Superstitions

Chapter 19 - Finding the truth

"Wait—do you mean Mia was still alive?"

"Yes, she was very sick, but she was brought to the hospital where she received the care she needed."

"Do you know what happened to her after that?"

"I know a nurse at the hospital was really moved by the little girl's story. I think she adopted her."

"Do you remember her name?"

"You have too much faith in the memory of an old lady," she replied, sounding amused but then pausing. "Why so many questions?"

"Ava is sick. This is serious. She needs to know the truth to move forward."

The old lady strained to recall the details, her mind working hard, but after a moment, she came up with the name: Gloria Davis. She also remembered the name of the hospital where the nurse had worked back then, but that was all she could provide. She had lost all contact with Mia and assumed she must have changed her name after everything that happened.

Connor thanked her sincerely, making sure she knew how much her help meant to him.

He needed to reach that woman; she was the only one who could bring him to Mia. He had already contacted several hospitals, but no one had been willing to provide any answers. He needed a new approach. Then it hit him—he remembered a guy from university who was great with computers. The guy had used drugs to boost his capabilities, but after a near-overdose, Connor had saved him. Since then, the guy had turned his life around, becoming a white-hat hacker under the name Kaos42.

It was still the middle of the night, but if his friend hadn't changed, that wouldn't be a problem. This guy fit every stereotype of a hacker.

"Hey, life-saver, how's it going? Aren't doctors supposed to have good life hygiene and proper sleep if they're gonna save lives?"

"You should try it, man. I already saved your life once; I don't want to do it again."

"You know I'm insomniac."

"I know you drink too much caffeine to stay up all night."

"Meh. So, why are you calling me in the middle of the night?"

"I need a favor."

Connor explained the situation with Ava and asked him to find the nurse's phone number. The guy hesitated—he wasn't supposed to be doing anything illegal, as he'd committed to the law—but he couldn't refuse Connor, who had saved his life. He couldn't promise anything, but he said he'd try.

Connor spent the rest of the night pacing outside Ava's room, constantly checking his phone. Around 5 AM, he finally got a message. It contained only a phone number with two emojis: one of a genius and another winking. He dialed the number, but before pressing the call button, he felt a wave of vertigo. He was so close to the truth, and the pressure was overwhelming. He needed to get the words right. This couldn't fail—it was too important for Ava. Finally, he found the courage and pressed the button. The phone rang, stretching on for what felt like an eternity.

"Hello?" a woman answered, Connor immediately understood with her voice that he woke her up.

"Sorry to wake you, ma'am. I'm Dr. Connor Rhodes, a cardiothoracic surgeon from Chicago Med. Are you Gloria Davis?"

"Yes, I am. Why? Is this about Mia? Is she okay?"

"It is about Mia, but not in the way you think."

"You scared me! Who did you say you are again?"

"I'm sorry, ma'am. I didn't mean to frighten you. I need to contact Mia."

Before Connor could finish, the woman cut him off.

"Are you a friend of Travis? I'm not giving you any information about my daughter."

"No, please don't hang up. I don't know who Travis is. My partner's name is Ava Bekker. She's sick, and it's serious. She was Mia's best friend when they were young. She's lived her whole life believing Mia died because of her."

The woman on the other end went silent, clearly surprised. Mia had never mentioned Ava to anyone.

"I'm sorry, but I don't have contact with Mia anymore. She had to move to the U.S. six years ago to escape Travis, her husband. He was abusive—violent with both her and their son, Jake. To keep her safe, she never told us where she went, and we haven't heard from her since. All I can tell you is that she had an aunt in Illinois."

"Thank you so much, ma'am."

"Please, if you find her, let her know we love her."

"I promise."

Mia was alive and living somewhere in Illinois. It was a major step forward, but Connor still had a long way to go before finding her. He briefly considered asking Kaos to help track her down, but he knew it would be too risky. He couldn't ask him for something like that—not again. However, there was someone else he could turn to.

Returning to Ava's room to grab his coat, he was surprised to see her awake.

"Are you okay? You look like you didn't sleep at all," Ava said, concern evident in her voice.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Connor replied with a reassuring smile, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "I need to step out for a bit. I'll be back soon. Love you," he said, kissing her gently before leaving in a hurry.

Once outside the hospital, he pulled out his phone and dialed a familiar number.

"Hey, Jay. Sorry to call so early, but I need a favor. Can we meet?"