Sirene (Wattys 2014 Entrant)

This is a loooong chapter to make up for the fact that Chapter 10 was so short. I hope you are enjoy it so far. comments and votes are greatly loved :)

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Chapter 11

“She’s done it again.”

Miss Patterson and Stephanie had come to visit the orphanage had found it once more in an uproar.

“In the past three weeks she’s run away nearly seven times. It doesn’t seem to matter how I try to punish her, I’ve even placed her under solitary confinement and locked her in a room for a day. She just keeps running off. Why did that man ever come here and give her the information about where that other fellow was locked up?”

“Oceana went over to the prison again?”

Miss Morgan sighed and fell into her chair. “Now I shall have to go over to that terrible place and drag her back. Miss Grey and Miss Ringers are terrified of going there but someone has to return. What is more, she’s bound to make a whole scene again. It is nothing short of a nightmare trying to get her away from there; the girl clings to either one of the men, who always seem to be there together when Oceana comes to visit, she puts on a real fight, came near to biting me one time. And all the while the two of them stare at me as if I were death itself come to take her away.”

“I’ll go.” Stephanie shocked herself with the simple statement. “Miss Morgan, I’ll fetch Oceana.”

“Miss Stephanie, your mother will never…”

“Miss Patterson, I am twenty one years of age; I don’t need my mother's permission to go places. Miss Morgan has a lot on her hands and if none of the other caretakers want to go, I will. I’ll bring her back, Miss Morgan.”

“Miss Stephanie, I can’t…” Miss Morgan began but Stephanie cut her off.

“Miss Morgan, I am free to help. It won’t be difficult for me as I have nothing to do at the moment anyway. I came to see Oceana, and Oceana I shall see, be here or in the prison, it makes no difference.”

“Thank you, Miss Stephanie, only prepare yourself for a battle, she will put up a terrible fight.”

“I think I can handle her.”

“I’ll go with you, Stephanie.” Miss Patterson offered.

“You can if you want too.” Stephanie smiled.

***

“Oceana, there is a Miss Alberna calling for you.” A guard opened to door and called.

“Who is Miss Alberna?” Chandler asked in a suspicious voice.

“Oh, that would be Stephanie. I was telling you about her last time. She’s awful nice, not at all like the other grownups. She’s the one I’ve been reading the Bible with; it's a frightfully interesting book. Can’t understand why you never made me read it before. We read so many long books, but a Bible was never one of them.”

Chandler got a blank look on his face. “I never cared for the Bible, Oceana; why should we read a book I have never cared for?”

“Did you ever read the Bible?”

“No.”

“Then how can you tell me you don’t care for it? We’ve already gotten through the entire Gospel of Matthew with Stephanie. Tell me, Chandler, why don’t you believe in the Ancient of Days?”

“The what?” Chandler lifted an eyebrow.

“The Ancient of Days; God in other words.”

“Why didn’t you just start with that?”

“Cause I wanted to use a more original name. He’s got several names, the Ancient of Days is just one of them. I asked Stephanie to make me a list of all sorts of names for God and she actually took the time to write them out for me, wasn’t that nice of her?”

“It was indeed.” Chandler’s voice was distant.

“Anyway, the next book is Mark; it’s basically the same story over again, only written by a different person. Stephanie said I could read it on my own and if I had any questions to come to her. I stated that since we got through the life of Jesus, maybe we could read the beginning. Stephanie thought perhaps we could read the New Testament first, but I wanted to read the beginning, so now we read from the old Testament together with her and I'm going read through the rest of the Gospels by myself. It’s a bit of a cheater's way, but we’ll get more done.”

Chandler nodded his head.

“You should try reading it, at least one of the Gospels.”

“No thank you, Oceana. I think you should go down now, Miss Alberna is waiting for you.”

Oceana stared at Chandler. Did he just ask her to leave? That was a first.

“You want me to…go?”

“You certainly can’t stay here. Miss Alberna probably isn’t so flattered by having to come all the way here. At least that Morgan lady isn’t here for you.”

“She’s not like Miss Morgan.” Oceana softy said. She gave Chandler an embrace and walked out of the cell, looking back at the doorway. Chandler gave her a smile; she smiled back as the guard closed the iron door.

“So soon?” Stephanie was so surprised to see Oceana come out of the cell on her own, she momentarily forgot her anger. “I was already morally preparing myself to go in there and fetch you.”

“Chandler told me it would be best to go.” Oceana simply stated.

“Well, at least one of you is beginning to understand reason.” Stephanie shook her head. “Oceana, this behavior is unfair of you.”

