Todd's Christmas Story

            He sat on the bed watching the fire on the TV screen.  This motel was only one step up from the Quick Stop.  He pulled out what was left of his funds.  “You’re right back where you started, Manning.  No rapes hanging over you, but you’re still a pariah in town.”

             He took out the picture he had stored in his wallet. He had swiped it from Blair’s photo album before leaving Llanview.  He looked wistfully at the picture: Jack, himself, Starr, Blair and little Sam.  Hope was the only one not in the picture that Christmas. His eyes blurred with tears, as he realized his darling granddaughter would never see another Christmas.  Starr would never forgive him for lying to her about Johnny’s part in Hope’s and Cole’s deaths.

             “I hate you.  How  could you keep the truth from me.  You said you loved me but what you did was cruel.  I hope they lock you up and throw away the key.”

              He reached up and traced her image.  As always, he had been attempting to keep himself out of prison and Starr had ended up the one hurt the most by his actions.  Blair was right, no matter how hard he tried to change, he never would.  “You let yourself be pulled into the fantasy.  Fairy tales are for children.  You’ll never get a happy ending, Manning.”  He got off the bed and poured himself a scotch.  He looked down at his foot, seeing the familiar anklet.  This time he was wearing it because John McBain and Anna Devane wanted to make sure he didn’t skip town.  He had been allowed bail but they had insisted on the monitor, John had informed the judge of his little escapade in March and he had agreed Todd was a flight risk.  Little did the judge realize Todd didn’t have enough money to get out of town.  Tea and Clint had managed to get an order to freeze all his assets and the money he had received from Jerry Jacks was now residing with the bail bondsman and Diane, his lawyer.  Like all those years before, Todd found himself hated again and this time he didn’t even have one friend.

          Todd got off the bed, grabbed his coat and headed out.  Before he knew it he was standing outside the Floating Rib.  The place was decorated for Christmas and he found himself surrounded by an assortment of lonely miserable people.  He was in his element: a pariah among the leftovers that nobody wanted anything to do with.  Todd was finishing his second drink when the song “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” began playing.  It was too much, and Todd quickly tossed Coleman enough money for a whole bottle and headed out of the bar.

         Tucking the bottle into his coat pocket he began walking back toward the motel.  He slipped his gloves on and turned his collar up around his face as snow began to fall across the city.  Not quite ready to return to his dismal room, he wandered down to the Landing for Spoon Island.  Across the lake he could make out the mansion.   It didn’t look quite so ominous with a covering of snow on it.   He brushed off the bench and sat down.  It was true he was all alone again, but there was one good thing.  He wasn’t locked in a sterile room  or a jail cell.  He was free to sit and watch the snow fall.

        Todd’s thoughts went back to another snowy evening.  It had been right after his father died.  He had gone to Rodi’s for a drink and the next thing he knew Blair was dragging him out into the cold to go sledding.  He could still picture them sliding down cemetery hill on one of Jonsie’s bar trays.  Blair’s arms had been tucked around his waist until she screamed and deliberately dumped them.  They had stumbled the rest of the way down the hill laughing.  He had needed that probably more than Blair even realized.  It had been just a guy and a girl, having fun.  Normal old fashioned fun and Blair had made it happen.

           Todd was brought out of his reverie by the sound of someone crying.  He got up and tracked the sound, finding a small child huddling behind some crates on the dock. “Hey, what are you doing here all by yourself.”

            The child looked up at him with big hazel eyes.  She couldn’t have been much older than four. She was shivering and only wearing a cotton shift and what looked like slipper socks.  Her little arms were wrapped close to her body and she was trying to get warm.  “My mommy had to go get something and she told me to stay here.”

             Todd could see her socks were already soaked through and he knew it was only a matter of time before she froze, as the temperatures were dropping.  “How long has she been gone?”

             “I.. I...don’t ..know.  I’m... so cold...” the child ’s teeth were chattering so hard she could hardly talk.

             Todd took off his coat.  He heard the clink of the glass from the bottle in the pocket and withdrew it, setting it on the crate.  Then he pulled the child up into his arms and wrapped her in the coat.  He sat back down on the bench with her trying to get her warm.  He was afraid to take her off the dock in case her mother was to come back.  After about twenty minutes, he looked down at the child. “You’re a fool, Manning, the mother obviously just left her.”  There was only one thing to do.  He stood up and began his walk.  The child still was shivering and Todd bundled his coat around her some more and picked up his pace.  He reached the street level and knew it was too long a walk to General Hospital.  “You’ll just have to flag a cab.  Looks like it’s going to be hot dogs and beans for a while.”   He signaled a cab and climbed in with the child.  “General Hospital and make it snappy.”   He welcomed the warmth of the cab and cradled the child against him as he reached for some more of his dwindling funds.  The cab pulled into the emergency bay, Todd paid and then carried the child into the ER.  He spotted Epiphany.

             Epiphany looked up and saw Todd Manning standing in front of her.  He was in his shirt sleeves and it was plastered to his chest and shoulders, wet from the snow.   In his arms was a small child wrapped up in his coat.

           “Can you help me?  I found this child and I’m afraid she might be getting ill.  She hasn’t stopped shivering since I picked her up on the dock.  She said her mother left her there sometime today.  I don’t know how long she was there before I found her.”

