Sophia

 

 

"Please, please be careful with him," I say to the EMT who is cradling Elroy in his arms. "He has a fever and he's weak."

He nods as he heads for the open door of the ambulance. It's almost dark outside, but I can clearly make out the number of police cars, ambulances and fire trucks that have gathered on this quiet street.

My plan was risky, but it worked. When the delivery boy buzzed to be let in, I handed Franco the money. He looked it over before he exchanged it for the children's ibuprofen. The guy who made the delivery counted it and then complained that it was a dollar short. I reached into my purse, pulled out the dollar I'd written on while Franco was on the phone placing the order and I ran it to the door and tucked it directly into the delivery guy's palm.

Then I prayed. I prayed that he would see the note I'd written on the back. It was as detailed as I could manage in the few moments I had to write it.

I knew that there was a good chance that the bill would be passed on to someone else before the ink was noticed, so I wrote my name, the date, the address of the building that I'd memorized when we first walked in and Elroy's first name and age. I was able to scribble the words he's been kidnapped from Florida before Franco ended the call.

"You need to go to the hospital, Sophia."

I turn toward the voice of a male detective. He was one of the first faces I saw when I carried Elroy from the building. He ran to me and scooped the crying boy from my arms. I was grateful, collapsing on the ground at his feet in tears before another man hauled me up and took me to safety. It was all a blur. All I knew at that moment was that we were safe and police officers were on their way into the building to arrest Franco.

"I should call someone." I look around the street. "I need to call my boyfriend. My parents must be worried sick."

"They're all waiting for you at the hospital." He motions toward the ambulance. "I'll ride with you and take your preliminary statement."

I look down at my shaking hands. "I want to thank whoever was talking to Franco on the phone. They got him to agree to let us go."

"When things settle down, I'll introduce you myself." He wraps his arms around my shoulder. "We can worry about that another day. Right now, we need to get you checked out."

"I'm fine." I wobble on my heels. "I'm worried about Elroy. I followed the directions on the bottle of ibuprofen. I gave him exactly what it said, but he was still so warm."

"You took great care of him, Sophia."

My hands shake. "He was confused. I tried to keep him quiet and calm."

"You did everything right."

"I didn’t want him to hurt Elroy." I swallow hard. "I wanted him to see his mom again."

"He will." He helps me get into the back of the ambulance. "Once he's checked over, he'll be released to an aunt who flew in from Phoenix. She'll take care of him until his mom is back on her feet."

"I was scared." Tears stream down my face. "I was scared I'd never see the people I love again."

"We're on our way to see them now." He takes a seat next to a female EMT. "It's over, Sophia. You're free."

***

 

There are so many faces it's hard to register who they all are. I hear my mom's voice and then my dad's. Cadence is crying and Crew is somewhere telling someone to get the fuck out of his way. I smile under the oxygen mask as I'm wheeled through the entrance of the ER.

Nicholas is close. I can sense him before I see him.

"Sophia?" His voice is like a beacon to me. I raise my head, trying desperately to find him. I do. He's to my left, pushing past Dexie to get to me.

"Sophia." He stops the movement of the stretcher with his hands, stilling the two EMTs in place. "Did he hurt you?"

I shake my head to the side.

"She's good." The detective says from somewhere nearby. "Abano is in custody. Sophia is fine. The child is fine because of her."

"Child?" My mother looks down at me. "Are you pregnant, Sophia?"

I hear a chorus of laughs surround me. The sound is a symphony to me. It's pure happiness. Joy radiates from the people I love.

"I have no information on that." The detective waves his hands in the air with a chuckle. "There was a boy with Abano. Sophia stayed with him. She protected him and brought him out alive."

"Sophia," my mom whispers my name as she kisses my cheek. "You're an angel. You are an angel sent from heaven."

"That she is." Nicholas reaches for my hand. "She's my angel."