“Oh, Stephanie.” Oceana rolled her eyes.

“I’m serious. Poor Miss Morgan, and Miss Grey and the whole staff. Do you even realize what a headache you are giving them? I can’t understand how you manage to keep getting into this prison when it is so obvious you’re not supposed to be here. Don’t the guards, doesn’t the warden understand that? Who keeps letting you in here?”

“That would be me.” A voice called out before Oceana had a chance to answer.

Stephanie turned around and saw a gentleman had just walked up to them. He was neatly dressed in a dark coat and held a walking cane in one hand, in the other he was holding his hat. His very dark hair contrasted sharply with pale green eyes which were twinkling with amusement.

“And you are?” Stephanie asked suspiciously. His manner appeared to be that of a gentleman, but in this place, she couldn’t be sure of anyone but herself. She wasn’t even sure of Oceana.

“Dr. Joseph Wilkens at your service. I take it you are Miss Stephanie Alberna?”

“I am.”

“Dr. Wilkens the one who got me in here the first time and has done so ever since.” Oceana hastily explained.

“And why, may I ask, does he keep doing it?” Stephanie addressed her question at the doctor.

“Why shouldn’t I? The child wants to see her dear friend, and I would think it unfair if they were never allowed to visit. It certainly is no fault of Oceana here that Chandler is a prisoner and the only place she can see him is at Newgate.”

“And how is it that you have so much influence in here?”

“Nothing simpler, I’m a prison doctor.”

“A prison doctor?”

“Not a very flattering occupation I dare say, but that cannot be helped. This may surprise you, Miss Alberna, but inmates need doctors just as much as freemen do.”

“I hold no ill will to your occupation.” Stephanie quickly stated. “I just think that it would be wise if you wouldn’t keep getting Oceana in here.”

“Why ever not?”

“Because back at the orphanage, everything goes topsy turvy when Oceana gets it into her mind to come here.”

“Dr. Wilkens, please, don’t stop helping me get in here.” Oceana pleaded, grabbing the doctor's hand. “You’re my one and only hope to ever see Chandler and Callum.”

“You do know, sir that Oceana comes here without permission?”

“I guessed as much, but that is none of my concern.”

“Perhaps you should make it your concern. The child can’t keep coming here and spending time with inmates.”

“If your father were in prison, Miss Alberna, would you visit him?”

“That is not the point, Dr. Wilkens.”

“Surely the orphanage can come up with a system that would allow Oceana to ‘legally’ see Chandler for a specified period of time. This would get rid of the chaos she causes when running off and may also cut down on the scandal she creates here when being dragged away from here. If she is allowed to see him on a weekly basis, for example, I think everyone would be a lot happier.”

“Miss Morgan would never let me come here. She says Chandler and the prison have a bad influence on me.” Oceana said in a gloomy voice.

“Perhaps she can be persuaded?” Dr. Wilkens raised his eyebrows in Stephanie’s direction.

“I am not one to change the mind of Miss Morgan.” Stephanie said in a firm voice. “Even Miss Patterson cannot get her to change her mind.”

“Something must be worked out.” Dr. Wilkens said with a shrug.

“Perhaps you could work it out, seeing as you are actively involved in it.”

“Miss Alberna, who am I to Miss Morgan and the orphanage? I don’t think anyone there would take me seriously. I can only help her so much. The orphanage must be a little more lenient to the child, but it would take someone closer to home to explain that.”

Stephanie gave a slight nod to indicate she got the point. “We should get going, Oceana. Miss Patterson is waiting for us in the carriage and will have gotten all worried as to what is taking us so long. She was afraid to come up here herself.”

“Good gracious, they’re all behind bars.” Oceana stated with anther roll of her eyes. “You’d think we were in the Court of Miracles with a bunch of beggars and cut throats on the loose. It’s a prison for mercy’s sake.”

“Court of Miracles?” Stephanie was a little confused.

“You know, like in ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’. Hugo gave a great description of the whole place there. I read it with Chandler, it was frightfully interesting.”

“Oh, that Court of Miracles. Really, Oceana, your amount of knowledge sometimes surprises me.”

“You should hear her Latin.” Dr. Wilkens grinned. “Spouts off Latin phrases as thought it was a common everyday thing for her.”

“It is a common everyday thing.” Oceana replied with a wink.

“Oceana, we have to go!” Stephanie took her hand. “Good day, Dr. Wilkens.”

“Goodbye Miss Alberna, it was a pleasure to meet you. And Good day to you, Oceana, I hope you can figure everything out soon so that I am no longer the bad guy helping you with sneaking out and breaking the rules.”