             Epiphany led him to a cubicle.  “You stay with her while I go get a doctor.”

             Todd tried to lay the child on the bed but she reached up and wrapped her little arms around his neck and began crying.    “Don’t go, I... I’m scared.”

           “Shh, a big girl like you.  You don’t need to be scared.  It’s bright and warm here and they’re going to take good care of you.  Now come on, sit down on the bed and I’ll stay here until they come back.”  She loosened her grip and let him place her on the bed.  He grabbed a warm blanket and wrapped it around her instead of his coat.  Sitting down next to her, he drew her close and began to tell her the tale of Beauty and the Beast.   She continued to shiver in his arms and her little arms had again wrapped around him as he told his story.  His eyes misted over.  The poor kid was all alone and he knew how that felt.  He gently kissed the top of her head and continued his story.

           The curtain opened and Dr. Webber and Epiphany were greeted with the sight of Todd Manning with a little girl nestled in his arms.  After everything he had put Sam Morgan through, it seemed strange to see him being so protective of a small child.

          Todd once again tried to separate himself from the child but she stubbornly held on.  He whispered into her little ear. “Hey shorty, these people are going to get you all warm and make you feel better.  It’s alright to let go, you’re safe now.”  She looked him straight in the eyes and gave a tremulous smile. Before he even realized what happened, he felt a little kiss touch his cheek and then she let go.  For the briefest moment, Todd didn’t want to let her go.  It was like saying goodbye to Hope all over again.  As Epiphany moved in to take charge. Todd turned back and gave the little girl a thumbs up and a smile.  “It’s going to be okay.”   Slipping his coat back on, he tucked his hands in his front pockets and exited the ER.

         It didn’t take him long to realize how uncomfortable his wet shirt was.  He looked outside the lobby door and saw that the snow hadn’t let up.  He was going to have to do something if he didn’t want to get pneumonia.  Remembering how Carly had gotten him scrubs, to get into see Starr after the accident, he made his way down to the Hospital locker room.   It should be simple enough to borrow a shirt, Manning.

         Upon entering the locker room something caught his eye.  It was a Santa Costume much like the one he wore the previous Christmas for Sam.  An idea took root in his head.  “Why not, no one will know it’s you?”

          A short time later, he stepped out of the locker room and headed for the children’s wing. He spent the next couple of hours going in and out of rooms greeting the children and telling his outrageous stories.  His spirit lifted as he made the rounds and soon the whole wing was filled with laughter.  He was about to get on the elevator when someone snagged his hand.  He looked around and Molly Lansing had it.  She was dressed like an elf.

          “Santa, we’ve been looking everywhere for you.  It’s time to go to the sun room.  Have you forgotten? You have to tell the Christmas story.”

           Todd was trapped, he had no other choice but to go along and continue playing Santa a little while longer.  He let Molly lead him to the chair and watched as the children, he had just spent time with, gather at his feet.

           Todd told the story as he remembered.  In his mind, he pictured CJ and Sara as they played it out that Christmas Eve so long ago.  The children listened with rapt attention and when he was finished, Molly brought him out a huge bag with gifts in it.  He began to dispense the gifts and realized he was under the scrutiny of several more people.  Dr. Webber and Nurse Epiphany, as well as John McBain, were all watching him carefully.

          Todd stood there, the near-empty bag in his hand, as the children dispersed.  He started to reach for the last package as John came up to him.

         “What is all this, Manning?”

          “What’s it look like, John?   I brought in a little girl because I was worried she was sick.  Is that a crime?  Oh, you’re all upset because I dressed as Santa.  My clothes were soaked from the snow and the costume was available.  Sue me.  I haven’t done anything wrong except visit with some sick kids and cheered them up.  Now if you’ll excuse me there’s one gift left in here and I intend to take it to the little girl I brought in.  No kid should be alone at Christmas.”

           Dr. Webber stepped forward.  “That isn’t going to be possible.”

           Todd looked at the three standing in front of him.  “Why not?  Oh, I get it, big bad Todd Manning can’t be allowed near a child like that.  Is that it?”

           Epiphany spoke up.  “You can’t take it to her because she’s gone.”

          “What do you mean she’s gone?  What kind of hospital are you guys running?  Wait a minute, that’s why you’re here, John.  You thought I took her?”

          “Todd, relax, I’m just here because your monitor was giving off strange signals.  I wasn’t even aware of the child.”

          Todd only heard part of John’s explanation.  All his thoughts were on the small child.  He turned back to Epiphany.  “I don’t understand, surely someone saw a young girl wandering around.  How could she just be gone?”

         “That’s the strangest thing, Mr. Manning.  We had gotten her out of the wet clothes and I went to get her some warm cocoa.   When I got back, she was just gone.  The bed was all made up like she had never been there.  If Dr. Webber hadn’t examined her, I would have thought I was losing it.  I’m sorry, we were looking for her when we found you with the children.”

           Todd didn’t know what to say.   He reached into the bag to pull out the last gift.  To his surprise, there was a name attached. The tag read. Merry Christmas Grandpa Todd.  He tore the package open and there in his hand lay Beauty and the Beast.  He heard a bright little laugh and felt the softest touch on his cheek.   “Merry Christmas, Hope,” he whispered softly back.