Two weeks later...

I confess to Almighty God, and to you my brothers and sisters...

The girls' voices rose in unison, resounding off the stone walls of the sanctuary.

Izzy shifted. Her knees throbbed on the wooden kneeling bench. The only thing she liked about mass was the soothing smell of the wooden pews.  It reminded her of when she was a child, sitting with her family in their home church, passing little notes back and forth with her siblings as the priest spoke in front of them. The sun shone through the stained glass window to her side, casting rays of red, blue and green among the benches. They colored the tops of the girls' heads in front of her until a cloud rolled in and they disappeared. Although it was nine o'clock at night, summer days were long and the sun still hadn't begun to set.

The baby rolled inside of her, causing her to catch her breath and lean backwards to stretch her stomach.

...that I have sinned through my own fault, in my thoughts and in my words...

"Izzy," Dottie whispered beside her.

She turned to the little girl, her heart skipping at the sight of her. Her face was drained of blood, her blue eyes wide, full of painful tears.

"It's getting worse." Her voice was urgent, pink lips quivering. She brushed her bangs from her face. "I think it's happening."

Izzy stood, grabbing her hand. "Mara's sitting in the back. I saw her when we came in." 

...in what I have done, and in what I have failed to do...

"Sit," hissed Sister Mary Helen, two pews down.

Wavering for a couple of seconds between the pew and the aisle, Izzy numbly decided to ignore her command. Holding her breath, she tried not to notice the bite of the nun's icy stare as she pulled Dottie along towards the back.

Behind them, the chanting voices fell out of unison. She could feel their heads turn, their eyes on her back as they stiffly made their way down the aisle.

As they reached the back of the sanctuary, someone gripped her arm from behind, tight enough to send a whimper through her lips.

"What is the meaning of this?" Sister Mary Thomas hissed as she pushed them forward out of the doorway. Her thick brows drew together in a scowl.

"Dottie's gone into labor," Izzy breathed, avoiding the nun's eyes. "She needs to get to the infirmary."

Sister Mary Thomas' eyes scanned over the little girl, taking in her pasty complexion.

Dottie's face twisted as she gripped her lower stomach. "Please," she cried.

The nun frowned, her large hand wrapping around Dottie's arm. "Go back to the sanctuary," she spat at Izzy. "There's nothing more for you to do here."   

Izzy looked from Dottie to the sanctuary behind them. Her legs felt like rocks underneath her. A twinge of terror made its way from the pit of her stomach, spreading like fire through her chest to her throat. Dottie's eyes pleaded with hers, begging her not to leave.

"I—I need to go with her," she stammered, the words sticking in her throat. "I promised Dottie I'd stay with her."

The nun's eyes narrowed, a muscle in her jaw tightened. "Go and sit back down Isadora." Each word she spoke held a note of finality. Her expression promised that she would punish any failure to comply. "It seems at every turn you find a way to break the rules. I believe it's time I call your mother to discuss it."

A chill spread through Izzy as she thought of her mother receiving the call. She was sure she would disown her, put her out of the house and onto the street when she returned. It was bad enough she'd gotten pregnant. A call from Sister Mary Thomas would surely to push her mother all the way over the edge.

"Please don't," she whispered, trying to avoid the desperation in Dottie's eyes. "I'm just worried about Dottie, she's so little, and so scared. She needs somebody there who she trusts."

Sister Mary Thomas smirked, knowing she had the upper hand."I believe I've told you before, Izzy. This is no place for fraternizing. This isn't high school and it's most definitely not a place to form sisterly bonds. The girl will be fine." She pushed Dottie forward.

"Izzy," Dottie said, looking back at her with tears streaming down her cheeks.The little girl's entire body shook, threatening to topple over at any minute. "Izzy! You have to come with me!"

"I can't," Izzy mouthed, her heart pounding in her chest.

"Come now, you silly girl, or you'll have this baby standing here!" Sister Mary Thomas urged her forward despite the girl's cries.

"Izzy...Izzy!"

The girl bucked against the nun's grip, her arms flailing towards Izzy, who stood helplessly in front of her. Sister Mary Thomas fumbled and nearly fell on top of her as her legs buckled beneath her and she fell to her knees on the floor.

"For heaven's sake!" the nun hissed, grabbing her under the arms and raising her up. "Get a hold of yourself!"

