Chapter 3 - Whispers in the Rain
Back at St. Jude’s Memorial Hospital, the sterile, brightly lit pediatric ward felt worlds away from the freezing ravine.
Ashley rested under a heated blanket in room 214, an IV line taped securely to the back of her small hand. Her color had improved slightly, though dark circles still bruised the skin beneath her eyes. She clutched her battered stuffed puppy, Buddy, so tightly that her knuckles were white.
Dr. Vance, the attending pediatrician, walked quietly into the room and pulled a chair up beside Natalie.
“Her blood work confirms severe dehydration and acute caloric deprivation,” Dr. Vance whispered, keeping his voice low so as not to wake the child. “She’s going to make a full physical recovery given time and proper nutrition, but the psychological trauma... that’s going to require long-term care. She’s terrified that every time someone closes a door, she’s being left behind.”
Natalie nodded, her gaze fixed on Ashley’s restless sleeping face. “Her father didn't walk out on her, Doctor. We found his truck wrecked down in the Miller Creek ravine four miles out of town. He crashed the night she was left alone.”
Dr. Vance’s eyebrows rose in shock. “Then where is he?”
“That’s what we’re trying to figure out,” Natalie said grimly. “Search-and-rescue combed the riverbank for eight hours straight. They found his wallet inside the glove box, his phone with a cracked screen, and the grocery bags ripped open on the passenger floorboard. But Andrew was gone.”
Before Dr. Vance could reply, Ashley stirred. Her eyelids fluttered open, blinking against the harsh fluorescent light. Her gaze darted frantically around the room until they locked onto Natalie.
“Auntie... Natalie?” she whispered hoarsely.
Natalie immediately stood up, leaning over the mattress with a gentle smile. “I’m right here, Ashley. How are you feeling?”
“Where’s my daddy?” the little girl asked, her lower lip trembling. “Is he back from the store yet?”
The question felt like a physical blow to Natalie’s chest. How do you tell a seven-year-old child that her father’s truck was found at the bottom of a ravine, and that he might not be coming home?
“The police and I are looking for him, sweetie,” Natalie said, keeping her voice steady and warm. “Remember the note he left on the table? The urgent appointment? We think your daddy got into a car accident on his way back. But we are searching everywhere for him.”
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Ashley clutched Buddy tighter. A single tear slipped down her cheek. “He wouldn't leave me. He said we were a team.”
“I know he wouldn't,” Natalie vowed softly, brushing a stray lock of hair from Ashley’s forehead. “And I promise you, I won't stop looking until I find him.”
