Victoria

“Alright Victoria, its time to wake up! You have a test today!” nurse Brooke said, walking into little Victoria’s hospital room. Brooke opened up the curtains and looked around the room. Brooke could barely see anything in the bed that held tiny Victoria, except her mop of brown hair that stuck out from under the blankets. Brooke smiled and sat on the edge of the bed, pulling the blankets from the six year old, who groaned. “Rise and shine beautiful.” Brooke added, smiling down at the six year old. She opened her eyes and her blue bright eyes were already shinning up at her. Over the past couple of months, Brooke had grown to love Victoria. She was her nurse from when she woke up, to when she fell asleep. There was something very special about this six year old that Brooke couldn’t point out. 

Victoria was diagnosed with a rare type of childhood leukemia at the age of five, which was only four months ago. Victoria’s mother passed away when she was born, and no one knows who her father is or were he is at all. Brooke knew that Victoria’s doctor knew who he was, but she never asked. It wasn’t her business to ask stuff about patients, even for Victoria who she cared about so much. Brooke would actually die to know who this guy is, so she can go and yell at him for not caring about his own daughter who is the sweetest little angel on the planet. Thats what she did to her foster home, who dumped her at the hospital when she got sick and left her.

“Good morning Brookie.” Victoria said in her tiny little Irish accent, sitting up straight. Brooke noticed that she looked pale this morning. She reached over to her bedside table and picked up her comb and ran the comb through Victoria’s hair. Brooke loved that Victoria hadn’t lost any of her hair yet, she loved to brush it many times a day and put it in braids. 

“You have a blood test today doll, and thats it.” Brooke explained to the child. Victoria nodded and wrapped herself up in her blanket that Brooke had gotten her for her birthday. Since she was in the hospital for her sixth birthday, Brooke and a couple of other nurses threw a surprise party for her all day, giving her gifts and birthday cake all day long. Brooke can’t forget what she said when she blew out her candles. 

“Brookie, can I tell you my wish?” Victoria had asked her. Brooke laughed from the side of her. 

“If you tell somebody your wish, it won’t come true! If you wished for the cancer to go away, then you can’t tell me!” Brooke said to her, putting her hair in a pony tail for bed. 

“No Brookie, I didn’t wish for the cancer to go away. It won’t come true though so I can tell you. I want to meet daddy.” Victoria said quietly. Something inside of Brooke ached, and it was because she knew that she wouldn’t be able to make this little girls wish come true. 

Victoria was looking up at Brooke now with big eyes. Brooke knew that she had to snap out of this trance she was in before Victoria noticed that something was wrong. She was a very smart girl for only six years old, she noticed practically everything. 

“Brookie, before my test can I write a letter?” Victoria asked her randomly. Brooke looked down at her oddly. This was an odd question coming from Victoria, and it shook Brooke back a little bit. 

“Sure, who do you want to write to?” Brooke asked. 

“I want to write to daddy. I know he’s out there!” she replied back. Brooke looked down at her carefully. She knew this day would come eventually, after she found out her dad was still out there. She just didn’t expect it to come like this, so suddenly.