Scamming the Prince (In major edit)

Scamming the Prince: Chapter 3

"Excuse me, Mr. Wellsman? Will you step out with me, please?" a nurse said coming up to the room and knocking on the hardwood door even though it was open. Dad touched Sophie's cheek one more time before getting up and walking out the small hospital room.

I hated seeing Sophie like this; laying in a hospital bed, pale and helpless. Carefully, I leaned forward and put her soft, frail hand in mine. The doctor told us Sophie fainted due from an abnormally high fever. Dad blamed himself, claiming he should've stayed home. 

"You can't just kick her out! You heard the doctor! She's ill, and she's only three!" I heard my dad protest from outside. Curiously, I whipped my head behind me to get a peek of what was happening outside. Unfortunately for me, the door was shut and the only bit that was open only let in a thin strip of light from outside.

I put Sophie's pale hand next to her on the bed and walked toward the door. Being sure not to put my whole body weight against the door I lightly placed my ear against the door and listened.

"I know but, Mr. Wellsman, let's face it. You barely have ten dollars from what I have gathered and you own no type of fiancial aid to help pay for your daughter. You have no way to pay us. It's a miracle your daughter got a room," I heard a female voice say outside.

"But--you can't just ask her to leave! How much will a room cost?"

"Five-hundred. I doubt you'll be able to pay it with the little money you're currently holding in your pocket."

"Just--just let her stay the night. I'll get her first thing tomorrow morning." my dad pleaded. Then was silence for a while then finally dad spoke again. I imagined the nurse was giving him a skeptical look and wondering why she should trust him. I wanted to go outside to tell her that my father was a hard-working, trusting man. "You have my word. She's my daughter, I wouldn't leave her here for weeks."

"Well alright. Before twelve noon tomorrow she must be picked up."

I heard the clicks of her heels walking away and I imagined her walked away like she just won a battle. Her hair would be swishing and her clipboard would be held up high as she stuck her nose in the air. During my vision of this I hadn't even gone through the fact that my dad would be bursting through the door at any second so when my dad opened the door we stared at each other in bewilderment.

"Do we really only have ten dollars?" I asked in horror. If we did all my hopes of the paying off the house would be diminished. 

"No, I'm positive she added some money to the mix to be nice," my dad told me as he rubbed the back of his neck. There went my final teardrop of hope. The realization finally hit me, and it felt like someone threw a brick at my stomach in full force. We were going to be homeless.

Before I could stop them, heavy flows of tears were streaming down my face. My father's face turned to one of guilt and he stepped close to hug me. "It's going to be alright. We'll have each other; you, me, and Sophie," dad stepped back and went over to pick up the bag on the floor, "I'm going home, I need to organize some things. We have a day until we're out." He shut the door behind him and I heard footsteps walking down the hall.

"We're all alone here Sophie." I said, turning back to my sleeping sister and wiping my eyes. I put my shoes on the floor and went back to sit on the wooden chair next to the bed. Then, I lifted Sophie's arm out the way and rested my head on the bed.

"Hopefully, Dad can get us that shelter he told Mr. Kelly about," I added before closing my eyes.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

My sleep was interrupted for the thousandth time, but this time it wasn't Sophie demanding water. There was a loud commotion going on the hallway. I sat up and stretched out my back to align my spine again after the deforming form it was in last night. Automatically, I turned and looked at the fancy clock on the wall to see if time had run out. It was barely eight.