MELANIE

"I don't understand!" said Tad's mother as she bent over the hospital bassinet. Staring back at her, with large, wondering eyes, was her daughter Melanie.

"We don't understand either," said the nurse, reassuringly.

"Are you certain that this is your child?"

Absolutely. I raised her from the time she was born you know. Do you think I would not even know my own baby?"

"I didn't mean to offend," said the nurse, "Its just that, there is a problem with her age. This baby is just a new-born, but you said your child was a few years old...?"

"Three, actually. Her birthday is on..."

"The 29th?" said the nurse, "Yes, we have it here on the records." She skimmed through the card and looked at the baby.

At that moment a doctor came in. He was smiling professionally. He took out a pen and tapped the card the nurse was holding, then he smiled even more professionally at Mrs. Simmond.

"Would you mind if we, er, ran some blood tests?"

"Of course not, if it makes you feel better. All it will show is that this baby is my own. Nobody else has claimed her have they?"

"No, not as yet, but it is still very early in the morning."

"I'm her mother. I can tell you anything you want to know about her. She has a freckle on her shoulder, on the left. She has a mark on her knee. She had colic for two months when she was. . ." Melanie gazed with her new-born eyes at her mother. She gave a little smile.

"My baby!" said Mrs. Simmond, reaching for her.

"I'd rather you didn't touch her, please, not until we've finished the tests."

Debbie took one of her mother's hands and walked her from the room. Several nurses bustled by in the corridor, quite unconcerned by the drama going on close by them. The hospital smelled of polish, medicine and flowers. Somewhere a baby cried. A pregnant mother went