Sister Mary Helen breezed past and took a hold of one arm as Sister Mary Thomas grasped the other. They struggled to drag the little girl down the hall. Dottie struggled against them, kicking and screaming Izzy's name. Behind them, the sanctuary grew eerily quiet as the girls started to turn towards the commotion, their arms around the backs of the pews, faces solemn. Dottie was the youngest girl in the home, and most girls knew why she was there.

"Such childish behavior for a girl your age!" spat Sister Mary Thomas as they struggled down the hallway to the stairs. "You'd think we were carrying a toddler throwing a tantrum because she didn't get her way."

"Relax, Dottie." Sister Mary Helen's voice faded as they made their way down the stairs, "It will be alright."

"Come on back to the sanctuary," Sister Martha's hand rested gently on Izzy's shoulder, drawing her out of her daze. She had no idea how long she'd stood there after Dottie disappeared down the stairs.

The nun's eyes were soft. "Don't worry, Dottie will be just fine."

Dottie's voice echoed in her ears when Izzy dropped down numbly on the hard pew. Her vision blurred as she focused on her hands, the feeling of betrayal coursing through her veins. Tears tore at her throat, threatening to explode. As the girls continued to chant their verses, she tried to fight the bitter taste of bile that rose in her throat as she pictured Dottie's face. A metallic taste filled her mouth, and she realized she was bearing down on the inside of her cheek.

Francine, seated next to her, put her hand on top of hers. The gesture prompted tears to boil over in her eyes. She let them fall without bothering to wipe them away.

"She'll be okay," whispered Francine. "She'll understand why you couldn't be there."

Izzy's eyes rose to the wooden crucifix, to the face of Jesus, who seemed to be scrutinizing her from the altar. 

She'd promised Dottie she'd be there. Her stomach churned, propelling vomit up her throat. Her hands to her mouth, she sprang from her seat and hurried back down the aisle to the bathroom. She'd barely reached the stall when the vile liquid came bursting out, dribbling onto the front of her dress. Her gut wrenched, but the feeling of betrayal over powered it.

She heaved the sour liquid into the toilet until there were nothing but dry heaves left. That was when she heard the first scream. Frantic and pleading.

Help me! Oh God, Jesus! Help me, please!

Izzy stood paralyzed over the toilet, the blood draining from her face, leaving her feeling cold and numb. At least Mara is there, she told herself. She wondered if Gloria was somewhere nearby as well. At least Dottie wasn't completely alone.

The bathroom near the sanctuary was on the lower floor and the voices from the infirmary were much clearer than that of the upstairs bathroom near the dormitory.

Izzy flushed the toilet and washed her mouth and face in the sink. She tried to clean the front of her dress as well as she could, but the smell of it threatened to send her back to the stall for another bout.

The screaming started again, sending daggers through her heart and tears to her eyes. "It will all be over soon," she whispered, a tear escaping as she closed her eyes.

She grasped the cold sink with two hands, leaning over it. The tears fell freely, splattering, then rolling towards the drain.

"I'm going to sedate her," Mara's muffled voice caught her ear, echoing through the register.

She left the sink and moved closer to the register on the opposite wall to hear the voice below. "She's already passed out twice on her own. I'm afraid she won't be able to handle this if she's awake."

Below her, a man's voice mumbled his approval. Izzy guessed it was the doctor who came once a month to check the girls. She was relieved to hear his voice. She'd heard he didn't always make it to the deliveries. He lived in Detour, a village just off the island. When the weather was bad, the ferry wouldn't carry anyone across and the nurses would deliver the baby on their own. There were usually at least two nurses working, one who cared for the girls and one who cared for the babies in the nursery. Izzy had only ever talked to Mara.

Silence followed. She took a deep breath and wiped her eyes, relieved the screaming had ended. Feeling weak, she pulled open the heavy wooden door and stepped out into the hall. Mass was over. The girls were filing out of the sanctuary, headed upstairs to wash before bed.

Francine caught sight of her and hurried over, her face flooded with concern. "Are you alright? You look horrible."

"I'm fine." Izzy forced herself to take a deep breath. "I just need to lay down."

