You'll be in my heart, part 3, "UP IN THE SKY"
Meanwhile Carol was sitting home waiting for news from the police, Doug tried to get a flight. After talking to Carol on the phone, he'd put some clothes in a bag and jumped in the car. At the airport he tried to get booked in on the next flight but that was easier said than done.
"Please. You've got to help me. I need to go to Chicago as soon as possible".
"I'm sorry but we're booked in. You have to take the next flight".
"Isn't there anything I can do? It's an emergency!"
"I'm sorry. Next!" The lady seemed very cold.
"No, no! Please. It's not like you think. It really is an emergency".
"If you don't mind, there's people behind you waiting".
"Look, this is not like my dog having puppies". He'd realised that the only way he could get to Chicago with the next flight was by telling the truth. If she'd watched the news she'd heard about what had happened in Chicago. "Have you heard about the two girls who's missing in Chicago?"
"Yes, of course I have. I really hope they find them in good shape, now if you'd excuse me. I have to continue working and right now you're preventing me".
"For heaven's sake!" Doug yelled. Everyone in the queue looked at him but he didn't care. As he spoke he could feel the tears coming. "It's my daughters the whole Chicago police are looking for. Do you know how that feels? Everywhere there's a TV, they mention the disappearing of my little girls and how bad it looks. Do you now understand why I need a flight to Chicago tonight and why I can't wait?"
The lady behind the desk nodded and booked him in on first class with businessmen. Before Doug left she said she was sorry and hoped the best for him and his family.
An hour later the plane was in the air. Doug was sitting by the window staring out although there wasn't much to see. In the seat next to him one of the businessmen sat watching him. It was a long flight and he thought it would be great to have someone to talk to.
"Is everything alright?"
Doug turned to the man. "Not really".
"You don't look to good either. I'm Phil Patterson". He reached his hand to Doug.
Doug took Phil's hand. "I'm Doug Ross".
"So", Phil continued, "were you in Seattle doing business?"
Doug shook his head. "No, I live there".
"Oh. So, what brings you to Chicago then?"
"Family".
"Yeah, family's great". Phil smiled and leaned backwards in the seat. He constantly had his suitcase on his lap, holding it. "I travel a lot but when I'm home with my wife and four kids I can't think of something better. Do you have children?"
Phil's question tore him apart inside. Yes, he had kids but they were missing. They'd been gone for 6 hours now and no one knew where they were or if they were alive. He nodded as an answer to the question.
" Many?"
"Two".
"How old are they?"
"Nine".
"Both of them?"
He's an excellent speaker, Doug thought . "They're twins".
"Boys or girls, or one of each?"
"Girls". Wouldn't he never stop talking? Doug didn't want be rude so he let the man continue talking.
"Well, I have three boys and a girl. The girl is the youngest one but she is almost as tough as her big brothers. Since you're flying to Chicago in family business, why are you flying alone?"
For some reason Doug didn't told the guy to shut up. Maybe he needed to tell someone about what he felt right now. The phone call with Carol was eating him up inside. He still remembered her voice and how she sounded when she told him that Tess and Kate were missing. Already now he knew that that would stay in his mind forever. Perhaps it would help if he talked to the man about it.
"I live alone in Seattle. My daughters live in Chicago with their mother".
"Sorry to hear that, mate. Divorced?"
"No, we never married. I lost my job and moved to Seattle where I got a new job".
"What kind of job?"
"As a Paediatrician at a local hospital".
"Aah, so you're a doctor".
"Yeah". He'd never thought it but talking to Phil really helped. The chance of meeting him again was small so he decided to continue the conversation. "A year later I'd moved, my ex-girlfriend called and told me I was a father of twin girls".
"Were you happy?"
"I think I was but also shocked. You see, when we were together we tried for a baby but Carol, my ex-girlfriend, never got pregnant. Not until I left. She have told me she discovered it a month later".
"Why didn't she come with you?"
"She didn't want to".
"Why?"
"I'm not sure. She had a whole life there while the only thing I had was her. When I look back now I realise how stupid I was. I've been in love with her since the first time I saw her".
"What about the your girls?"
"We decided to keep going like we were but that I could come visit them whenever I wanted. I see them almost every weekend".
"Have they visited you sometimes?"
"Yeah, of course. Carol and I are really good friends but we've decided not to live together. Over the years the girls have accepted the fact that they have a mother and a father on each side of the country".
"What are they names?"
Doug hesitated whether he should answer or not. "Kate and Tess".
"Beautiful names. They sound familiar. Where on earth have I heard those names before?"
Doug knew he couldn't ignore the subject now. "On the news?"
"Yes, there it was. Poor girls and their family, they must be. . .Oh my God!" Phil exclaimed realising it all. "Is it your Kate and Tess who's missing?"
Doug looked at Phil and nodded sadly. He felt he was about to cry. "Carol called me nearly two hours ago. She barely managed to tell me that our little girls were missing. Luckily one of our friends is with her. He's the girls' Godfather and he loves them too".
For the first time Phil didn't know what to say and it was unbelievable quiet.
"No matter what happens", he eventually said, "you'll be in my heart".
