubbornly.

"Too late," Mathias said roughly. "Tomorrow's the last day to apply, our escape' all worked out."

"How? This place is a fortress," Rose scoffed, not believing them for a second.

Will, meanwhile, just smirked and said. "Simple," he turned to the map of the hospital, using it to narrate to her. "After checking the dorms, the night watch always takes the same route. He opens the side entrance and leaves it unlocked, then follows the path. He goes this way, we sneak out and come this way. It's timed to the minute."

"You've... studied this?" Rose frowned.

"Me and Ned planned it from our dorm window," Will continued. "Is he really your brother?"

"Yeah," Rose said.

"He mentioned having a sister once, I think," Will nodded. "He couldn't tell us her name, though. Sorry," he added as an afterthought.

"It's okay, I only remembered after I went to the infirmary with influenza," sighed Rose. "I-"

"Okay, okay, enough lovey dovey chat, let's get on with this," said Mathias briskly.

"It's not-" Will started.

"How dare-" Rose was also annoyed.

"Regardless, we're getting over that wall tonight," Mathias cut through them both. "Out and... straight off to sea."

Rose raised an eyebrow. "You really think Mr Grace will take you? With a letter like that?"

"Why not?" Mathias asked her.

"Well, it looks fake, it doesn't look for a second like Matron's written it," Rose said. "I could do a much better job. Writing's my thing."

Will decided to entertain her. "Prove it."

Rose shrugged, improvising. "My dearest Grace, please accept the best boys I have to offer, as I am concerned for their welfare after a recent outbreak."

Will sighed, looking to Mathias and both of them nodding.

Rose smirked. "You've never met a smart girl before, right?"

Will rolled his eyes.

"Meet me here, straight after the girls' end of lunch bell. I'll have your letter," Rose smiled.

"That gives us three minutes till roll call," said Will.

"On one condition," Rose added, ignoring him. "You bring Ned. If you're getting out of here, I want to see him first."

As she climbed back up on the desk, she said. "You need me, remember?"

Mathias nodded, but Will held out a hand for her to shake.

Rose smiled, taking it and shaking it slowly. His hand was warm, and she couldn't describe it, but she felt a nice feeling of comfort when they touched.

Rose couldn't believe it as she climbed back up into the rafters. She was going to see Ned!

𑁍𑁍𑁍

"Guess what!" Rose said excitedly as she got back into the corridor where Harriet, Polly, Mary and Hetty were still working. "I made it!"

"Into the boys' wing?"

"No one's ever done that before!"

"And I met two boys - Mathias and Will - and if I write a letter for him, I get to meet my foundling brother!" Rose exclaimed excitedly, before making to run off. "See you at lunch."

"Rose! We've got a corridor to clean!" Harried yelled after her.

"And I've got a letter to write!" Rose yelled back as she ran up to the dorm.

She could do this.

𑁍𑁍𑁍

She finished writing it on the bench at lunch, adding the last word with a flourish.

She looked up to see all her friends, staring dead at her.

"What?" She frowned. "As long as I get to see him, that's what matters."

"Rose, please. Think of the consequences!" Harriet hissed.

"Straight after lunch, I need you to cover for me," said Rose, ignoring Harriet.

"Us?" Mary burst out. "But we-"

"What you up to, Green?"

Rose looked up, seeing Sheila, Elizabeth and Monica flanking her.

"Disappearing during chores, cosy chats with your friends," Sheila continued.

"At least I have friends," Rose snapped. "And what's it to you, anyway?"

"It's called intuition," snapped Elizabeth. "She's hiding stuff."

"Now spill! Or your food's mine for a week," Sheila threatened.

Rose scoffed. "You don't scare me, Ormsby."

"I will steal it," Sheila said.

"Yeah? Just you try!" Rose retorted.

Sheila lunged forward and stole the meat off Rose's plate.

"Oi! Half for me!" Laughed Monica.

"Give. It. Back!" Rose stood up, slamming her hands on the table.

"Fight! Go on!" Elizabeth grinned.

"Yeah, come on Sheila, pull her hair!" Monica jeered.

"You want it, Green? You have it," and then Sheila threw the meat at her.

Rose, however, ducked, so it hit the person behind her.

Who just so happened to be Matron.

Rose gasped, as she turned, eyes wide.

"Who threw that?" Matron asked, her voice shaking.

"It was Rose, Matron," said Sheila.

"What? No it wasn't!" Rose shouted indignantly.

"Yeah, Sheila stole her meat!" Harriet added.

"Rose Green," Matron breathed, anger in every cell of her body as Sheila, Monica and Elizabeth went on.

"Yeah, she threw it, Matron!"

"It was Rose!"

The bell rang just as that happened.

Rose already knew there was no hope of meeting Will and Mathias.

Or even Ned.

"Rose Green, what on earth has got into you?" Matron asked.

"I-I didn't-" Rose stammered.

"Dorms, then fresh air and exercise!" Matron's voice boomed through the hall. "As for you, 25623-"

She lunged forward, getting ahold of Rose's arm and steering her out the hall.

"No! Matron! It wasn't me!" Rose protested.

"A spell in the storeroom should restore your senses-"

"No! Matron! Please!"

But no matter how much she yelled, the old room was where she ended up. Rose hated it in there. She felt so confined and it was dark and she couldn't breathe-

"Matron, please! I swear it wasn't me-!"

The key turning in the lock.

"No! Matron!"

As she heard the footsteps carrying Matron away from the door, Rose collapsed against it, pulling out her letter from her pocket.

There was no way she would be able to deliver it now.

And Mathias, Will and Ned would be waiting.

And she would not be there.