While I waited for my parents to assist me out of the van, an unexpected change occurred around me. Without any prior indication, a vast shadow crept over, diminishing the sunlight and casting an eerie atmosphere around me. Towering in front of me was a giant with a single eye, frightening and formidable. Its weapon, a hefty piece of tree trunk, rested over its shoulder, adding to its intimidating presence.

The giant knelt before me, his single eye meticulously scrutinizing every detail of my skin, which infused my heart with fear under his immense shadow. Frozen in place, I could only stare back, utterly transfixed by the intensity of his gaze, which didn't waver for even a second.

"Are you a new patient?" the giant suddenly asked, his deep voice breaking the spell. In that instant, reality snapped back into focus, the illusion of the giant dissolving to reveal the true scene: the tall hospital building towering above. Standing in front of me was not the mythical creature I had imagined, but rather a friendly individual with a charismatic presence and a warm smile.

"We're here to see Dr. Deveraux. If you want to help, you can push his chair inside," My mother said.

The young man responded with a wide, welcoming smile. "Absolutely."

"Come on, Sammy," Both my parents worked together to maneuver the wheelchair, carefully guiding me down the ramp from the van. My mother took a moment to adjust my hair, giving me a warm smile as she did so. Then, with a sense of trust, she handed over the handles of the wheelchair to the helpful young man.

"Do not worry Sammy, the doctors here are excellent people. They will figure out what's wrong and fix it."

My father retrieved a backpack from the van and then followed the helpful young man who was pushing the wheelchair towards the hospital entrance. As we approached, the doors slid open automatically, a feature I found quite fascinating at that time and not something I encountered often.

"That was cool. Let's go in and out again."

The helpful man didn't skip a beat. He started making playful race car noises and began to 'drive' the wheelchair in and out of the hospital's front door, much like a car on a racetrack. We repeated this amusing routine a few times, each round bringing a burst of laughter and joy.

After a few laps, my mother, watching our playful antics, decided it was time to get serious. "Alright, racecar drivers, that's enough fun for now. We're ready to check in."

The helpful man extended his hand for a handshake, his eyes twinkling with the joy of our recent fun. "That was super fun. I hope we can do it again soon."

As I made an effort to lift my hand to reciprocate his handshake, a small detail caught my eye. There, on the top of his hand, was a small tattoo. It was an image of an angel playing a trumpet, curiously similar to the charm I had seen before on Pirate Boy and Lollipop Girl. He walked away, giving me one last smile over his shoulder, leaving me with the impression that he might be related to all the kids who have visited me in the past couple of days.

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As we moved forward, a nurse approached us. She was very young and beautiful, with a smile that was instantly captivating. However, what truly caught my attention was the angelic pin on the collar of her shirt. This small detail intrigued me, especially as I started to observe many people in the hospital wearing similar pins, leading me to speculate that they might signify a special connection or shared purpose among the staff.

"Welcome to Hopeland. My name is Angela, and I'll be assisting you with your son today."

Flooded with curiosity, I thought of exploring my suspicion about the connection between the nurse, Pirate Boy, the girl with the lollipop, and the cowgirl. I attempted to catch Angela's attention, but she seemed occupied talking to my parents. The clues were in plain sight, walking with every person in the reception – they all seemed to be associated with angels.

"Thank you, Miss Angela," my father said, gratefully handing over the control of the wheelchair to her.

As Angela turned towards me, she offered a radiant smile. "And you must be Samuel, correct?"

I hesitated before responding, half-expecting her to mention her connection with the last three kids who had visited me – the ones I suspected were linked to the angels. But she didn't mention anything of the sort. I stared at her intently before responding to her question.

"You can call me Sammy."

My attention was still captivated by the angelic pin on her collar. I wondered if my eyes were deceiving me. The sudden appearance of all the kids in my house wearing angel jewelry left me with many unanswered questions. In my mind, I felt the need to ask the nurse if she shared any relation with all these kids. Yet, for some reason, I found myself unable to directly ask about them.

Each time I tried to formulate these questions about them, I found myself hesitating. In the end, I chose a more straightforward approach. "I love your pin. Where did you get it?"

Angela headed towards the reception counter and picked up a brochure, which she handed to me. The brochure detailed a group of people dedicated to assisting the hospital, a group of volunteers known as 'Helpful Angels'.

"The angel pin is a symbol of their organization. Everyone in the hospital wears it to show support for the incredible work they do. Don't you think it's really cute?"

"Yeah, it is."

At that moment, my earlier assumptions were challenged. I had thought the angel symbol indicated the presence or influence of the Godmother, a connection to the mysterious encounters I'd had.

The nurse wheeled me into a small room and closed the door behind us. She stood in front of me, performing an unexpected action. She stomped on the floor twice, gave me a very serious stare, and then broke into a smile.

"I am going to need your help, Soldier!" she declared, lifting her arm in a salute before winking at me. Her sudden change in behavior left me feeling quite bewildered.

Realizing she was engaging in a bit of pretend play, I immediately decided to play along. The chance to participate in a game, even in this setting, was a welcome diversion.

"Captain!" I said, returning her salute with enthusiasm.

"These are dangerous lands, I tell you. I've been in this area for a while. Our first mission is to make it out of this cave unharmed. And to do that, we need to check our vitals!"

I loved the way she interacted with me. It showed me that I didn't need to fear coming to a doctor's appointment. Her playful attitude made the visit extremely fun.