“There’s someone on the bench,” he says, looking through the rear window.
I turn around to see something yellow through the rainy haze. It looks like a plastic bag. “Are you sure it’s a person? It’s very small. Maybe someone left their luggage.”
“No, I saw it when we passed through. It’s a boy… I think.” Zander grits his teeth before his hand rakes through his hair.
“Oh God. Where are his parents?” I look back again, my eyes falling to the small bundle on the bench.
Zander curses before putting the car in reverse. The incessant rain continues to come down harder than before.
We stop in front of the bench, and I look through the blurry window.
It’s a boy with a yellow plastic raincoat.
My chest clenches at the sight of the forgotten child.
Zander brings his window down and calls out. “Hey, buddy.”
But the kid stays still, leaning forward with his shoulders folded over his chest.
Only after Zander calls out for the fifth or sixth time does the kid gingerly look up, and then immediately, his head drops down. In fact, he tightens his arms a bit more around himself.
“Hey, where are your parents? Are you lost?”
When he doesn’t reply to Zander, I look around the secluded stretch of road. There’s just forest behind him; no houses, no buildings. The next gas station is about ten miles away. We don’t even know how long he’s been sitting there.
“He’ll get sick in the rain.” Zander looks between the kid and me, his expression grim. I know his protectiveness is kicking in.
But more than that, watching a young boy soaking in the rain, all alone… I can’t even imagine what it’s doing to my husband’s heart. I grab the two umbrellas from the back seat and hand one to Zander. We both step out and approach the scared kid.
“Hey, buddy!” Zander’s words elicit no reaction out of the small stranger.
I notice the red backpack on the ground, soaking in a puddle of water. Wet hair peeks out from under the torn plastic cap of his raincoat.
I hold my breath when Zander glances at me before he takes a step closer to the boy. When he places his hand over the boy’s shoulder, shaking him gently, the kid collapses, falling on the wet bench.
“Oh God.” I take the umbrella from Zander as he tries to sit the kid up and lightly pats his face.
“How is he?” Words barely come out of my mouth as I try to protect Zander and the unconscious kid from the rain.
“He’s burning with fever. We need to take him to the hospital, Rose.” My husband’s pained gaze shoots to me, and I nod immediately.
“Yes. Yes.” I dart to open the back door of the car as he gathers the boy in his arms.
“There’s a towel in my workout bag.” Zander nods toward the car trunk while placing the small kid in the back seat.
After getting in from the other side, I towel dry the boy’s hair as Zander jumps in the driver’s seat.
“Why isn’t he getting up?” I ask as I clean his face gently, wiping away the grime and dirt. He looks like he’s been on his own for a while. I notice Zander brought the muddy red backpack and has placed it on the floorboard. That’s good. We don’t know what important things are stacked inside.
“He might be unconscious due to high fever. Will you be okay in the back seat, or would you like to drive?” Zander turns around, his arm resting behind the passenger seat. His gaze shifts from the kid, his head resting on my lap, to me.
The offer is tempting. He can clean and take care of the boy better, but I’m also not confident driving through this weather.
“I’m fine here,” I reply, giving him a confident smile so that he has one less thing to worry about.
I try to warm the kid’s small blue hands, rubbing them between my palms as Zander takes us to the hospital.
When we arrive, the kid is immediately rushed into the emergency room, and Zander and I are asked to stay in the waiting area.