I. The Rescue Aftermath
The sirens reached the lake before the ambulance itself.
Red and blue light spilled across the water as paramedics rushed down the slope, med-kits in hand. David, soaked to the bone, was still kneeling beside the girl, rubbing her tiny arms to keep her warm. Her breathing had steadied, shallow but real.
“She’s hypothermic,” one paramedic said. “Let’s move.”
They lifted the girl onto a stretcher. David stood to follow, but an officer blocked his path.
“Sir, are you a relative?”
“I found her in the water,” David answered, voice still hoarse. “She was drowning.”
The cop’s expression softened. “We’ll need your statement.”
David glanced toward the group of children huddled on the dock. A pale-haired boy was crying; another avoided eye contact. He pointed. “They saw everything. One of them tied her up.”
The officer nodded grimly. “We’ll handle them.”
David exhaled and turned back to the ambulance. “I’m riding with her.”
“Sir—”
He met the paramedic’s eyes. The authority in his voice left no room for argument. “I said I’m riding with her.”
II. The Hospital Room
Three hours later, the smell of antiseptic hung thick in the air of St. Vincent’s Children’s Hospital.
David sat in a plastic chair beside the hospital bed. The girl slept beneath a mountain of blankets, her skin warm again, her curls still damp.
A nurse stepped in quietly. “She’s stable now, Mr. Grant. Mild shock, water inhalation, some bruises on her wrists. She’ll be fine.”
David nodded. “Has anyone come for her?”
“Not yet.” The nurse hesitated. “We contacted Child Protective Services. They’ll arrive soon.”
He frowned. “She doesn’t have family?”
The nurse shook her head. “No identification. No one’s claimed her.”
David looked back at the sleeping child. She couldn’t have been more than six or seven. Her lashes were long, her lips slightly parted as she breathed. Something about her small face tugged at a place in him he hadn’t felt in years—something buried under boardrooms and empty penthouses.
He leaned closer, brushing a wet curl from her forehead.
“I’ve got you now,” he whispered.
III. The Interrogation
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