Chapter 4

Zoe and Trina were separated as soon as they walked into the House; Zoe was put in with the younger children. It was heartbreaking, as always, but it wasn't Zoe's first time there, so she did her best to simply make them comfortable.

When she met back up with Trina at the end of the shift, Trina was visibly unhappy. Zoe brushed a few bits of construction paper off of her jacket as she slid into the seat.

"Not what you expected?" she asked, raising an inquisitive eyebrow.

Trina dropped into the drivers seat and slammed the door. "I volunteered to work with kids, not to do fucking paperwork."

"What'd you do?" Zoe's voice suddenly took on a horrified tone. "You didn't let them know you could type, did you?"

"They know now, but that isn't why they did it." Trina looked disgusted. "They don't think I could handle being around the kids. They figure they'll let the 'princess' get her credits in the office, that way she doesn't have to see anything that upsets her."

"Mmm," Zoe said noncommittally. "Got you typing up case studies? They may just be seeing how you react, first."

Trina sighed. "That wasn't my opinion, Zoe. That was almost a direct quote. The director didn't realize her office door wasn't closed all the way."

"Ah. Well. She can be a bit ... difficult," Zoe said.

"This is not what I wanted to spend my time doing," Trina said. "I've gotta figure out a way around it."

"Hmm. Well, if you really want to do the dirty work, just stick close to me tomorrow. Come right in with me, someone will be having a crisis, and any available hands will be put to work. After that, too late to move you."

Trina looked at her for a second and then grinned. "I think I like you. You're devious."

"Yeah, sure," Zoe said. "Say that after you've changed a few dozen diapers. I'm in with the little kids, and that includes babies."

Trina laughed. "I've done diapers before. Okay, it's been a few years, but I have."

"Not like this," Zoe said quietly, her face grim.

"Oh?"

She shook her head. "The babies ... some of them, the lucky ones, are just abandoned. But even they're pitiful. Thin little things, so tiny you're afraid to touch them for fear their little bones'll just snap. The others ... bruises are bad enough, but have you ever seen a diaper rash so bad that there's hardly any skin left because the poor thing was left in a shitty diaper in a hot car for hours and hours? Just one big, oozing blister, and you try to be gentle and clean them off, and the skin just tears no matter how careful you are, and then they cry and you know you're hurting them --"

Trina reached over, touching Zoe's hand. "No. I haven't." She swallowed. "Thanks for warning me. But I'll still help out. That's why I 'm here."

Zoe stared over the door, out at the passing cars. "It's not always that bad. But you've got to remember ... these kids wouldn't be here if anyone wanted them, if anyone gave a damn whether they lived or died. They're not like normal kids. There's so much pain."

"I care," Trina said. "I give a damn."

Zoe smiled. "Yeah. Maybe you do. But there's not a hell of a lot you can do. That's the problem ... the people who care can't help enough. And the people who could help, don't care."

"I know." Trina sighed. "I mean, I could give money to the House, but would it do any good?"

"No, not really. Keep it running. Enough money, and it'd make it a nice place, maybe, if it didn't get eaten up by bureaucracy. But the government makes the calls as to how things are run. And there's not a lot of room for change."

Trina nodded. "Yeah. Maybe Mom or Dad could pull some strings and make some changes ... for a while. But how long would it last?"

"Nothing lasts forever," Zoe said. "But ... well, trying is still the only right thing a person can do. Because maybe it helps. And maybe it's enough help, at least sometimes. So it's worth it. And at worst, it's a little less pain in the world."

Trina nodded thoughtfully. "Point. I'll talk to Dad tonight and see what he can do."

"It's a good cause," Zoe said. "A real need."

"Yeah." Trina was quiet for a second. "Hey. Listen. Do you need to go home tonight? Or, rather, do you want to go home tonight? Cause if you'd rather not, I might have something for you."

Zoe hesitated. "I'd best. George'll be home tonight, and I try to be there when he is. Jack won't be a problem, don't worry about it. I can handle his sort, easy."

"Okay. Next time you need a place to stay, though, let me know. I realized this weekend that I know the perfect thing for you," Trina said.

Zoe smiled without humor. "And what's that?"

"Well, look," Trina said. "My grandparents built our house, right? Back when you had servants and servants quarters. We don't have servants, but the quarters are still there. Dad even had them remodeled a few years ago, I'm not sure why, but they've got air-conditioning, water, everything. It's a totally empty building sitting off on one side of the yard. If you want someplace to stay, there's no problem with you staying there, and you can ride in to school with me in the morning." She shrugged. "You don't have to, but it's not like it'd cost us anything if you did, so you don't have to worry about that."

"Mmm," Zoe said. "If he had them remodeled, it was probably for a reason."

"I know. But they never get used except when ... I ... have a slumber party. And he had them remodeled right after I started having slumber parties." Trina grinned. "I think I see a connection here. I start having slumber parties where we're up until dawn, and all of the sudden the servants quarters -- conveniently detached from the house -- get remodeled so the parties can happen there."

Zoe laughed. "Well, that's a good reason, I guess. But still, someone in there would use resources that it doesn't for them to be empty. Water, electricity, that sort of thing."