Oh Ms Believer

92. Tyler

"Mr. Joseph?" The voice on the other end asked as I picked up my phone.

"Speaking," I said. I hadn't checked the call display because I'd been distracted by the three year old and the nearly one year old at my feet.

"This is Miss Brien.  The secretary at South Columbus High School."

"Yes? What can I do for you?"

"Is Samantha at home?" She asked.

I sat up straight. Jenna, Sarah and Brendon, noticing my sudden movement, turned their attention to me.

"No. She's at school today. At least, she's supposed to be at school today. Why?"

"She was absent for fourth period," the secretary said.

"What do you mean?  She went to school, didn't she?"

Jenna nodded. She whispered to me that Sam had insisted on walking.

"She was present for her first and second period classes. She has third period lunch but she hasn't  attended her fourth period class. We thought maybe she's gone home."

"She isn't here. Wait, what do you mean she didn't attend her class? If she's at school, then she should be in the class. Maybe the teacher missed her? Maybe she was late for some reason? Could you double check with the teacher?"

"Sure. Do you want to wait on the line while I page into the classroom?"

Did I want to stay on the line? Of course I did!

"Yes," I said, keeping the choice words at the tip of my tongue from falling out of my mouth.

"Okay, just give me one second," she said.

I listened as she called into the classroom and asked the teacher if Sam had been late or just missed during roll call.  The teacher confirmed she had not shown up to class. I tried to remember what class she had on Mondays after lunch. It was either English or History. Did she have anyone we knew in those classes? Jill, Cameron or Mason? 

Jenna was furiously texting and calling, presumably, Samantha's phone.

"She's not answering Tyler," she said.

"Check the app," I said. We'd downloaded an app that would give us an idea where Samantha was when she wasn't home. Not because we don't trust her, but because things happen and if we get separated, or when I'm away, we can check it. I use it when I'm away to make sure I'm not calling her while she's in school and the time difference is a factor.

"She's in the park," Jenna said. Just then an alarm blared from both our phones. It was Sam's CGM.

"Tyler, her blood sugar is really low.  We have to find her," Jenna said.

I told the secretary we'd handle it from here and ran to get my jacket and boots.

"Tyler, let me go," Jenna said. "Sarah and I will go."

"But..." I said.

"She doesn't trust you. She doesn't trust men. It's not you specifically, but you're male. Let us go. I'll call you if we need help."

I sighed and sat back down in the living room. Jenna was right. Samantha couldn't even be in the same room as me.

Jenna and Sarah left and I stared into the void.

"They'll find her," Brendon said, trying to keep me calm.

"Her sugar is low. She could be unconscious somewhere," I said. And realizing that, called Jenna.

"Call the police if she isn't at the park for whatever reason. If her sugar is that low, she could be in trouble."

"I know," Jenna said. "It's still dropping."

"Find her Jen. Find our daughter. Please."

"We will. We'll find her, Tyler."

Jenna hung up so she could keep calling Sam's phone.

"Sammy sleeping, Daddy?" Rosie asked.

"I don't know, Rosie. Why would she be sleeping?"

"Is nap time!" Rosie said. I looked down at her and Junie. It was Junie's nap time.

"That's a good point. Junie, it's your nap time. Let's get you changed and into bed, hey?"

I scooped my daughter up, raspberried her tummy and carried her up to her room. She babbled at me the whole way up.

Once she was changed and in bed, I went back downstairs.

Jenna hadn't called yet. I didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. The alarm on Sam's CGM kept going off and I was getting very nervous. She wasn't answering her phone. She wasn't answering texts. Her phone hadn't moved since I checked the app in the first place.

Brendon saw the worry on my face. Probably my face mirrors his. He was pacing and texting.

"She's not answering," he said. "Tyler, she's not answering."

"I know. I know," I said. I was trying to stay calm. I didn't want to freak out and I didn't want Rosie upset.

My phone rang. It was Jenna.

"Tyler," she said. She was crying.

"What happened?! Where's Sam?" I asked, now more frantic.

"We called an ambulance. Tyler's she's not responsive. She's in that little concrete tunnel Rosie likes to crawl through. She's not wearing her coat and she's not answering me. I've tried shaking here yelling her names pinching her. Tyler, there's something wrong."

"Her blood sugar is low. Like unreadable."

"She doesn't have her backpack. I don't have glucagon on me."

Shit. Sam carried a glucagon kit on her in her school bag in case she went low. Jenna usually had one in her purse, but she hadn't taken her purse as far as I could tell.

"Tyler? I'm scared," Jenna said. "She doesn't look good."

"I know, babe. I know. I know you're scared. We'll get her through this."

"Tyler, the ambulance is here."

"Okay. Call me as soon as you know anything."

"Okay. I love you."

"I love you, too. We'll get through this. We will."

I hung up with Jenna and opened my contacts. I pressed on the one I needed.

"Hello?" The voice on the other end of the line said. It was a voice that always soothed me when I needed it.

"Hey, Doc. It's Tyler."