Mr. Holt

Sebastian

I'm lying in my hospital bed, recovering from delivery with Sebastian in my arms, and the nurse walks.

"Sorry to disturb you, but I need to take him for some tests."

"Tests? What kind of tests?" I ask.

"Some things his doctor ordered. He won't be gone long."

"Oh," I say and look down at the sleeping baby in my arms. 

"He'll be back to you soon," she says, reaching for him. There's something about her, the way she is so urgent to take him from my arms, the way she didn't scan his ankleband or anything, but it's also how familiar she looks and not because I've seen her a few times here in the hospital, but because I know I've seen her face before.

She scoops him up and out of my arms, and walks out of the room before I can protest anymore.

 Alexander walks in with food from the hospital kitchen only moments later.

"Hey," he says, sipping his drink. "I thought you'd be asleep."

"I was, but Sebastian started crying," I say and scoot my body to sit up.

"Here," Alexander says, setting his box of food down. "Let me help you." He reaches across and takes my arms, lifting me to sit up. "Where is he?"

"The nurses took him to the nursery for some tests."

"What kind of tests?"

"I'm not sure. They didn't say," I say as Alexander opens his food and takes a bite from his burger.

"I'm so hungry," I say.

"Have some of mine," he says, handing me the box of his fries. 

"Thanks," I say. "How's it feel?"

"How's what feel?"

I glance over at him. "You're a daddy now. How does it feel?"

"I'm the happiest man alive," he says.

"Is that the truth?" I ask, biting a fry.

"The only thing that would make me happier is if you would be my wife, but I'm tired of begging you."

I glance at the clock again and say, "I wonder how long Sebastian will be gone."

Alexander can tell I want my baby back and he says, "I'll go ask," and he walks out to the nurses' station.

I hear him arguing with someone out there and I stand from the hospital bed and walk to the door to see him yelling at the head nurse and the doctors.

"How can you let something like this happen?! I will own this hospital before this is done. Find my baby!"

"Alexander? What is it?" I say, my eyes bouncing around to all of them.

"Don't worry, sir. We will locate him straight away," the security officer says.

Alexander walks over to me and says, "Come back inside the room."

"Lex..."

He grabs my arm, pulling me back inside the room.

"Lex..."

"Alexander, tell me what's wrong!"

"That wasn't a nurse," he says.

"What do you mean?"

"The woman who came in here claiming to take Sebastian for tests wasn't a nurse."

"Where is he then?" I say, my heart pounding out of control.

"They don't know," he says, wrapping his arms around me as I let out a shriek and begin to sob vehemently. 

"My baby!" I wail and fall to my knees. 

"We're gonna find him. The hospital put out a CODE PINK. I swear we will find him," he says, holding me steady in his arms as I cry. I sob for several minutes until Alexander takes me back to the bed and leans me against him. We sit there like that as I sob and Alexander strokes my hair until a woman from the hospital comes in.

"Mr. and Mrs. Holt?"

I sit up and wipe my eyes. Alexander doesn't correct her and tell her we aren't married. At this point, we feel married, so neither do I. 

"My name is Lawanda Smith. I'm the hospital's Social Worker. I'm here to coordinate your care and keep you up to date on what's happening with your missing infant son."

When she says that, my tears turn to sobs again, and my head collapses onto Alexander.

"I'm sorry about this distressing situation and I want you to know that we are doing everything in our power to locate your baby. We are reviewing the cameras right now."

"And what if you don't find my baby?!" I snap. "What then?!"

"I can assure you we are doing everything in our power to locate your baby, Ma'am."

"Please leave," I say to her, and relax my head against Alexander once more.

The woman walks out and Alexander kisses my forehead. "Don't worry. We will find him."

"What if we don't? Why would someone want to hurt him?"

Alexander wraps his arms around me and says, "I don't know."