Logan

151. Compassion

*Ripley's POV*

May 7, 2002 Tuesday

"Hello, Liutenant Ripley speaking, how can I help you?"

"Tom!" Her voice, it had been three years since the birthday party, almost two years since Robbie died in the accident, it was frantic.

"Betty, what's wrong?"

"It's Natalie," I heard her cry, "I came to pick her up from school and she's not here. We looked everywhere, her teachers and the janitors, we're all looking around."

"Did you call the police?" I asked, wracking my mind.

"They sent an officer and he's here now, I'll call with an update."

Before I could ask any more questions she hung up. I felt the icy chill of panic in my body, I wanted to throw up and hurl a building all at once. I wanted to find her, but where would I look? The one person I wanted to call right now would never answer the phone again, and that was hard for me to face. She could've wandered anywhere. Sidney Lee Elementary was near a creek by a few blocks. I know Natalie couldn't swim, I told Betty she needed lessons and that I would pay for them but she didn't listen.

Minutes felt like hours, what the fuck do I do?

"Hey Rip, do we have any juice?" Adamson came in the office in a hurry, interrupting my thoughts.

I nodded, "Yeah in the fridge, I think."

"Okay, would you mind keeping this kid company while I get it? She showed up out of nowhere and she was crying, she looks kind of banged up."

I shot up out of my chair and took off for the garage, and as we turned the corner there she was. Pink bow displaced to the side of her head, ripped dress, and the pink princess shoes I got her for Christmas.

I breathed a sigh of relief, "Call dispatch and let them know we found the missing child." I got on my knees and put out my hand.

Natalie's little face was beet red, sweaty, and she looked like she'd been crying. I sat her down on the bench and handed her my water bottle and listened to the little gulps as she chugged the water. "Slow down sweetie," I put some of it on my handkerchief and wiped her face. At the sound of my voice her eyes darted up to me, as if she recognized me and she began to cry even harder.

"I want Uncle Robby!" She said, screaming at the top of her lungs, "Mommy said he was at the fire station!" Natalie sobbed, sinking her head into my side, crying against me. Part of his ashes were here, but I knew that couldn't be what she meant to say to Natalie.

"How do I explain this?" I lifted her up and tucked her on my hip, then walked to the display of fallen firefighters. "You see him?" I pointed to his picture.

"Uncle Robby!" Her sniffles and breathing became less erratic, and she pointed to him in the glass. "But he's not here, I want to see him!"

Natalie's hurt completely described my feelings, and it was harder and harder to speak as she cried. "I do too, kiddo." I rubbed her back as she sniffled, her little body shaking, with her head on my shoulder. "One day, we'll see him again. But it will be a very long time for that. But you're lucky, remember that bear you have at home, the one your mommy gave you?"

Her head looked up, "Robbie bear."

I couldn't help but smile, "Yes, Robbie bear, he is made out of one of your uncle's uniforms, the little bow he wears has his last name on it. You have a piece of him with you all the time."

"It's not good enough." She said, quietly, her breathing returning to normal. I stood up, and brought her over to the equipment table. "Listen, we need to have a talk. What happened today was not safe, okay? What did your mommy tell you about when school ends?"