Through The Eyes of a Child

Rated G

A month had passed and Rodelyn was at work again. She was waiting for Evan to show up for his appointment. It was already 3:15 and he'd never been late. She called the house and there was no answer. "They're probably just running late." She tidied up her room and went around the office looking out the front window for a glimpse. At 3:30 she called again and still no answer. At 3:45 she thought about going over there.

"Jackie is it okay if I leave a little early? Evan didn't show up."

Jackie nodded and Rodelyn got her sweater and walked out. She went up to Terry. "I'm going out, if Evan shows up call my cell, I'll have it on, okay." She wrote the number down even though Terry already had her number in the rolodex. "Please don't forget to call me if he shows up."

She hurried up and looked at the address on his file. She hopped in her pathfinder and recalled the directions she'd seen in the phone book. His house was about 10 miles away. Even though she didn't know what route Linda took she scoured the streets looking for her old car. As she drove into Dorchester she looked around and finally in parked in front of an old apartment building, kids playing in the streets and around the steps. She got out and walked past them as a few young men whistled at her.

"Yo mamasita, you hot."

"Whatever." Then she stopped. She saw Linda's car just down the street.

"Do you all know Linda Smith?"

"Yes, what's up with her?"

"Is she here?"

"I dunno, why you want a supply?"

"A what?"

"A supply, you want to buy some dope? We figured."

Rodelyn didn't even hear the rest, she just ran up the stairs to her apartment. The door was open. She went in and looked around at the dirty house. She gasped as she saw a few empty and half-empty glasses of liquid. 'Vodka' the bottle said sitting on the table. She looked disgustedly at the stains on the sofa. Then her eyes fell upon a needle lying on the floor. Carefully she stooped by it and looked at it, there was a rubber band right next to it and a spot of blood on the floor. Drugs, she was shooting. She went through the empty house and found no one. She hurried back out and got into her truck breathing heavily, where was she at, obviously she'd been there. Where was Evan? She drove home, fighting the urge to call the police, what if he was safe, what if it was someone else who was in her house, what if.

That night she willed herself not to think of it. It was just one time that she was late. But what those men said to her gave her the chills. Was Evan's mother selling drugs? Finally unable to take it anymore she called the police.

Ten minutes later she was off the phone frustrated. The police would do nothing. Evan was not missing because he was with his mother and anything those men said was considered hearsay. She didn't know what else to do. As a last resort she called the county hospitals to see if maybe, just maybe he or she would be there. It frustrated her that they would not give out any information until she told them that she was his psychiatrist. She was happy to learn from all hospitals that an Evan or Linda Smith hadn't been brought in within the past few days. She hung up slightly relieved. All she could do was wait.

The next few days wore her out. She went to work constantly hoping for a message from Linda saying she was sorry, she forgot about the appointment, or a call from Evan so she would know where he was. She got neither. Wednesday night as she was about to leave her office phone rang. "I'll let the machine get it" she said to herself as she walked out the door. Her curiosity got the best of her and she turned around and answered it.

"Hello?"

"Hello I'm calling for Rodelyn Estrella?

"This is she" Rodelyn listened intently.

"This is Dr. Cross from the University of Boston. I see that you called our hospital a few days ago looking for information on an Evan Smith?"

"Yes?" Rodelyn sat down preparing for the worst.

"How would you describe him?"

"Well, he's 6 years old, dark hair, brown eyes, about 4'2 or 3 and about 70 pounds, why?"

"Well there was a young boy brought in today, that basically describes him." He is in our intensive care condition, it seems he was in a car accident last night and no one bothered to bring him in until now. No one claims him, no mother, no father, I was talking to one of our nurses and she remembered taking a call from you."

"My God, is he going to be okay?" She put her hand over his mouth.

"It's touch and go in his situation, he's lost a lot of blood and right now he's barely conscious, he's a fighter though. We'll probably have to supply him with blood which will be hard because he is 0 positive and there's not a match anywhere here." Rodelyn thought about it, she was A positive she'd do no good.

"Okay, well I'll be down in a few minutes, I'm his psychologist, as I told you and, WAIT where is his mother."

"Like I said, no one is claiming him, he was dropped off at our emergency and then the person was gone."

10 minutes later she was on the road to the hospital. Without thinking she took out her cell and dialed Jordan's cell numbers. She knew he would be at the hotel or shopping but not performing yet.

"Hello?"

"Jordan, it's me Rodelyn"

Jordan was surprised she was calling him. "Rod, I'm so glad to hear from you, I."

Rodelyn cut him off abruptly. "Jordan listen to me. Evan, he's in the hospital, in critical condition. He was in a car accident." She swerved to avoid her own accident as she sped along the freeway. "Jordan?"

"Wha..." Jordan was in shock on the other end.

"Jordan, Linda is nowhere to be found, someone dropped Evan off and he's been left there alone."

"How, how is he?" Jordan was up and pacing. This wasn't happening, where in the hell was Linda.

"He's lost a lot of blood and he's critical is what the doctor said, I'm on my way over there now."

"So am I." Jordan heard himself say that. How could he, he had an obligation to perform for another month. But Evan was family to him. He was already packing clothes, thinking what he would tell Miguel. Hell he'd just tell him he was leaving. Miguel could handle everything else. "Rodelyn, I'm going to catch a flight home and get to the hospital. Please make sure he's alright." Jordan was almost in tears as Rodelyn gave him the hospital information. He hung up and dialed the airport getting the first flight out in the next hour. After some yelling Miguel watched Jordan walk out into the hotel and into a cab. He knew he couldn't stop him from going home but he didn't want to face the job he'd have to do for the next few days. He hurried and got on the phone.

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