The two of them laughed, but Stephanie didn’t think it very funny.

“So, what do you think Dr. Wilkens?” Oceana turned to Stephanie as they walked out of the large gates. “Do you like him?”

“Evidently not as much as you do?” Stephanie dryly said.

“He’s smart and very intelligent. He knows so much about medicine and the medical world. You should hear him talking about different diseases and their symptoms.”

“Maybe I’m glad I don’t hear about it.”

“Oh, don’t be cross with the doctor just because he helps me get in here. And he’s right, maybe you could work out a way for me to come here without my having to sneak out.”

“I’m no miracle worker, Oceana, I can’t magically change Miss Morgan’s mind.”

“We need to think of something. I have a funny feeling I’m going to be stuck at the orphanage for a long time and I don’t think I’ll be able to sneak away much longer. I had hoped Callum would be more successful the second time he came, but Miss Morgan sent him packing.”

“Is that so?” Stephanie tried her best to suppress a smile at something Oceana evidently didn’t think funny. The thought of Miss Morgan ‘sending someone packing’ made it hard to keep serious.

“I don’t know what we’ll do now. I think even Chandler wouldn’t be able to convince her to let me go. Chandler always said that he had never met his match before, but I think he has now. It will take nothing short of a miracle for her to let me go.”

“Perhaps it is better for you not to go with them, Oceana. Miss Morgan does have a very good reason for not allowing them to take you. They aren’t, well, you know, the most, the best…” Stephanie searched for the right words.

“Oh, I know they aren’t law abiding citizens, but I think that could be changed. It’s really Chandler, you see, he’s the leader when it comes to this, Callum is only the follower. If Chandler would find something else to do with his time other than smuggling, Callum would quit the business as well. Of course, I don’t ever think Chandler will become a law abiding citizen.”

“Why not?”

“Chandler hates the law. His one goal in life is to constantly break it.”

“Oh, Oceana, and you still want to go back and live with such a man?”

Their coming to the carriage silenced Oceana’s reply.

“That took long enough!” Miss Patterson burst out. “Oceana, you should know better than to throw a fit and not listen to Stephanie.”

“She was a very good girl, Miss Patterson.” Stephanie quickly defended. “She came out as soon as I called.”

“Oh. Well, then, what took you so long?”

“We got stuck talking to a prison doctor.” Stephanie explained.

“A prison doctor, what does he do there?”

“He treats the prisoners.” Oceana stated in a drawn out voice. “They get sick too, you know.”

“What a monstrous occupation.”

“I think it a great occupation. Very Christian if you think about it. At least the way he goes a goes about it.”

“How would you know?” Miss Patterson gave out a laugh. “Just being a prison doctor doesn’t make him a good person.”

“I didn’t say that. What I was trying to get across is that he is a good prison doctor because he is a good person and an honest Christian.”

“And you discussed this all with him?”

“No, I’ve talked about it with him before.”

“So, you’ve met him before?”

“I go to this prison at least once a week, Miss Patterson, I’m bound to get to know the people who are there.”

Miss Patterson shuddered. “Oceana, this prison visiting must stop.”

Oceana rolled her eyes, but decided against answering. She was tired of hearing the same thing over and over again from so many people. If only more people thought like Dr. Wilkens.

***

“So, whit are we gonnae do? There is no changin' 'at woman’s mind.” Callum vented his frustration at Chandler. “She’s even gone so far as to tell me she forbids me to come to the orphanage again.”

“So, are you going to do it my way then?”

“No.”

Chandler grunted in annoyance. “Alright, then what are you going to do?”

“That was whit I was *askin' ye.”

“I told you what I would do. Just go over, grab the girl and leave.”

“An' be hunted as a kidnapper? Somebody tell me why we are going through this conversation again?Chandler, allow me to state once an' fur all, I am determined to bide on th' right side of th' law in this matter.”

The two men were silent as they both pondered the situation.

“I wonder…” Callum suddenly looked up. “Chandler, I think I’m comin' up wi' a plan.”

“You, coming up with a plan? I beg of you, Callum, don’t mock me.”

“Laugh at me if ye will,” Callum crossed his arms in front of his chest. “But unless ye can come up wi' somethin' better, at leest have th' decency to hear me out.”

“Alright, alright.” Chandler leaned back in his seat and fixed his eyes on Callum. “Come on, I’m all ears, tell me what is your plan.”

“It’s not pure a whole plan, more like half a plan. Here’s whit I’ve come up wi' so far …”

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I love introducing new characters :) What did you all think of Dr. Wilkens?

 And what could Callum's plan be?