This made Doug think. What did he mean with that?
Meanwhile Carol was sitting home waiting for news from the police, Doug tried to get a flight. After talking to Carol on the phone, he'd put some clothes in a bag and jumped in the car. At the airport he tried to get booked in on the next flight but that was easier said than done.
"Please. You've got to help me. I need to go to Chicago as soon as possible".
"I'm sorry but we're booked in. You have to take the next flight".
"Isn't there anything I can do? It's an emergency!"
"I'm sorry. Next!" The lady seemed very cold.
"No, no! Please. It's not like you think. It really is an emergency".
"If you don't mind, there's people behind you waiting".
"Look, this is not like my dog having puppies". He'd realised that the only way he could get to Chicago with the next flight was by telling the truth. If she'd watched the news she'd heard about what had happened in Chicago. "Have you heard about the two girls who's missing in Chicago?"
"Yes, of course I have. I really hope they find them in good shape, now if you'd excuse me. I have to continue working and right now you're preventing me".
"For heaven's sake!" Doug yelled. Everyone in the queue looked at him but he didn't care. As he spoke he could feel the tears coming. "It's my daughters the whole Chicago police are looking for. Do you know how that feels? Everywhere there's a TV, they mention the disappearing of my little girls and how bad it looks. Do you now understand why I need a flight to Chicago tonight and why I can't wait?"
The lady behind the desk nodded and booked him in on first class with businessmen. Before Doug left she said she was sorry and hoped the best for him and his family.
An hour later the plane was in the air. Doug was sitting by the window staring out although there wasn't much to see. In the seat next to him one of the businessmen sat watching him. It was a long flight and he thought it would be great to have someone to talk to.
"Is everything alright?"
Doug turned to the man. "Not really".
"You don't look to good either. I'm Phil Patterson". He reached his hand to Doug.
Doug took Phil's hand. "I'm Doug Ross".
"So", Phil continued, "were you in Seattle doing business?"
Doug shook his head. "No, I live there".
"Oh. So, what brings you to Chicago then?"
"Family".
"Yeah, family's great". Phil smiled and leaned backwards in the seat. He constantly had his suitcase on his lap, holding it. "I travel a lot but when I'm home with my wife and four kids I can't think of something better. Do you have children?"
Phil's question tore him apart inside. Yes, he had kids but they were missing. They'd been gone for 6 hours now and no one knew where they were or if they were alive. He nodded as an answer to the question.
" Many?"
"Two".
"How old are they?"
"Nine".
"Both of them?"
He's an excellent speaker, Doug thought . "They're twins".
"Boys or girls, or one of each?"
"Girls". Wouldn't he never stop talking? Doug didn't want be rude so he let the man continue talking.
"Well, I have three boys and a girl. The girl is the youngest one but she is almost as tough as her big brothers. Since you're flying to Chicago in family business, why are you flying alone?"
For some reason Doug didn't told the guy to shut up. Maybe he needed to tell someone about what he felt right now. The phone call with Carol was eating him up inside. He still remembered her voice and how she sounded when she told him that Tess and Kate were missing. Already now he knew that that would stay in his mind forever. Perhaps it would help if he talked to the man about it.
"I live alone in Seattle. My daughters live in Chicago with their mother".
"Sorry to hear that, mate. Divorced?"
"No, we never married. I lost my job and moved to Seattle where I got a new job".
"What kind of job?"
"As a Paediatrician at a local hospital".
"Aah, so you're a doctor".
"Yeah". He'd never thought it but talking to Phil really helped. The chance of meeting him again was small so he decided to continue the conversation. "A year later I'd moved, my ex-girlfriend called and told me I was a father of twin girls".
"Were you happy?"
"I think I was but also shocked. You see, when we were together we tried for a baby but Carol, my ex-girlfriend, never got pregnant. Not until I left. She have told me she discovered it a month later".
"Why didn't she come with you?"
"She didn't want to".
"Why?"
"I'm not sure. She had a whole life there while the only thing I had was her. When I look back now I realise how stupid I was. I've been in love with her since the first time I saw her".
"What about the your girls?"
"We decided to keep going like we were but that I could come visit them whenever I wanted. I see them almost every weekend".
"Have they visited you sometimes?"
"Yeah, of course. Carol and I are really good friends but we've decided not to live together. Over the years the girls have accepted the fact that they have a mother and a father on each side of the country".
"What are they names?"
Doug hesitated whether he should answer or not. "Kate and Tess".
"Beautiful names. They sound familiar. Where on earth have I heard those names before?"
Doug knew he couldn't ignore the subject now. "On the news?"
"Yes, there it was. Poor girls and their family, they must be. . .Oh my God!" Phil exclaimed realising it all. "Is it your Kate and Tess who's missing?"
Doug looked at Phil and nodded sadly. He felt he was about to cry. "Carol called me nearly two hours ago. She barely managed to tell me that our little girls were missing. Luckily one of our friends is with her. He's the girls' Godfather and he loves them too".
For the first time Phil didn't know what to say and it was unbelievable quiet.
"No matter what happens", he eventually said, "you'll be in my heart".
This made Doug think. What did he mean with that?