The hospital had become a steady stream of the dead or dying, the wounded, and the lost. A dozen or more children had been brought in, covered in mud but otherwise without a scratch. From what I could tell, they’d been separated from their parents. Twice that number of parents had arrived, looking for their missing children.
The waiting room had been turned into a triage of sorts, and I ended up standing against the wall, unsure of what I was waiting for. A very round woman sat a few feet away, hugging four young children, all their faces smudged with dirt and tears. The woman wore a bright green shirt that said Kids First Daycare in childlike font. I shivered, knowing the children she was holding were only a precious few of those who’d been in her care.
My feet began to trudge toward the door, but a hand cupped my shoulder. For half a second, relief and overwhelming joy washed over me like a tidal wave. My eyes filled with tears before I even turned around. Even though Reyes was a welcome sight, the disappointment of him not being Shepley sent me over the edge.
I choked on a sob as my knees buckled, and Reyes helped me to the ground.
“Whoa!” he said. “Whoa, lady. Take it easy.” His thick arms were as big as my head, and he had a permanent deep wrinkle between his brows. It was even deeper now as he watched my state of mind spiral.
“I thought you were him,” I said once I had recuperated, if it were possible after being that devastated—again.
“Shepley?” he asked.
“Did you find him?”
Reyes hesitated, but then he shook his head. “Not yet. But I’ve found you twice, so I can find him once.”
I wasn’t sure if I could feel more hopeless. Emporia had been hit hard. An entire wall of the hospital had been ripped away, insulation and glass littering the ground. Cars in the parking lot were stacked on top of one another. One was sitting in the branches of a tree. Thousands of people were without power and running water, and they were the lucky ones. Hundreds were without homes, and dozens were missing.
Amid the devastation, I couldn’t fathom where to begin to look for Shepley. I was on foot and had no supplies. He was out there somewhere, and he was waiting for me. I had to find him.
I stood up. Reyes helped.
“Take it slow,” he said. “I’ll try to find you a quiet place to wait for him.”
“I’ve been waiting for an hour. The only reason he wouldn’t have come to the car or here to find me is …” I swallowed the pain, refusing to cry again. “What if he’s hurt?”
“Ma’am”—he stepped into my path—“I can’t let you—”
“America.”
“Pardon?”
“My name. It’s America. I know you’re busy. I’m not asking for your help, but I am asking you to step out of my way.”
He frowned. “You just got your arm sewed up, and you’re going to hike out of town? It’s going to be dark in a few hours.”
“I’m a big girl.”
“Not very smart though.”
I craned my neck at him. “Here’s your blanket.”
“Keep it,” he said.
I sidestepped, but he countered.
“Get out of my way, Reyes.”
I tried to step around him, but he blocked me again, sighing.
“I’m getting ready to go back out on patrol. Give me five minutes, and you can ride along.”
I looked at him in disbelief. “I can’t ride along! I have to find Shepley!”
“I know,” he said, looking around and gesturing for me to keep my voice down. “I’m going out that way. We’ll both keep an eye out for him.”
It took me a moment to reply. “Really?”
“But at dark …”
“I understand,” I said, nodding. “You can bring me back here.”
“I’ll ask around. There will be a Red Cross shelter. Maybe FEMA will be set up by then. You can’t spend the night here. You’ll never be able to sleep.”
I couldn’t smile, but I wanted to. “Thank you.”
He fidgeted, uncomfortable with the appreciation. “Yeah. Cruiser’s out this way,” he said, gesturing to the parking lot.