The minute her head hit the pillow, Izzy was overcome with exhaustion. Sleep flooded over her, taking her guilt and her fear and washing it away to the back of her mind. It was a dreamless sleep, which was a blessing, because her dreams would have been filled with Dottie's pleading screams.

It was close to three in the morning when she was awakened by a quick shake to her shoulder. She could just make out Mara's face in the small patch of light in the room. Her expression was grim, her eyes unable to hide her anxiousness.

"I'm sorry to wake you Izzy, but Dottie isn't doing well. She's had the baby. But, she's gone into a state of shock. I know that you and Dottie have a connection, she asked for you, over and over. I'm hoping if she sees you, it will help to bring her out of it."

Izzy sat up in her bed. "Is she alright? Is the baby alright?"

Mara's face twisted suddenly, and she looked away. "The birth went well. She wasn't conscious for most of it." Her voice cracked. "It was a horrible thing to experience. God help this little girl for all she's been through. It isn't right. It just isn't right."

Izzy sprung from the bed and wrapped her arms around Mara, tears pouring from her eyes. "I promised her I'd be there. I wasn't there."

Francine joined them, long arms wrapped around them both, her head resting above the tops of theirs. They all cried together in the dark until Mara pulled herself away.

"Come on," she whispered.

Izzy and Francine followed her to the infirmary. The closer they came, the tighter Izzy's chest grew until she felt she wouldn't be able to breath. She wanted to see Dottie, to comfort her, to help her—but she didn't know if she could face her after what she'd done. Would the little girl even want to see her? So many people had let Dottie down in her short life. And now, so had she.

The smell of bleach hit them when they entered the room. It was quiet, deathly quiet. "Dottie," Mara called softly, pulling back the white curtain.

The little girl laid on her side, her back to them. "Dottie? Izzy and Francine are here to see you," Mara said, slowly resting a hand on the girl's shoulder.

She didn't move a muscle in response to Mara's touch. Izzy gulped down her trepidation and inched forward, tears lingering painfully at the verge of her throat. "Dottie? It's Izzy. I'm here."

Francine pushed forward next to Izzy, slipping her hand in hers. Dottie spoke, the words too soft to hear. All three leaned forward.

"What did you say, Dottie?" asked Izzy.

"I want to go to the beach," Dottie mumbled.

It took a minute for Izzy to process the words. When she did, they stabbed her in the heart. The beach—the best day of Dottie's life.  "We'll go to the beach," she promised, relieved to hear her voice. "As soon as you're better. I'll make sure of it."

"I don't want to go back," whispered Dottie. "I want to stay at the beach."

The girls exchanged glances. Tears filled Mara's eyes, her jaw set tight. "We'll make sure you don't go back, Dottie," she said.

The door creaked open from the other side of the room and all three of them jumped. Gloria stepped through, rubbing her eyes, a frown on her face. "What's all the commotion?"

"Gloria!" Izzy breathed, stepping towards her. "We've missed you."

Gloria stood awkwardly, her hands thrust in front of her to prevent Izzy from embracing her. She thrust her chin upwards. "It's been two whole weeks, and no one has come to see me."

"Gloria, you know we can't just come to visit willy nilly with the nuns around," Izzy laughed, surprised by how much she'd missed Gloria's quips. "How have you been?"

"Glad to have my body back," said Gloria, pinching the seams of her dress to show her thin waist. "I'm counting the days until I leave this living hell."

Mara gave her a stern look, motioning towards Dottie. The mood became somber again. Mara wrapped a thick wool blanket around the little girl. "Get some sleep," she whispered. "We will be right outside the door."

Mara motioned for the girls to follow her to the other room where Gloria had come from. Once they'd stepped inside, she shut the door. She took a deep breath as she cautiously looked around, as if to make sure no one was listening. Gloria's unmade bed and three others were lined up against the wall, all of them empty.

Mara leaned against the wall and wrung her hands, her expression that of a person struggling with an overwhelming decision. After several moments, she sighed. "Dottie can't go back to her father," she said. "I'm going to take her. After a few days, when she's recovered enough. I have some friends who will watch her. But, I'm going to need your help." She eyed Gloria warily. "And your complete cooperation. Without it, I can't make this happen."

Hello everybody! Thank you so much for waiting so long for this update! I'm so sorry it took so long. Thanks so much for all of your support, I'd never have a finished story without your support!