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Chapter Fifty-four
Kurt sprinted faster than he’d ever done before. He sped to the nurse’s desk, demanding attention. “Where has the nurse taken the Allen baby?”
“Excuse me, sir?”
“A nurse just came to fetch the baby.”
“I don’t understand. I was under the impression the mother wanted to keep the baby with her.”
“She was with us until a nurse came to fetch her for an Apgar test.”
The young girl in the pink uniform looked puzzled and then scared. “It would have been performed in the delivery room.”
In an instant, he had his cell in his hand and before calling in backup, he demanded, “I want this hospital in lockdown. The baby has been stolen.” When the shocked nurse released a squeal and didn’t move, his voice rose. “Do it! Now!” Barking the order got results, and she moved.
But it was too late.
By the time Jill and Molly arrived, it was to see Ruby hysterical, and Kurt trying his best to soothe her. Jill flew to be beside her daughter, leaving Kurt free to begin furiously pacing the room.
Molly went to him and spoke gently. “Calm down, Kurt. Tell us what happened.”
He turned a blank stare her way. He’d never felt so useless in all his life. Their beautiful baby had been snatched right from under their noses. His cell vibrated, and he answered.
“None? Did you check private planes? Okay.” Kurt had called Neal earlier to have their men at the airport check the passenger records for every flight leaving for China. But he’d just reported that nothing had shown up, no one traveling with a newborn.
Kurt had also called for an APB to be issued throughout the city, but they had no photos to help in that search. No images of the thief or the child and no names.
In the ensuing twenty-four hours, he didn’t sleep or eat, just lived on coffee. The next evening, he approached Ruby, who’d been given a sedative and was resting in the hospital bed, a look of desperation appearing after he admitted to finding nothing.
“Oh, Kurt. I want her back so badly. Yet, I’m praying that whoever took her cares for her and will look after her.”
“Me too, baby. Me too.” He patted Ruby’s arm and felt his wrung-out heart take another hit when he saw her wince and then press the sides of her breasts.
The quiet was unnerving but since it was the late shift, most of the noise in the busy ward had ceased. He looked over at the two people sleeping in the room’s chairs and woke up Jill and Molly. “You both should go home and get some rest now. I’ll stay with Ruby. I’ll call if anything comes up, I promise.”
The two women nodded, stretched, and gathered their coats. Jill asked the question that lurked in both their eyes. “Anything?”
“No.”
“Okay. We’ll be back in the morning.” They both gently kissed Ruby goodbye and hugged him before they left.
Once the door closed behind them, he went over to the hospital bed. Ruby reached up for him and he laid beside her so he could hold her close. When she sighed, her face snuggling into his chest, he put his hands on her hair and felt the wetness from her tears sear into his shirt.
It had been this way from the moment they’d lost their baby. As if Ruby felt safe with him and could release her pain as long as she felt his arms holding her back from the gaping pit of despair.
When the door opened, at first he didn’t pay attention because the nurses often came in with ice packs for Ruby’s engorged breasts. He glanced over and saw a woman in the shadows holding a tiny baby. Unable to figure out what was happening, he slowly sat up. Why had a stranger come into their room with a child?
“I’m sorry, ma’am. I think you’re in the wrong room.” He didn’t want Ruby upset by the sight of another woman holding her baby when Ruby no longer had hers.
The woman stepped into the light, and he could see she was Chinese. In fact, it was the same person he’d stopped on his property. She held the baby out in front of her. “I’ve brought Wei home to her mother.”
Ruby sat up then, whimpers of sounds issued from her trembling lips. As if in slow motion, she reached her trembling arms out.
When the lady placed the baby so carefully in those waiting arms, she stepped back and watched Ruby cry with relief as she welcomed her baby home. Kissing the baby’s face over and over, she couldn’t speak because of the overwhelming emotion.
Weak with thankfulness as Kurt was, he still had questions he needed answered. Seeing as how their visitor also seemed overwhelmed, he pulled up the visitor’s chair and motioned for her to sit.
Before he could speak, Ruby broke the silence. “Thank you. Oh my God, I thought to never see her again. Thank you so much for bringing her back.”
