CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN JACK
CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN
J ACK
Jack releases Makayla’s hand in the back seat of the FBI’s SUV when they pull into the Syracuse hospital parking lot. Jack and Makayla hardly spoke during the drive. The last two hours have felt like an eternity.
“We’re here,” Agent Pratt says. “Liam’s abductor is here at the hospital with a broken leg. We’re going to interview him before they take him to jail. We’ll let you know when we have more information for you.”
Makayla is already out of the SUV when it slows to a stop in front of the hospital’s main entrance.
“Thanks,” Jack says to the agent before jumping out behind her and following her through the automatic sliding doors.
Makayla stops a man in scrubs holding a large coffee who strides past them. “Excuse me! We’re looking for our baby. He’s been taken to the pediatric unit.”
Jack’s eyes fall to the large, bolded letters— RN —on the top of his name badge.
“That’s on the fourth floor. Here.” He motions down the hallway and continues walking. “I’ll take you to the elevators.”
They follow behind him in silence, and Jack wills the nurse to move faster as he watches him take a careful sip from his coffee. Next to him, Makayla seems wound up like a spring, still shaken from her ordeal, her body practically humming with nervous energy. They turn left down another hallway, and the nurse points to the elevator up ahead.
“There you go. Fourth floor,” he repeats.
“Thank you,” Makayla says.
She shoots Jack a look and quickens her pace. When she presses the button on the wall, the elevator doors open immediately. They exit on the fourth floor and rush toward a nurse’s station straight ahead. Jack feels almost giddy with anticipation. A young woman wearing a Winnie-the-Pooh scrub top looks up from behind the desk.
“We’re looking for our baby,” Makayla breathes. “Liam Rossi. We’re his parents.”
“Oh, yes.” She stands, turning to another woman behind the desk. “Can you call Dr. Manalo and tell him Liam Rossi’s parents have arrived?”
“Sure.” The older woman reaches for a phone.
The young woman meets Makayla’s gaze. “I’m Liam’s nurse, Kate. I’ll take you to him.” Kate smiles as she moves around the desk. “Your little skydiver is doing great,” she says over her shoulder as they follow her down the hall.
The colorful walls are decorated with lit-up artwork of tropical fish and bright-colored sea life.
“Was Dr. Manalo able to get ahold of you?”
“Yes,” Jack says. “He called us on our way here. He said Liam was sedated when he was found but still breathing on his own. And that they gave him Narcan in the ambulance.”
“That’s right,” Kate says. “When the medics first assessed him, Liam’s breathing rate and blood oxygen were low, but he responded immediately to the Narcan and became more alert. His blood pressure was also low, so they gave him some fluids through an IV. His vitals are now stable.” Kate turns. “Did Dr. Manalo tell you we performed a CT scan?”
Makayla nods. “He said it was normal. No internal bleeding or trauma from the fall.”
“That’s right,” Kate says as a man in light-blue hospital scrubs appears around a corner at the end of the hall. “Dr. Manalo, these are Liam Rossi’s parents.” She extends an arm toward Jack and Makayla.
“Nice to meet you.” He nods at Makayla and then Jack. “Like I said over the phone, Liam’s not showing any signs of neurological damage. We’ll continue to monitor him, but he doesn’t appear to have sustained any injuries. From the information we gathered from the flight, the parachuters jumped around fifteen thousand feet. I suspect his low breathing rate and blood pressure when they found him were more a result of his sedation than the jump from the plane.”
The nurse flashes them a warm smile. “He’s a very lucky little boy.”
Jack’s pulse quickens when the nurse slows in front of a room.
“Liam fell asleep about an hour ago, after I gave him a bottle.” Kate turns before leading them into the room. “I can’t imagine how scary all this must’ve been for you.”
Dr. Manalo pauses, motioning for Jack and Makayla to go first.
Jack’s heart throbs seeing Liam’s sleeping face inside a large crib. The pacifier the hospital had given him falls from his mouth. Makayla catches it with a half laugh, half sob before she leans over the side and swoops him up. Thin cords stick out from the bottom of his blanket, attaching him to the cardiac monitor that hangs on the wall above the crib.
Liam stirs, but his eyes remain closed. Makayla draws him against her, cradling the back of his small head with her palm. Liam’s eyes flutter open, and Jack kisses him on the cheek. Liam coos through the pacifier.
Makayla smiles down at him as fresh tears well in her eyes. Jack blinks away his own, knowing how different this night could’ve gone. He places a hand on Liam’s back and leans his head against Makayla’s, never more grateful for anything in his life.