Anna Jane’s Trial Pt. 1

By morning, the guard came by the jail to check on the prisoner. His footsteps barely made a sound. When he looked into the cell, he covered his mouth and backed up. Anna Jane lay on the floor clutching her right shoulder. She was curled up into a ball.

“Ow,” the little girl whimpered. The teddy guard got on his little radio. It didn’t take long for the teddy medical team to run down to the cell. They loaded Anna Jane onto the stretcher. The medical team carried her out of the jail. Anna Jane took in slow breaths. Blood trickled on her fingertips.

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In the morning, Teddy walked down to the infirmary. He had a small bouquet of flowers in his hand. He walked up to the front desk. The receptionist bear looked up from his crossword puzzle. Teddy told him who he was visiting. One form later and he was in.

Now or the next part of the plan.

Teddy looked through the beds of the infirmary. Anna Jane was in the last bed on the right. Teddy’s heart raced against his chest as he ran over to her. Anna Jane slowly opened her eyes. Teddy stood at the foot of her bed. The little girl struggled to sit up.

“Teddy?” she asked. The stuffed bear took a step forward. Anna Jane’s eyes lit up.

“It is you!” she said. “You came to see me!” Teddy came to her side with the flowers.

“For me?” she asked. Teddy handed her the flowers.

“Thank you so much,” his human said. Anna Jane took the flowers. Red cotton roses to be exact. She pretended to sniff them. Anna Jane paused.

“Hm?” she asked. Anna Jane narrowed her eyes.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“…”

“That’s going to be a trial for me?”

“…”

“When?”

“…”

“Noon.”

Teddy nodded once. Anna Jane sat quiet for a long moment.

“Hm…” she said. “What should we do?” Teddy turned his head and looked behind him. He walked over to her side.

“Teddy?” Anna Jane asked. The bear whispered into her ear.

“Hm?” the child asked. It didn’t take long for his plan to click. She turned to her stuffed companion.

“You sure?” she asked. Teddy slowly nodded. Anna Jane closed her fists in her lap.

“Okay,” she said. Teddy looked up when he heard a cart rolling across the floor. A teddy nurse stopped at the foot of the bed. Teddy bowed his head and walked away. Anna Jane lay back down on the bed. The nurse tended to her wounds.

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Teddy found White Bear standing in the hallway. Worry danced around in her eyes. Teddy walked up to her. They didn’t need to speak. He nodded at her and walked by. They had until three o’clock to pull this off.