Chapter 3
"Kayla wait up." Hope called out to her sister-in-law. "I heard you had a busy night in here last night.""Yes that pile up on the highway must have been a mess for you guys too." Kayla told her. "What brings you by Hope? You look like you're here on official business."
"I am, sort of." Hope replied.
"What do mean exactly?" Kayla asked.
"Okay, long story short, my brother Dougie's ex-wife was killed in the car accident last night." Hope blurted out."Oh Hope. I'm so sorry." Kayla reached out her hand to squeeze Hope's arm.
"Her son was with her only now he's missing. The officer who informed my father of her death said there wasn't a child with her in the accident. I was wondering if a little boy around eight years old was brought in here last night?" She asked her.
"There was one boy brought in, but it wasn't until much later. Dr. Wesley examined him. He wasn't sure if he was a victim from the car crash or if it was a separate case."
"One of the witnesses said she saw a boy fly out of the car on impact. Seems no one in the department bothered to follow up on it." Hope was irate over the incompetence of her fellow officers. "So this little boy, is he still here? Has anyone else come forward to claim him?"
"He's still here and no one else has claimed a missing child. Of course, there were a few casualties too. But I have to say, it does explain a lot." Kayla rambled thinking about the boy and how much he looked like Zack. "Of course they would be related by blood. Cousins in fact, so it is possible."Hope waved her hands in front of Kayla's face. "What makes sense? Who's related? Where did you go just now?" She asked as Kayla's attention returned to her.
"I'm sorry. I was just thinking out loud." Kayla said.
"And?" Hope persisted.
"He looks a lot like Zack. Of course, I've only seen Zack in photos, but the resemblance is definitely there. And since this would be your brother's son, it makes sense he'd resemble his cousin Zack. By the way, what's his name? He never did say."
"His name is Jack." Hope stated. "Can I see him?"
"Are you sure you'll be alright with that. I mean he looks an awful lot like Zack." Kayla warned her.
"That might explain the dreams I was having last night." Hope told her about her nightmares. How she wasn't able to find Zack. "So where is he?"
Kayla led her to his room. She opened the door to find the bed empty. "Nurse?" She called to the girl at the desk. "Has the patient been taken down for testing?" Kayla asked pointing at Zack's room.
"No." She nodded her head. "He's not in his room?" The nurse questioned.
"I see I'm not the only one with workers failing to do their job." Hope mumbled to herself. "Listen, he can't have gotten too far. He's probably wandering around trying to find his mother." Hope paused thinking about how he'd have to learn of his mother's death. "The poor thing. To have to lose a mother at such a young age."
Kayla hugged Hope. "You know what that's all about." She told her. "I'll start searching this wing. Are you going to call in for backup?"
"Yes. I'm going to call Bo too so he can let my dad and brother know." Hope called Bo and the station and started searching for her nephew. "Jack?" She called out as she went down the halls, hoping he'd pop out of one of the rooms if he heard his name being called.
"Jack?" Kayla was searching through the children's ward looking for Jack. She thought he'd be where they kept the toys. He seemed a little bored this morning when she talked to him. She never did get back to bring him the toys like she'd promised. "Jack?"
…Salem International Airport…
"Dougie over here!" Doug hollered to him. "How was your flight?""Fine. Is there any news on my son?" He asked Doug.
"Hope went to check at the hospital. He was admitted there last night, but in all the confusion, they didn't know who he was with. Hope called a little while ago to tell us he was missing from his room. They're searching the hospital for him right now." Doug explained to him.
"Let's head there first then." Dougie grabbed his bag and followed Doug out to his car.
Doug and Dougie arrived at the hospital in record time. "Don't tell Julie how long it took us. She'll have my head if she knows I've been speeding." Doug laughed trying to break the silence.
The two men made their way to the children's ward to see if there was any news on Jack. They were met by Dr. Wesley. "Dr. Wesley. This is the boy's father, Dougie LeClair." Doug introduced the two men. "I hear you're the one who treated my grandson." Doug asked him.
"Yes. He has multiple bruises from the accident, but he should make a full recovery. Surprisingly there weren't any broken bones. I'm glad to know he has parents. I'll have to call child services to inform them you've been found." Craig told them.
"Have they found my son yet?" Dougie interrupted him. "What kind of hospital lets a little boy run off on his own?" His anger was mounting.
"Please sir, with all due respect, the staff and the police department are doing everything they can to find your son."
"Well obviously that isn't good enough seeing how he's still missing." Dougie stormed off to look for his son. "Jack?" He called out in all directions as he searched the hospital. "Jack it's Daddy. Where are you?"
……
Zack had managed to make his way down to the first floor without being noticed. He passed by office after office reading the nameplates on the doors. Dr. Craig Wesley, Dr. Daniel Jonas, Dr. Lexie Carver. Zack stopped and reached for the door handle. He turned the knob and opened the door. Zack peaked inside to see if his Aunt Lexie was in the room.
