Jake took out his medical scanner. “We can’t keep her, Lorina. Taking in a child isn’t like adopting a stray cat, you know. We can’t just leave her a bowl of water and a litter box while we go off to work.”
“Don’t you think I know that?”
Jake paused, noting the edge to her tone. “I know you mean well, but we really can’t keep her. There’s a shelter for juveniles near my hospital. We should take her there.” He frowned at the readings on the scanner. “She’s dangerously malnourished, and she’s got intestinal parasites, infected sores --”
“She’s just a little girl, Jake. She needs someone to take care of her. Children shouldn’t have to live like feral animals. What if she was Catherine? Would you leave your own niece on the streets?”
“She’s just a little girl, Jake. She needs someone to take care of her. Children shouldn’t have to live like feral animals. What if she was Catherine? Would you leave your own niece on the streets?”
“Don’t you think I know how you feel?” Jake argued. “I see 30 homeless kids at the clinic every night. Don’t you think I want to do something besides patch them up and send them back to the streets? I know they need someone to take care of them, but Erik told me most people don’t want to adopt street kids, -- they want babies, preferably newborns.”
“That’s just wrong, -- when there are so many in need.”
“I know it is, and I’m sorry, -- but there’s nothing we can do about it, given our small living space and limited budget.”
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