Return to Silver Creek: Taylor's Chance

Taylor was a no-show at work the following day. Without seeking approval, April made a beeline for the town’s only day care center. Bethany, Tucker’s sister, worked there part-time and was there with her daughter Cara, which was a stroke of luck.

“Hey, Bethy, is Logan Harris around?” April inquired, flashing a smile at her friend.

Bethany’s face crinkled into a frown. “No, he wasn’t brought in today. I’m a bit concerned. His mom seemed really sick last night.”

“I know.” April let out a sigh. “She didn’t come to the store today.”

“Oh, right, I forgot she’s been working there. You should reach out to Noah and Ghost,” Bethany proposed. “They might be able to help find her.”

“I’ll swing by her apartment first,” April responded, her voice lacking any real hope.

“All right, just keep me posted, okay?” Bethany asked, her eyebrows knitting together in worry.

“Absolutely,” April assured her, wrapping her in an awkward hug. “I’ll touch base with you soon.”

Five minutes later, April pulled into the apartment complex’s parking lot. A wave of relief washed over her when she spotted Taylor’s car tucked away in a corner. However, her relief was short-lived as she parked next to it.

A small red-haired boy was peering out from the back window. He looked terrified, his face red and blotchy from crying. His blue eyes were bloodshot, and his tiny pink lips were trembling.

April sprang out of her car and tried to open the door, but it was locked. She could see Taylor in the front seat, her face flushed and sweaty, clearly unconscious.

“Taylor!” April cried out, pounding on the window.

To her relief, Taylor stirred but didn’t open her eyes. In the back seat, the little boy started crying and seemed to be struggling to breathe. He began trying to rouse his mother as well.

April knew she had to keep her cool. She was aware that this could be a matter of life or death. She pulled out her phone and dialed the only Davis brother who lived nearby and would be available.

“Hello?” he answered, the sound of his truck loud and clear in the background.

April knew he would have just dropped off Ava at preschool. Clutching her stomach, she fought back a wave of nausea brought on by fear. He had to be close, and he had to be willing to help.

“Chance, I need you right now!” Her voice was laced with the panic she was trying to suppress.

“Where are you?” His voice turned serious but remained calm.

A few minutes later, Chance’s truck pulled up next to where April was trying to soothe Logan through a cracked window. April was no expert, but the boy seemed to be gasping for breath in a way that heightened her panic. He was wheezing and looked terrified.

“It’s okay, Logan. We’re friends. We just want to help,” April reassured him.

Chance leaned over her shoulder. “Stay right where you are, okay? And cover your ears.”

The child did as directed, and Chance rushed to the passenger side. Using a small tool, he shattered the window before covering his hand and reaching in to unlock the doors. April opened the back door, scooping the boy out and away from any glass.

“You’re not supposed to be carrying him,” Chance chided, rushing back up to her.

He muttered a curse under his breath upon seeing the state the child was in. Logan’s lips were turning blue as he gasped for breath. His wide eyes were filled with panic and a loud wheezing sound filled the air with every breath he managed. Without a second thought, Chance reached out, taking the boy from April.

“In the back of my truck, there’s a medical kit with a portable nebulizer. I need you to grab that,” he instructed as calmly as he could.

April nodded and rushed to retrieve the machine while Chance placed Logan in the backseat of April’s car. Chance knew he needed to check on the child’s mother as well, but for now, he focused on the child. The boy’s blue eyes were wide with fear, and Chance’s heart lurched. He couldn’t be more than four years old, even younger than Avrily.

“You’re going to be okay, partner. Listen to me. I need you to try to breathe with me. Okay?” Chance breathed deeply and evenly as the boy nodded.

With a trembling hand, the child started to reach out, as if to touch Chance’s chest. Chance recognized the gesture immediately. Gently, he placed the boy’s hand on his chest and exaggerated each breath. The boy tried to catch his breath, but Chance knew he was only buying seconds. He needed that machine, now.

“Here,” April rushed back, handing him the device.

“Okay bud. Do you know what this is?” Chance asked and the boy nodded again, dropping his hand. “Good boy. We are going to put the mask on your face to give you some special medicine. Okay?”

The boy frowned, looking nervously at the mask. It took some persuasion and patience, but Chance managed to get the mask on. The boy trembled, looking back and forth between the two strangers as a single tear rolled down his cheek. Chance wanted so badly to stay and reassure him, but instead he turned to April.

“I have to check on his mother. It’s all set up. Just hold this over his nose and mouth. Talk calmly to him while you do.” Chance handed the job off to her before rushing back to the car.

“Ma’am?” he asked when he opened the door.

The woman’s hazel eyes opened for a second before drifting shut. He had never met her before, but he recognized her. He had seen her around the store as well as around town. He should have recognized the little boy immediately, but if he were honest, he had always been too distracted by her.

“Her name is Taylor,” April said from behind him.

Taylor’s face was flushed, and she was sweating but shivering as well. She moaned weakly as he slid his arm under her legs and picked her up. She was dangerously hot. Her thick red hair was wet with sweat. Her head rested against his shoulder as she fought to escape the cold.

“We have to get her fever down, now,” Chance said. “Which apartment is hers?”

“She got evicted. I think they have been living in the car,” April admitted with a deep frown. “We’ll take them to Tucker’s and my place. He won’t mind.”

Chance nodded, ignoring the pain in his chest, knowing that this woman had been in such desperate straits so close to his place. He shut the door to his truck and climbed into the back of April’s SUV with Taylor still secure in his arms.