Lexie sat behind her desk going over patient files. When she saw her door slowly opening, she looked up to see who was coming in and saw a ghost. The color drained from her face and her mouth dropped. How could it be? He's dead. Lexie watched as Zack walked over to her desk.
"Aunt Lexie? It's me Zack. Do you remember me?" He asked her.
Lexie started screaming. "NO! NO! It can't be! This can't be happening!" She cried hysterically as Zack raced out of the room. Lexie went to chase after him, but as she got up from her seat the whole room started spinning and she fainted falling to the ground.
Zack ran down the hall with tears in his eyes. Aunt Lexie had scared him. He didn't know where to go now. He thought about the nice doctor who had visited him earlier. Maybe she could help him find his mommy and daddy.
"Jack?" Dougie's voice resounded through the corridor. Zack stopped in his tracks. 'What was he doing here?' Zack wondered. He didn't want to be spotted so he ducked into a nearby closet and watched as the man went by still calling out for Jack. Zack looked around the closet. It wasn't very big. He was tired from all the running he'd done. He sat down in the corner and pulled his knees up close to his body. It wasn't long before his head drooped to one side and Zack started snoring lightly.
……
Abe walked into Lexie's office to find her lying on the ground. "Lexie." He gently tapped her face to wake her. "What happened." He helped her sit up.
Lexie looked around the room trying to get her bearings. "Where is he?" She panicked when she didn't see Zack?"Who?" Abe asked her.
"Zack! He was right here. Then I screamed and he ran off. I have to find him." She struggled to get up.
"Lexie. Zack is dead." Abe tried to reason with her.
"He was right here!" She yelled. "I saw him. He came into my office and walked over to my desk. He talked to me Abe." She was in tears now trying to make Abe believe her.
"Lex, you were there the day he died. You're the one who told everyone he had died.""I know what I saw!" Lexie was hysterical. "He was right here!" She kept repeating as she continued to cry.
Abe wasn't sure what to do to help her. "Lex. It had to be a dream. Maybe you fell asleep at your desk and dreamed of Zack."
"No. He was here. I know it was real." Lexie started to calm down. "I must be losing my mind." She sat down as her breath regulated itself. She looked up anxiously when she heard a knock at her door.
"Lexie." Kayla popped her head in. "Have you seen a little boy running around here? He's about 8 years old and looks a lot like Zack." Kayla saw the stunned look on Lexie's face. "I see. You did see him. That must have been quite a shock for you."
"He was here. I wasn't imagining it?" Lexie kept shaking her head. "Wait you said he looked like Zack. He asked me if I remembered him. He said he was Zack."
"That's strange. Are you sure he said Zack? His name is Jack. Maybe you just misunderstood him." Kayla tried to reason with her.
"No. He called me Aunt Lexie. I know what I heard." Lexie insisted.
"Lexie. His name is Jack. He's the son of Hope's half brother. He was in a car accident last night and he's been missing from his room. You said he was here. Where is he now?" Kayla asked her.
"I don't know. He ran off and when I went to find him, I must have passed out."
"At least we know he's still in the hospital." Kayla left to continue searching for Jack.
……
Hope walked along the corridor looking for her nephew. She passed by the nurses station and spotted Bo. "Brady!" She called out to him. "Any news?"
"Nothing so far. You?"
"No. I can't see how a little boy can get lost in a hospital full of people. We have men stationed on every floor." Bo put his hands on the back of Hope's neck and started massaging her shoulders.
"We'll find him. I know this must be hard on you. Kayla told me he looks like Zack." Bo continued rubbing Hope's shoulders.
"Yeah." Hope turned to face Bo. "I think the dreams I was having last night had to do with Jack. We should keep looking." Hope started to walk off.
"Hope." Dougie stopped her.
"Hey you." She hugged her brother. "I'm sorry to be meeting like this under these circumstances. We're doing everything we can to find your son. Hang on." Hope's cell was going off. "Hello?"
"Hope. It's Kayla. Jack is on the first floor. He was just in Lexie's office."
"Is he still there?" Hope asked her.
"No. Lexie passed out and Jack ran off. I'm still searching the floor, but at least we know he hasn't left the hospital." Kayla told her.
"Okay. We're heading down there now." Hope hung up her cell. "Jack was spotted on the first floor. Let's go."
……
Zack was curled up on the floor sleeping in the corner of the closet. One of the janitors walked in to get some supplies and noticed the sleeping boy on the floor. "What do we have here?"Zack's eyes popped open as the man bent down to check on him. "NO! LEAVE ME ALONE!" Zack screamed before hopping up and running away. He ran down the hall to the elevators. The door was opening and Zack ducked inside. The elevator was full of people.
"Jack! Thank god we found you." Dougie reached down to hug him. Zack pulled away and tried to run out. "It's okay buddy. Daddy's here now." He struggled to hold onto his son.
