1 At the door

July 4th, 1983. (I know it's a bit before the start of the movie but it has a reason)

New York City.

The sound of rain hitting the windows was a soothing noise, to sister Bennet as she went over paperwork for the orphanage.

Sister Bennet had been the head mother of the orphanage for more than 40 years.

And deep inside she was happy with the life she had lived, to see those children find homes, filled her with joy like nothing else.

But unfortunately, the orphanage was about to close.

No more was there a need for orphanages in America, instead, the foster system was changing to foster homes. (true fact there aren't any more orphanages in America)

But she could feel the age starting to slow her down and knew that she couldn't do this forever.

At age 60, she was still in good shape for her age, just not as much as she used to be.

Standing from her desk she turned off the lamp and went on her last check for the night before going to sleep.

Grabbing a flashlight from a small table by the door she opened the door and stepped out.

The hallways were pitch black, the flashlights weak light the only thing to help her navigate the halls.

The orphanage had two areas.

One for the boys and one for the girls.

Checking the girl's side, sister Bennet quietly opened each door and looked inside.

Each room had a bunk bed that could fit two in a room.

As well as a desk for each.

unfortunately, most of the rooms were empty, only a few kids were left, waiting for a foster home to open.

And once they were all gone, so too would the orphanage.

And sister Bennett would go to a retirement home for nuns.

After making her rounds, she walked to the front doors and checked the locks.

Double-checking the locks, sister Bennet turned to head to her own room but came to a halt.

"was that a baby" sister bennet thought, turning back to the large wooden door she waited again for a sound.

But all she could hear was the sound of pouring rain and thunder.

"It can't hurt to check," she said softly and unlocked the door.

It wasn't a rare thing for babies to be left on the steps of the old orphanage, especially in this kind of weather.

Slowly the large wooden door crept open, and sister Bennet looked onto the porch.

And there he was.

A small baby was lying right in front of the door, in a ball for warmth, no blanket or anything.

Acting fast, sister Bennet grabbed up the crying baby into her arms.

He was as cold as snow and shivering.

What also surprised sister Bennet was that he still had his umbilical cord.

"What kind of people would do this?" sister bennet said in her stern voice while she wrapped the small baby in her long cloak, trying to warm him.

Quickly closing the door, and locking it.

Sister Bennet grabbed blankets from a closet and wrapped the baby in a bundle.

Now with the baby wrapped, she quickly shuffled to the kitchen, sister bennet turned on the stove and placed a pot over the open flame, all the while slowly rocking the still-crying baby.

Grabbing a bottle from the fridge, she poured it into the pot and let it heat up.

After a few minutes, she turned off the stove and poured the milk into a baby bottle.

Looking down at the baby, sister Bennett couldn't help but feel sad for the small fella.

"to be brought into this world in such a way." she softly said.

At her words, the baby slowly stopped crying and looked up at her, and finally, sister Bennett got her first look at the small baby.

The small baby had the bluest eyes she had ever seen, with a cute button nose, and strands of light blond hair.

Lifting the bottle the baby attached himself to it and started drinking.

Sister Bennett softly swayed while she fed him and sang a hymn.

To her amazement, the small baby drank the whole bottle in one go.

Looking at the baby and then the battle she couldn't help but smile down at the baby.

"You are a hungry lad aren't you," she said, tickling the baby's nose.

The tickling got a wide toothless smile and a squeal in response.

"oh look at you." sister Bennett said with a chuckle.

Wanting to be safe, sister Bennett Walked to the wall phone. And called a doctor who was the physician for the orphan children when they got sick or hurt.

Pushing the buttons, the phone began to hum.

After a few moments, a groggy voice answered.

"This is Doctor Low, and this better be a good reason it's almost 3 in the morning." said the deep voice.

"yes hello, Doctor Low it's sister Bennett from Saint Christopher Orphanage."

"Oh hello, Sister Bennett, what can I do for you." Doctor Low said now in a respectful voice.

Doctor Low was also an orphan himself and loved to help at the orphanage any chance he got.

However, his doctoral practice took a large amount of his time, and he didn't get to help out there as much as he wanted.

"I am calling to ask for your help, I found a little one on the front door, from the look of it he was born recently, and the parent left him without a blanket or anything in this terrible weather. He was as cold as ice when I found him, I wrapped him up and fed him some warm milk but if possible can you take a look at him," she said looking back down at the baby.

"of course sister Bennett I will head right over."

With the call over sister Bennett took a seat at the small table that was in the kitchen and continued to rock the baby.

It only took Doctor Low 30 minutes to arrive at the orphanage.

Letting him in through the side door, sister Bennett gave Doctor Low a coffee after he removed his jacket.

After taking a sip Doctor Low sat the cup down and looked at the bundle in sister Bennett's arms.

"has he shown any signs of hypothermia" Doctor Low asked.

"No, none, after I brought him in I fed him a bottle, and he finished the entire thing within minutes," she said handing over the bundle.

Taking a look at the baby, Low couldn't find anything wrong with him, other than the fact that he still had his umbilical cord, he was perfectly fine.

"I have good news," he said.

"And that would be," sister Bennett asked.

"The good news is that he is perfectly healthy, I see no problems with him and he has no defects. Just a healthy baby boy," he said, rewrapping the small baby.

Looking up to sister Bennett he asked.

"he must not have been out there that long,"

Just then, the small baby started to cry again.

Handing the baby back to sister Bennett, Doctor Low spoke.

"I must be going now sister Bennett I work in a few hours, but if there are any more issues, please call me," he said, grabbing his jacket from the hook by the door.

"of course doctor Low, thank you for coming so late, I just wanted to make sure he was okay."

"it was my pleasure sister Bennett,"

After saying their goodbyes, doctor Low left.

Leaving sister Bennett with the baby who was still crying.

Not knowing why he was crying she checked him.

But there was nothing.

With a furrowed brow she spoke to the baby.

"Are you hungry again?" but the baby continued to cry.

So again she put more milk into the bottle, and again the baby attached himself to it downing the bottle again.

"you really are hungry," she said with a chuckle.

And so the story begins, a baby left at the steps of a closing orphanage.

The start of a story the world will forever know.

avataravatar
Next chapter