Chapter 69

sixty-nine

PAUL

Jonathon and I rushed into the medical clinic. Detective O'Halloran was waiting for us in the reception area. "Amy's in a room at the end of the corridor. I'll take you there."

We followed him into a large open-plan area where four staff were working. Amy was sitting in a bed in the middle of the room. Her face was pale, and her hands shook as she drank from a cup.

As soon as she saw me, tears filled her eyes. "I'm sorry, Uncle Paul. I wanted to see Liam, but I took the wrong bus."

I had no idea what she was talking about. But there would be plenty of time later to find out why she was looking for Liam. I stroked Amy's blonde hair and kissed the side of her face. "I was worried about you. We all were. How are you feeling?"

"I was really cold, but the bus driver gave me a blanket and made me feel better."

A doctor stood beside Amy. "I'm Ian Jacobson, Amy's doctor for today. You must be Paul."

I nodded and tried not to cry .

"Amy will be okay. She has mild hypothermia, but no other injuries. When she arrived at the clinic, we wrapped her in heated blankets and have been giving her warm drinks. She should be okay to go home in three or four hours."

I wiped my eyes. "Thank you."

"It could have been a lot worse. Amy wanted to go to the airport, but she ended up on one of the city loop buses. She was asleep on the bus for an hour before the driver realized she was there. If she'd tried to walk to the airport, we'd be looking at a completely different outcome."

My eyes widened. "How did you get on the bus without a ticket?" I asked Amy.

"I waited at the bus stop with a big group of people. When they got on the bus, I did too."

The doctor adjusted the blankets around Amy's shoulders. "Amy must have walked for at least half an hour before she boarded the bus. Given the weather conditions, her jacket, hat, and mittens probably saved her life."

"Uncle Paul bought my jacket off the computer," Amy told the doctor. "They had lots of colors, but I wanted the pink one."

The doctor smiled at Amy. "I'm glad you were wearing it outside. It kept you nice and warm."

Amy's mouth trembled. "I was cold when I got on the bus. I fell asleep and didn't go to the airport."

I wrapped my arms around Amy. "We'll go to the airport another time. Liam's on his way here."

Amy stilled. "Is he angry I left school?"

"I haven't told him yet, but he won't be angry. He'll be happy you're safe and warm."

"Is he staying with us? "

"He'll stay for a little bit, but he needs to go back to work."

Amy dropped her chin to her chest. "I'll tell Liam I'm sorry."

"That would be a good idea." I turned to the doctor. "Can I use my cell phone in this room?"

"Sure. I need to check on other patients but, if you need me, talk to one of the nurses. They'll move Amy into a different room soon."

"Thank you for everything you've done."

"You're welcome. If I don't see you beforehand, I'll be back in three hours. If Amy's body temperature is where we need it to be, we'll discharge her, and she can go home."

I held Amy's hand. That was the best news I'd had all day.