บท 27: Chapter Twenty-Seven: Aiden
I watched the boy drop to the floor. "Hey!" I yelled and then crouched on one knee, supporting his head against my arms. "Hey kid! Are you okay?!" I tapped his cheeks relentlessly but there was no response from him.
"Where the heck are his parents?!" I was rotating my head around in search of anyone that would take responsibility for this child, but it seemed he was all alone. From the tattered clothes he was wearing to his slight unkempt hair, it was safe to assume that he was most likely homeless.
People around began to gather, looming over me. "Is he okay?"
"Oh my goodness."
Whispers broke from the onlooking crowd. I pressed two fingers against his neck, he still had a pulse. Without wasting any more time, I jacked him up and opened the door to my back seat, lying him against the seat. I hopped into the driver's seat and then started my engines, rushing straight to the hospital.
He was cradled within my grip as I barged into the hospital. "Help! This little kid passed out!" I screamed. Some nurses approached, taking him from my hands and placing him on a stretcher.
"What happened to him?" One of the nurses asked.
I placed my hands behind my head as I explained frantically. "I- I don't know, I was in my car and he came back for some food… and then he fainted."
"So you're saying that this kid was unaccompanied by an adult and you're not related to them?"
I dropped my hands. "Yeah, I kept asking if his parents were around but nobody came up."
"Okay sir, if you don't mind I hope you can hang around in the hospital for a little while."
"Yeah, sure, no problem," I replied with a shrug. I watched as she walked towards the emergency room and then I lingered around the hallway before making my way to the waiting area.
I texted Ava, telling her that I might come home late. After waiting for a couple of minutes, a nurse came out.
"So, how is the kid?" I asked, jumping on my feet.
"He's fine, it appears he just came down with a fever and was extremely weak and tired that's why he passed out."
"What is he alright now?"
She nodded. "You can go see him if you like." As I was about to leave, she spoke. "Oh before I forget, please settle all the medical bills at the counter." The words reluctantly left her mouth.
I knew she was just saying them for protocol sake. After all it was a privately owned hospital and they needed to make their profit.
A small smile played on my lips. "Sure."
I entered the world and the boy was lying down on the bed. He turned to face me. "Hey, how are you doing, are you hungry? I can order some fast food."
He just stared deep into my eyes without any response and I could see his throat bob as he visibly swallowed.
"Okay… let's try this again. I'm Aiden, what's your name?"
There was still nothing, just awkward silence. I sucked in my lips as I made a slightly disappointed face. "I see you're not someone of many words. Um, let's do something easier, where are your parents?"
He still didn't see anything in response and at that point I decided to just go to the counter to go and settle the bills.
I was about to grab the door handle when I heard his voice. "My name is Andrew and my parents are gone."
I felt my heart tug for him. "Oh, I'm sorry about that. So why were you alone in the park? Do you have any relatives or who do you stay with?"
He simply shook his head silently. "How old are you?" I pressed on.
"I don't know."
"Wow, that's a shocker. You don't know your age?"
The slight look of irritation spread across his face before he nodded in response to my question.
"So tell me, what were you doing at the park?"
"I was hungry, and I wanted something to eat."
I rubbed my temple with my hands. "Where do you sleep?" I decided to ask a more direct question so that he could give me a direct answer.
"On the park bench."
There it was, my direct answer. This was a homeless kid. "Okay, I'll go downstairs and settle the bills and then I'll bring you home and then I'll call child services okay?"
He reverted back to giving the silent treatment. I tried not to let myself get frustrated because I knew he was just a kid and he was most likely traumatized.
With a soft click I closed the door and then went downstairs and settled the bills with the receptionist. Then I put out a call.
"Yes hello this is Aiden Tan, I hope I'm on the right line, I want to speak with child services." I stepped away from the counter.
"Yes of course you're on the right line, how can I help you?" A professional sounding feminine voice sounded from the other side.
"I uh- found this kid at a park and brought him to the hospital, it seems like he's traumatized or something and I can't just leave him here in the hospital without making sure that he's alright."
Some shuffling noises came from the other side of the line. "Okay sir I just checked and we're currently understaffed, but by tomorrow we will be sending someone in to check up on him."
"So he has to spend the night over at my place?"
"If that would be okay with you."
I shifted my gaze towards the entrance of the ward where the child was kept. "Sure, it's fine."
After hanging up I returned to the hospital room shutting the door behind me. "So I have a yes, I'm not sorry you consider it as good news but you're coming home with me for tonight. First thing tomorrow morning child services will come pick you up, is that okay?"
He nodded.
The doctor cleared us before we left the hospital. I stopped by a fast food restaurant to get some snacks for him because I figured he must be famished.
He was seated on the passenger's seat munching some fries as I drove home. When I arrived, I walked with him hand in hand through the foyer.
"Aiden you're back," Ava said, raising her head from the dining room. A crease formed between her eyebrows when she saw the kid.
He was gawking at the interior decor of the house and was frozen on the spot.
"Who's that?" She asked.
"Well, I don't actually know his name but he's a kid that I found at the park."
"Found at the park?"
"Look, I know it sounds crazy but first thing tomorrow morning child services are coming to pick him up, he fainted in the park and I took him to the hospital… It's a long story."
Her confusion seemed to have worsened. "What were you even doing in the park?"
The question felt like a blow to the gut. I found myself stuttering as I tried to think of a response. "Nothing much, just met up with a prospective client."
"In a park?" She asked in disbelief.
"Yeah, that was the same reaction I had when he told me to meet him there."
She slowly tore her eyes away from me and then on the kid. "So, what's your name?"
He didn't respond. "His name is Andrew, he doesn't like to talk a lot."
After dinner I made sure that the maids took him to the guest bedroom where he would feel comfortable while Ava and I retreated to our bedroom.
"You should have told me before bringing that kid home," she said as we were about to get some sleep.
"It's not a big deal Ava," I replied and tucked myself in.
***
The next morning, we had an appointment with the gynecologist. Andrew was in the dining room having breakfast.
"When child services comes to get him, just give me your call okay?" I instructed Claire, one of the maids.
She nodded.
Ava and I got into the car and I drove to the hospital. It would be having our sample collection today.
When we arrived we directed to a secluded room where the lab tech would come to attend to us.
"I need to use the bathroom Aiden, I'll be right back," she said, excusing herself as she left the waiting area.
The lab technician arrived and paused when she saw I was the only one in the room. "Where is your wife? I'm going to need both of you present for this."
I got up, "She went to the restroom but it's been a while, let me go look for her." she stepped aside as I walked past her.
I wasn't familiar with the hospital, so I ended up just wandering around, until I stumbled upon two familiar figures in an office.
The door was slightly ajar so I could see Ava. I moved closer to the door, they were having what seemed to be a serious conversation but I couldn't make out the words.
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