“Why were the children alone?”
“They were supposed to be with their mother,” Thomas explained. “She told me she was going somewhere with no signal for the weekend. Today my son called and said his sister wouldn’t wake up and they hadn’t eaten.”
“And where is the mother now?”
“I have no idea. Her phone’s been off since Friday.”
“Do you share custody?”
“Yes. Week-by-week. This week was hers.”
The social worker nodded seriously.
“We’ll have to file a report for child abandonment, Mr. Carter.”
Thomas rubbed his face with his hands.
“Do whatever you have to do. I just want to know my daughter is okay.”
After some time, the pediatric doctor returned.
“The little girl is stable,” she said.
“She’s dehydrated and has a mild intestinal infection from not eating. We’ll keep her under observation tonight. The good news is you brought her in just in time.”
Thomas exhaled slowly, realizing he’d been holding his breath.
Ethan squeezed his hand.
“Can I see her?”
“In a little while. She’s sleeping, but she’s okay.”
“Okay,” Ethan nodded.
Then he asked quietly:
“And my mom?”
Thomas didn’t know how to answer.
Two hours later, a nurse approached him.
“Mr. Carter, we just received a report from the police. Your ex-wife was admitted to City General Hospital early Saturday morning after a car accident.”
Thomas stood up immediately.
“Is she alive?”
“Yes. Stable, but sedated. She suffered fractures and a head injury.”
Thomas closed his eyes.
Part of him wanted to scream.
But Ethan was standing right there.
“Can I see her?”
“Not until she wakes up.”
Thomas stepped outside and called his lawyer.
“Mark, I need to start custody proceedings immediately. I’m not letting this happen again.”
“Send me the details. We’ll file first thing in the morning.”
Thomas hung up and looked at his son.
“We’re staying here tonight, okay? Close to your sister.”
Ethan hesitated before asking,
“Can I stay with you forever?”
Thomas knelt down and looked him in the eyes.
“From now on… I’m not letting go.”
Thomas spent the entire night beside Lily’s hospital bed.
Ethan eventually fell asleep on a chair with a blanket a nurse gave him.
At sunrise, a social worker returned.
“Mr. Carter, we need to ask a few more questions.”
“Of course.”
“Is this the first time the children were left alone with their mother?”
“As far as I know, yes… but Ethan said she left them alone before. Just for shorter periods.”
“And did you try contacting her during the weekend?”