Hope looked over at the boy and felt herself falling. Bo grabbed her before she could hit her head. "Hope!"
"Princess!" Doug cried out. "Somebody? We need help over here."
Dr. Wesley was walking by and saw all the commotion. "What happened?" He asked surveying the scene.
"I think she fainted." Bo told him.
"Let's get her into an exam room so I can have a look." Dr. Wesley led Bo, who was carrying Hope, over to a room.
"Lay her over there." Bo did as he was told. Hope was just starting to open her eyes. "You gave everyone quite a scare."
"Bo?" Hope sat up looking around. "Where is he?" She asked him.
"Dougie has Jack. What happened? You fainted." Bo was asking her.
"Did you see his face? It's Zack." Hope was frantic. She wanted to go find him and hug him. "Our little boy. I need to see him." She got up and tried to walk, but the room started turning and she fell back again. Bo caught her once again.
"Mind filling me in?" Dr. Wesley asked Bo.
"Our son Zack was killed in a car accident a little over three years ago. This boy Jack is his cousin. He looks like our son." Bo filled him in.
"I see. So the shock of seeing your dead son is what's making her faint." Dr. Wesley examined Hope. "Let her rest for a little while and then she should be okay to go home.""Thanks Doc." Bo turned back to his wife. "Hey Fancy Face. You okay?" Bo asked her.
Hope's eyes were fluttering trying to stay open. "Bo? Our little boy.""No Hope. He's not our son. Our tiny man died." Bo stroked her hair as she started to cry. He wrapped his arms around her hugging her close. "I wish it could be, but there's just no way. Zack isn't coming home."
Dougie walked by the room half dragging Jack, trying to get him back to his room. Zack turned his head to look inside and saw his parents. "MOMMY! DADDY!" He screamed out.
……
Zack broke free of Dougie's grasp. He ran into his mother's room with a huge smile on his face. "DADDY!" He jumped into Bo's lap hugging him fiercely. "I missed you and Mommy so much." He squeezed his arms tightly around Bo's neck. Bo was in shock. "It can't be." He pulled Zack away slightly to look at his face. "Zack?" Bo shook his head in disbelief. "Tiny man." He hugged him close and kissed the top of his head. Tears streamed down his face.
Hope was watching in disbelief. "Zack?" Zack turned at his mother's voice.
"MOMMY!" He jumped out of Bo's arms and into Hope's. "I love you Mommy and I'm never going to leave you again." He wrapped his arms around her neck and squeezed her tight.
Hope couldn't believe her eyes or her ears. Her angel baby was here in her arms. She held him close plying his face with kisses. She couldn't believe he was really here. "How?" She looked at Bo and saw her brother standing behind him with a strange look on his face.
"Someone mind explaining to me why my son is calling the two of you mommy and daddy when he hasn't spoken to me in over three years?" Dougie asked them. "This is my son Jack." He pointed at Zack and went to take him from Hope. Zack grabbed her tighter and cried. "NO! Mommy don't let him take me away again." Zack's eyes filled with tears. "He's not my Daddy." Zack continued to cry into Hope's chest.
Hope tried her best to soothe him. "I don't know how. I don't know." Hope stared at her brother in shock. "I know this is my son. I don't know how this happened or why, but this is my son Zack." She kissed Zack's face wiping away his tears.
"Hope. I think you're confused here. I know my own son. This is my son Jack. Didn't your son die at the hands of your step daughter?" Dougie reached for Zack again.
Bo stood in his way keeping him from getting to Zack. "I don't know what's going on here, but I think you should let him alone. He's obviously distraught right now and Hope is who he wants to be with right now. I think we should all settle down and try to figure this out.""There's nothing to figure out. This is my son, not yours and I'm taking him home!" Dougie was getting angrier by the minute. He tried to get around Bo to get his son from Hope. Bo grabbed Dougie by the shirt fighting him off.
"Listen man, you're not making this any easier on anybody. So why don't you just back off and have a seat. None of this makes sense right now. But I can promise you this, no one is taking anyone anywhere until we know the truth." Bo shoved Dougie away.
"Bo? What's going on in here? Princess?" Doug had just entered the room and quickly surveyed the scene before him. "My God does he look exactly like Zack." Doug's face paled as he watched Zack and Hope share a tender moment. "It can't be. Can it?" Doug walked over to Zack and peered into his face. "My god it is. Zack?"
"Hi Grandpa." Zack looked up at him with a smile. "I missed you and Grandma Julie and Grandma Caroline and my big brother Shawn and Chelsea and…" He went through a list of every family member. "But I missed Mommy and Daddy the most and now I'm home." Zack looked up at his mothers face and gave her a kiss hugging her close once again. "I love you Mommy.""I love you too."Dougie assessed the scene and sat back in horror realizing this wasn't the boy he knew and loved. This wasn't his son. "What the hell happened to my boy? If this is your son, then where the hell is my Jack?"