[LINDA]

"Hurry up! We don't have all day!" I yelled into the house. Kevin and I were heading over to see the baby. A few minutes later a panting Kevin appeared through the kitchen door, stopping at the edge to lean on it, letting himself breathe. His hair was a mess and he hadn't buttoned up his shirt or done his tie.

I rolled my eyes at him. He could be such a sissy.

"You're hopeless, you know that?" I said, watching him gather his breath and begin to do his buttons. He ignored me. His chestnut hair was plastered to his face due to perspiration. I smiled walking over to him.

"You don't need to dress fancy all the time you know, it's just a hospital," I said, taking a comb from my bag before approaching him. I felt his body stiffen oddly then relax as I ran the comb through his hair. I didn't blame him. He's not quite used to it.

"You know the only reason you got dressed before me is that you just had to throw on a shirt and a pair of jeans," Kevin said as I continued to comb his hair. I rolled my eyes ignoring him. Sure I was wearing casual jeans and a loose top, but I'm going to the hospital, not a fancy meeting with the president.

After getting him properly dressed, we left the house and headed for the car.

"I'll drive," He said, stretching his hand out to receive the key. I didn't argue with him, just handed it over and headed for the passenger seat. We drove in silence, the occasional cough or sigh being the only disruption.

"We're close," Kevin said as we passed the hospital's signboard. I started to feel squeamish adjusting my position on the seat. I thought I was ready for this but apparently—

"Just calm down and take a deep breath," Kevin said. I blushed in embarrassment. Was I that transparent? I breathed in and out then wiped my eyes in case of tears. As I continued to prepare myself emotionally, Kevin drove into the hospital's premises.

He pulled the gear bringing the car to a stop. My eyes wandered to the building. It was a faded ash color with louver windows. The signboard of a woman throwing a child into the air came off as ironic to me.

"We have to go in sooner or later Linda," I heard Kevin say as the doors unlocked. I closed my eyes, trying to put my feeling track before leaving the car after him.

We walked into the reception, Kevin holding my hand. I felt like a child being drawn to see what I'd done wrong. We walked up to the receptionist to ask about our appointment.

"We're here about Amanda Banks," Kevin said, pressing the buzzer to catch the receptionist's attention. She looked up from her computer clearly understanding.

"Oh, I'll send in a nurse to see you, the doctor will also have to talk to you about plans for the baby. You can take a seat and wait for the meantime," she said before making a call on the desk phone.

We waited for about ten minutes before a petite lady in a nurse's uniform beckoned to us.

"Finally," I sighed in relief as I and Kevin up from the reception chair. I was already getting queasy and uncomfortable with the place. The reception smelled badly of insecticide and sores. It didn't help matter that the kids in there never stopped crying, and the person that had sat beside me had a terrible looking skin disease that sent my mind into a silent panic attack.

"I'll direct you to the see the baby," the petite nurse said with a weak smile as we got to her. We walked out of the reception and into a long hallway. We walked for a while before stopping at a numbered door.

The nurse opened the door to the room, walking in with us following behind. The room was filled with cribs holding babies. A woman was seated beside one, attending to a child. My eyes followed the nurse that led us here to crib at the corner.

"Come on," Kevin said, nudging my shoulder. I nodded, blinking back the tears I didn't know I'd been shedding. I followed him to the crib.

"Jesus Kev, what have I done?" I asked, beginning to cry as I had never cried before. I couldn't hold it anymore, the sight of the little one that wouldn't know its mother broke my heart.

"It's going to be better," Kevin said, patting my back before ushering me to sit down. I nodded dumbly, not knowing what to say, and just tried to control my sobs as I looked at the baby.

The small thing was placed on its back and looked really fragile as it wiggled about on the sheets in it's a size too big diaper. Its small blue eyes were darting from side to side as if it couldn't see. It had a dark turf of hair and a pretty face. Why wouldn't it? Its parents were very good looking people.

"Do you want to hold her?" the nurse asked, lifting the baby up in a blanket. I shook my head. The nurse urged me some more until I finally decided to carry it. Just as if on cue the baby started wailing. I smiled at it, trying not to let its wiggling body slip from my hold. It was as if it already knew I was the bad guy — that I took its mother away from it.

"Shall we discuss adoption papers? We've already sent the mother's body to the mortuary, we've discussed it being buried, she doesn't seem to have any living direct family so you're our only option," the nurse said to me, taking a stool beside me. Kevin pulled a stool to sit close by.

"No, not yet," I said, smiling in relief when the baby stopped wiggling.

"Then when? We can't keep her here forever," the nurse said, looking from me to Kevin. I nodded in understanding. I knew exactly what she meant.

"It has a father, I'll see — see if I can get him to take it," I said, smiling down at the child as it took hold of my finger.

"When will that be?" she asked, taking out a clipboard.

"I really don't know..." I trailed, looking from the baby to Kevin.

"Give us a month, and if we can't get the father to come we'll give you the go-ahead for the orphanage," Kevin said. The nurse looked at Kevin with uncertainty in her eyes.

"I don't know. I don't really have the right to—"

"Give your boss this, we need just a month," he said, handing her a business card. The nurse's eyes widened in surprise as she continued to look from the business card to Kevin. No kidding, my brother didn't really look like the minister of finance that he was.

"Um... err... Okay, sir, we'll accommodate the child for a month," the nurse stammered. My brother nodded in thanks. We said bye to the baby and left the room with a nurse waving us off.

At the parking lot, I couldn't help looking back at the signboard from earlier, the one with the happy mother throwing her child in the air. I couldn't help thinking that would have been Amanda if I'd just let her be.

"Stop crying Linda, it doesn't solve anything," Kevin sighed as I heard the sound of the car unlocking. I blinked, rubbing my eyes with the back of my hands. I didn't even realize I'd been crying again.

What's wrong with me? I wondered as I got into the car. I've been crying so much that I don't even know when I do it anymore.

Kevin drove the car out of the parking lot and into the streets, giving me occasional reassuring looks. I really don't know how I would have reacted to the news if Kevin didn't come over. This is definitely one of the few times I'm grateful to Kevin.

"Thank you," I said just above a whisper, but Kev heard me. He gave me a look from the side of his eyes as a smile formed on his lips.

"No problem," he said, still keeping his eyes on the road. I thought to the baby, realizing the thing's destiny depended on Zeus' decision.

"Kev?"

"Huh?"

"Are we really going to let the baby go off to the orphanage if Zeus doesn't want it?" I asked, realizing the conditions he'd given to the nurse.

"It's very unlikely he won't want the little thing in his life, but if he doesn't, we have to," Kevin said casually, as he made a turn.

"What about Amanda's body?" I asked, looking out the window.

"What about it?" I heard him ask.

"The nurse — she mentioned something along the lines of mass burial," I said, not taking my view away from the passing street.

"Unclaimed bodies in the mortuary are eventually mass buried. Considering the fact that she doesn't have any direct family like the nurse mentioned, there's a high chance of her getting mass buried — or burned, depends," Kevin said, making me turn to look at him in shock.

"Can't we claim it?"

"Claim what?"

"Her body," I said, turning back to the mirror.

"Why would you do that? You barely know her," Kevin reasoned, stopping at a red light.

"I know. It's just — I drove her to her death and I want to do something for her, like an apology, you know?" I said, giving Kevin a pleading look. He sighed looking at me.

"What's on your mind?" He asked, turning back to face the road before stepping on the gas as the lights turned green.

"I want her to have a grave. It doesn't have to be fancy, Just a decent burial," I said, turning back to face the window.

"Why not?" Kevin said, making me smile. I had to right my wrong, add this was a good enough start.