Little Ella then looked up from her drawing and, speaking as if she was about to reveal some sort of top-secret, classified information, she leaned forward and said softly: "Timmy said it was a secret, but I know where they go." The doctor smiled at her cuteness.
"And where*s that?" he asked.
"They go to the place with the red rocks," she answered him (still speaking in a quiet voice).
"The red rocks?"
"Yeah, I*ve seen his drawings! He keeps them under his bed, but I*ve seen them. And one time, I even went there in my dreams! It was fun and we could jump really high!" she said, and went back to drawing.
"Really? That sounds like a fun place, Ella," he responded.
"It was. The rocks are very big." She used her hand to show him how tall the rocks were, holding it above her head.
"Wow, that*s really big! So Ella, can I ask you another question? And you*re doing great by the way; you are very good at answering my questions."
"Thanks," she replied.
"You*re welcome. So Ella, do you know where you are now?"
"Yeah, the hospital."
"Yes you are," responded the doctor. "Very good. And do you know how you got here?"
"Daddy took me here!" she exclaimed. He waited a moment before continuing, jotting down some notes.
"Ella, your daddy didn*t bring you here tonight."
"Yes he did, I remember coming in the car," she said.
"Ella, some men found you last night on a road, sweetie. And you were all by yourself out in the cold. Do you remember that?" he asked.
"No I wasn*t," she said, shaking her head with great big movements.
"Okay, we can talk about that later," he said. "Can you tell me where you*re from, dear?"
"We live in Montana by the mountain," she answered.
"Montana? That sounds like a nice place - I*ve always wanted to go there. And when did you and your family come to Alaska?"
"We didn*t," she said, scrunching her little face.
"Ella, that*s where we are now," he said, gently.
"I want to see my daddy," she said.
"And where*s that?" he asked.
"They go to the place with the red rocks," she answered him (still speaking in a quiet voice).
"The red rocks?"
"Yeah, I*ve seen his drawings! He keeps them under his bed, but I*ve seen them. And one time, I even went there in my dreams! It was fun and we could jump really high!" she said, and went back to drawing.
"Really? That sounds like a fun place, Ella," he responded.
"It was. The rocks are very big." She used her hand to show him how tall the rocks were, holding it above her head.
"Wow, that*s really big! So Ella, can I ask you another question? And you*re doing great by the way; you are very good at answering my questions."
"Thanks," she replied.
"You*re welcome. So Ella, do you know where you are now?"
"Yeah, the hospital."
"Yes you are," responded the doctor. "Very good. And do you know how you got here?"
"Daddy took me here!" she exclaimed. He waited a moment before continuing, jotting down some notes.
"Ella, your daddy didn*t bring you here tonight."
"Yes he did, I remember coming in the car," she said.
"Ella, some men found you last night on a road, sweetie. And you were all by yourself out in the cold. Do you remember that?" he asked.
"No I wasn*t," she said, shaking her head with great big movements.
"Okay, we can talk about that later," he said. "Can you tell me where you*re from, dear?"
"We live in Montana by the mountain," she answered.
"Montana? That sounds like a nice place - I*ve always wanted to go there. And when did you and your family come to Alaska?"
"We didn*t," she said, scrunching her little face.
"Ella, that*s where we are now," he said, gently.
"I want to see my daddy," she said.