CHAPTER 3 – THE HOSPITAL
The ambulance doors slammed shut behind us.
A paramedic gently took Noah from my arms and laid him onto the stretcher.
"Heart rate is elevated," one of them said. "Temperature's over one hundred and three."
Emily squeezed Noah's hand while I sat beside him, my own hands shaking so badly I could barely fasten the seat belt.
"Buddy," I whispered. "Stay with us."
Noah forced his eyes open.
"Dad..."
"I'm here."
"I'm sorry I threw up on you."
My chest tightened.
Even now...
Even lying on a stretcher...
He was apologizing.
I leaned over and kissed his forehead.
"You never have to apologize for being sick."
The paramedic looked at me with sympathetic eyes.
"Has he been vomiting long?"
"I don't know."
The words felt like knives.
"I wasn't here."
I glanced toward the back doors.
Sarah's house disappeared behind us as the ambulance sped toward Mercy General Hospital.
The flashing lights reflected off the windows, bathing Noah's pale face in alternating red and blue.
Emily silently cried beside him.
Noah reached for her hand.
"Mom?"
"Yes, sweetheart?"
"Is Aunt Sarah mad?"
Emily closed her eyes.
"No."
"Did I ruin Matthew's birthday?"
The question shattered what little composure I still had.
"Noah."
He looked at me.
"You didn't ruin anything."
"But she said..."
"I don't care what she said."
I took both of his hands.
"You listened to your body."
"You asked for help."
"You did exactly what you were supposed to do."
A small tear rolled down his cheek.
"I didn't want Matthew to get in trouble."
That was Noah.
Always worrying about everyone else.
Even the cousin whose birthday had become the worst day of his life.
The emergency room was already waiting when we arrived.
Doctors and nurses surrounded Noah immediately.
"What symptoms?"
"Vomiting."
"High fever."
"Possible dehydration."
"How long was he isolated?"
I hesitated.
"I... don't know."
Emily answered instead.
"At least three hours."
One nurse looked up sharply.
"Three hours?"
"In an unfinished basement."
The room became noticeably quieter.
The doctor examined Noah's hands.
"They're freezing."
Another nurse placed warm blankets over him while someone started an IV.
Noah winced.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
The nurse smiled softly.
"You don't have to apologize, sweetheart."
I looked away before Noah could see the tears in my eyes.
Nearly an hour later, Dr. Patel entered the waiting room carrying a clipboard.
Emily stood before he even spoke.
"How is he?"
The doctor gave us a reassuring smile.
"He's going to recover."
I finally breathed.
"He has a severe stomach virus complicated by dehydration and mild hypothermia."
Emily covered her face with both hands.
"If he'd remained in that cold basement much longer..."
The doctor didn't finish the sentence.
He didn't have to.
I understood.
We both did.
Before we could return to Noah's room, two police officers approached us.
"Mr. Carter?"
"Yes."
"I'm Detective Ramirez."
He held a small evidence bag.
Inside was Noah's emergency phone.
"We recovered this from your sister's kitchen drawer."
I frowned.
"Kitchen drawer?"
"Yes."
"It wasn't in his backpack."
The detective nodded.
"Apparently, after taking it from your son, your sister hid it."
Emily stared at the bag in disbelief.
"She hid it?"
Ramirez nodded again.
"We also found twenty-three missed calls, six unheard voicemail messages, and multiple text messages."
My stomach turned.
"So she knew we were trying to reach him."
"Yes."
The detective paused.
"Several guests have already given statements."
"What kind of statements?"
He opened a notebook.
"Multiple witnesses reported hearing your son repeatedly ask to call his parents."
I closed my eyes.
"He was denied every time."
Ramirez continued.
"One guest also claims Sarah told the children..."
He stopped for a moment.
"...that if anyone opened the basement door before the party ended, they would never be invited back to her house."
Emily gasped.
"So the other children knew he was down there?"
"They did."
"And they were afraid."
The detective looked toward Noah's hospital room.
"We've also learned your nephew Matthew cried several times because he wanted to check on Noah."
"What did Sarah do?"
"She sent him back outside to open presents."
Silence settled over the hallway.
I leaned against the wall.
Every new detail somehow hurt more than the last.
Then Detective Ramirez looked directly into my eyes.
"Mr. Carter..."
"Based on everything we've gathered so far..."
"This investigation is no longer about poor judgment."
He closed his notebook.
"We're treating this as felony child abuse and unlawful imprisonment."
For the first time since walking into my sister's house...
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I realized this nightmare wasn't over.
It was only beginning.
