21
The moment I saw Nathaniel lying on the hospital bed, covered in blood, my entire body went cold. “What happened to him?” I demanded, my voice shaking as I turned to the paramedic who had brought him in. The paramedic quickly explained, “He has a stab wound in his stomach and a gunshot wound in his leg. When we found him in front of the hospital, he was already on the ground, unconscious.”
My breath hitched.
“Oh my God, Nathan.”
I barely had time to process before I rushed to his side, my hands trembling as I checked his pupils.
But before I could even begin assessing his condition, Nathan’s eyes snapped open. His hand shot out, gripping my wrist with what little strength he had left.
“Amelia…” he rasped, his grip weak but urgent. “Don’t mind me… Theo… Theo is in danger.”
My heart stopped.
“What do you mean?” I asked, my voice laced with fear.
Nathaniel coughed, his body trembling as he struggled to speak. “Evelyn…” he gasped, wincing “She… sh kidnapped your son.”
The world around me tilted.
Nathaniel clenched his jaw, forcing out the words, “I called the cops… I gave them the car plate number… Work
with them to find Theo.”
A shuddering breath escaped me. My hands shook as I clutched onto the side of the bed.
But before I could even react, a nurse called, panic lacing her tone, “Dr. Amelia, Dr. Nathaniel’s pulse is
weakening!”
The sharp, erratic beeping of the monitor pierced the air.
7:44 AM c c
Forget McFarewell Forever
*Call the General Surgeon now!” I ordered, then immediately climbed onto the bed and started CPR.
His body lay still beneath my hands, but I refused to let him slip away. “Come on, Nathan, stay with me!” In my mind, one name kept screaming over and over again, Theodore. But I had to save Nathaniel first.
“Please, please….
After five long minutes, the monitor stabilized.
1
The moment the general surgeon arrived, I wasted no time. “Nathan is stabilized,” I said, my words rushed. “Take care of him. I need to go.”
I barely heard their response, because my legs were already moving
I ran out of the ER, and did not care about anything else. Since my mind kept saying, ‘I had to get to Theodore.‘
By the time I reached the hospital lobby, Liam was already there, with the cops.
“Have you found the car?” he demanded
“Yes, sir,” one of the officers responded. “The suspect has already been caught and taken to the police station. Your son is also there.”
“How is my son?” I asked as I walked toward them in hurry, but I did not realize if my knees nearly gave out
But before I could collapse, Liam was catching me. His grip was strong and steady, keeping me grounded
“Everything will be alright, Amelia,” he whispered, his voice a promise. “You wait here. I’ll handle Evelyn and bring Theo back to you.
“No, I should meet him. He is my son, Liam!”
Liam clenched his jaw.
The officers, seeing my distress and the fact that I was still in my doctor’s uniform, gently intervened.
“Ma’am, we can request the officers at the station to bring your son here,” one of them said. “That way, you don’t
have to leave the hospital.
I hesitated for a brief moment, torn between wanting to go there myself and knowing that Nathaniel was still in
critical condition.
Before I could respond, Liam spoke first.
“That works,” he said, though his face was still tight with worry. His fists clenched at his sides, as if he was restraining himself from running to the station right then and there.
And so, it was decided.
Liam left for the police station while Theodore was brought back to the hospital.
The moment Theodore saw me, he burst into tears.
“Mommy!” he cried, his small arms reaching for me as if afraid I would disappear again.
I dropped to my knees and caught him, pulling him into my embrace.
His tiny body trembled against mine, his sobs shaking his small shoulders.
I kissed his forehead, running my fingers through his hair, whispering apologies over and over, promising would never happen again.
Meanwhile, at the police station, Liam sat across from the lead officer handling the case, his hands curled into fists, his expression dark as he listened.
*From the statements of the witnesses that morning,” he began, “when Dr. Amelia dropped off Theodore at daycare, someone lured the child away with candy.
“At the time, Dr. Amelia was distracted. She seemed to have received a phone call, so she immediately went to the hospital, not realizing that Theodore hadn’t entered the daycare as usual.”
994 AM
Forget Me Once, FarewelFore
Liam exhaled sharply, his fists trembling. That was when I met him in the hospital lobby.
“When the culprit took Theodore away, it just so happened that Dr. Nathaniel was heading toward the hospital for his morning shift.”
The officer leaned back in his chair. “Dr. Nathaniel saw her leading Theodore away and immediately stepped in, lunged at her, trying to grab Theodore,” the officer said. “But Evelyn wasn’t alone.
“She had them beat Dr. Nathaniel brutally. But even while injured, he refused to back down. He fought to protect Theodore, even when he was stabbed in the stomach.
“After that, he succeeded in taking Theodore, but when he tried to carry the child and escape, heading toward the hospital, he was shot in the leg.
“As a result, your son was taken away by the culprit, and at that time, it was Dr. Nathaniel himself who called us.
Because of him, we were able to track them, Sir.”
Liam’s grip on the chair tightened violently as he heard Nathaniel still tried to save Theodore even when he had been dying.
While he himself at that moment still desperately explained to me how he wanted to take us back.
