Chapter 17 - Coffee at Four in the Morning
The hospital cafeteria opened twenty-four hours a day, though few people visited before sunrise.
Adrian returned carrying four cups of coffee.
One for himself.
One for Harrow.
One for Elena.
One for the mother of the injured boy.
The woman hesitated.
"I don't know you."
"You don't need to."
She accepted the warm cup with trembling hands.
"My name is Claire."
"Adrian."
She stared at the floor.
"My son is Ethan."
"He'll have every chance."
Claire gave a tired smile.
"They told me your little girl is very sick too."
Adrian glanced toward Elena.
"She isn't my daughter."
Claire looked confused.
"No."
He smiled faintly.
"But somehow..."
He searched for the right words.
"...she reminds me why I became the man I used to be."
Nearby, Elena quietly stirred her untouched coffee.
She hadn't eaten since boarding the plane.
The flight attendant from the aircraft suddenly appeared in the cafeteria doorway.
Everyone looked surprised.
"I thought your crew left."
She smiled.
"We were delayed."
The attendant placed a paper bag on the table.
"Some passengers asked us to bring these."
Inside were sandwiches.
Fruit.
Children's coloring books.
Tiny socks.
A knitted blanket.
Dozens of handwritten notes.
One read:
Tell Lucia we are all waiting to hear her laugh again.
Another simply said:
You are not alone.
Elena couldn't hold back her tears.
"All these..."
"The passengers collected them before leaving the airport."
The attendant smiled.
"One gentleman even refused to leave until he knew where the ambulance had taken you."
Adrian quietly looked through the notes.
None contained expensive promises.
None offered impossible solutions.
Just simple kindness.
Somehow...
It felt more valuable than money.
The attendant reached into her pocket once more.
"Oh."
"I almost forgot."
She handed Adrian a folded boarding pass.
Someone had written on the back.
Thank you for reminding all of us what compassion looks like.
No signature.
May you like
He folded it carefully and slipped it beside Sophie's letter.
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