Home :: Fanfiction :: Index :: Shaquarava Awards
Augur swore softly at the computer and wondered why on Earth he had ever agreed to take this job. He hated hospitals, they smelled funny, most of the people were depressed and he had to see sick kids. Augur hated seeing kids suffer, but he needed the money and more importantly the access to the hospital's brand new system. Someday he'd own a better one, but for the moment he needed to use this one to further his projects and his job allowed him pretty much unrestricted access.
He typed in a new line and code and considered how to hack the next password when he heard a faint shuffling sound coming from behind him. He turned and saw a girl of no more than six who was so pale he might have thought her a ghost except that he didn't think ghosts went around carrying stuffed Scooby Doo dolls. She tilted her head a bit to one side and stared at him through huge eyes the exact color of the stones in his mother's prized bracelet.
"I don't think you are supposed to be here," Augur said hesitantly. If someone when looking for her they might get curious about his being here so late and discover the other uses he was making of their equipment.
"You won't tell on me, will you?"The girl asked scuffling closer in her white sock clad feet, her nightgown pooling around her ankles. "I get scarred at night.?
"Don't you have Scooby there to protect you?" Augur asked indicating the stuffed animal. "Don't be silly, he's a fraidy cat."
"I thought he was a dog."
"He is, but he's still a fraidy cat," the girl said firmly. She peered at the screen with interest. "What are you doing?"
"I'm working on something very important for the hospital." Augur hit a key and returned to the program he was using as a cover in case he was intruded upon "Oh. Am I bugging you?" The child asked dejectedly. Augur was tempted to use that as a window to get the kid to go back to her room, but he heard something of himself in her voice and something of his father in his own words.
"You aren't in the way." He told her quietly.
"I'm not?" She asked hopefully.
"No." Augur replied. The girl sat down on the floor next to Augur.
"The doctors say I'm pretty sick." She announced suddenly. Augur closed his eyes. He did not want to hear about anything bad happening to a kid. "I overheard the doctors tell my Mom and Dad that I might die. They said to enjoy me while they can, but Mom and Dad told me I'm going to be okay. I know they are just saying that because they don't want me to die like I didn't like Fish going to sleep."
"Fish?"
"My kitty."
"What's your name?"Augur asked trying to get her out of talking about dying. "Eleanore McKitrick." The girl wrinkled her nose in distaste. "I hate my name. Everyone calls me Ellie, I like Ellie though."
"I'll tell you a secret," Augur whispered to the girl. "I don't care for my name either."
"What is your name?"
"Augur."
"That's your nickname, right?"
"Right, Ellie."
The child yawned. "I guess I gotta go back to my room, but it's dark and scary. I think it smells bad." She turned to leave.
"Hey Ellie?" Augur called out, the girl stopped in her tracks. He went over to her and pulled the tiny flashlight that was attached to his key ring off and handed it to her. "Now you don't have to worry about the dark."
Ellie's face lit up and she hugged him before he walked her to her room.