DESTINED ENCOUNTER

Mikaela Ward gleefully took advantage of her opportunity to set the pace of their progress.  Her sandy locks bounced about as she half-skipped, half-pulled her mother through the hallways of Port Charles General Hospital.

The pair had just come from visiting several of the hospital’s staff.  First up was Doctor Alan Quartermaine.  The visit with Alan fulfilled a promise Faith had made to her younger brother Justus.  He had a cordial relationship with Alan and wanted the older man to have a chance at getting to know Faith and Kaela.

After leaving Alan the pair stopped to visit psychiatrist Kevin Collins.  Kevin was a new friend Faith had made only a month earlier when she’d visited Ellen at a medical conference near Faith’s new hometown.  Ellen didn’t see Faith enter the conference dining room.  Her expression was open and unguarded and filled with attraction for the handsome psychiatrist seated opposite her.  After spending the evening with the pair, Faith decided that Kevin might be what Ellen needed in her life just then.

Faith said as much to Doctor Sabrina DeLane when they met.  It was probably the one statement in their conversation that got through to Sabrina.  The beautiful doctor was too preoccupied with Faith’s young daughter to pay much attention to anything else.  So Faith had just given up trying.  She sat back and watched in amusement as Sabrina allowed Kaela to listen to her heart, look inside her ears and wrap her up with gauze.  It was only when the doctor offered to assist the little girl in putting a cast on her mother’s unbroken arm that Faith put an end to the visit.

Currently Faith and Mikaela were on their way to a fourth – and unplanned – hospital visit.  Halfway down the hall from Sabrina’s office Mikaela had announced that they could not leave General Hospital without a visit to ‘Uncle’.  Faith couldn’t think of any plausible reason to deny her young daughter.

“I press the button, Mommy!”  Mikaela’s excited cry rang out as they reached the end of the hallway.

“Yes, you may press the button.  As long as you remember to use your inside voice,” Faith added automatically.

Mikaela placed a tiny finger against her lips.  “I. gonna. press. the. button,” she whispered dramatically.

Faith could only laugh.

The elevator doors opened immediately.  Only Faith’s quick action prevented Mikaela from barreling into the people exiting the elevator.  For Faith it was just another instance of confirmation that Mikaela was indeed her father’s child.  She had his reckless way of charging straight ahead into every situation.

“Which one is Uncle?”  Mikaela’s small fingers danced over the ‘stop’ button.  It was as high as the little girl could reach unaided.

“It’s this one at the very top.”  Faith lifted her daughter up and let her push the button.

“We’re gonna see Uncle.”  Mikaela’s head bobbed enthusiastically.  “I like Uncle!”  Faith thought it more likely that Kaela was fascinated by the thoroughbreds in Stefan’s stables or the guard dogs in Wyndemere’s kennels.

“What about you, Mommy?”  Mikaela gazed innocently up into her mother’s face.  “Do you like Uncle, too?” 

~ Across town, that same evening ~