Chapter 8: The Search Begins
Back at St. Jude Memorial Hospital, the morning sun broke through the horizontal blinds of Ethan’s room, casting neat stripes of golden light across the floor. Ethan was sitting up in bed, happily eating a bowl of vanilla pudding and chatting with a physical therapist who was reviewing his ankle recovery schedule. Arthur Vance stood near the window, watching his son with a heart full of profound gratitude, but his mind was consumed by a single, burning mission. He could not move forward, could not pack another bag or step foot into another airport, until he found the girl who had saved his son’s life.
Arthur had spent the entire previous evening scouring local news outlets, social media feeds, and airport security logs, but the girl in the denim jacket and purple backpack remained a ghost. Terminal 4's security cameras had captured her stepping forward from the crowd, but the angle had obscured her face just enough to prevent facial recognition software from drawing a match. Frustrated by the digital dead ends, Arthur decided to take matters into his own hands. He pulled out his business cards, grabbed his trench coat, and told Dr. Sterling he was stepping out for a couple of hours to visit the terminal one last time.
Arriving back at Terminal 4, the morning rush was once again in full swing, though the specific patch of grey linoleum where Ethan had collapsed was now clean and indistinguishable from the rest of the vast floor. Arthur walked slowly toward the boarding gate area, his eyes scanning every child passing by, looking for the familiar denim jacket and the telltale purple backpack. He spoke with airline employees, ticket agents, and security personnel, showing them a still photograph captured from a bystander's distant smartphone video. Most shook their heads sympathetically, muttering apologies and returning to their duties.
May you like
Just as Arthur was about to give up and head back to the hospital, an elderly ticket agent with a kind face and a silver nametag called out to him. ""Excuse me, sir. Are you the father of the little boy from yesterday?"" Arthur spun around instantly, stepping up to the counter. ""Yes! Yes, I am. Did you see her? Do you know who she is?"" The agent nodded slowly, leaning over the counter. ""I didn't catch her name, but I remember her ticket. She was traveling alone with an adult companion, and she dropped something near the kiosk over there before they boarded their regional flight."" The agent pointed toward a quiet corner near Gate 12, offering Arthur a glimmer of hope in a city of millions.
***
