Chapter 2: The Car
The moment I heard those words, I knew something was wrong.
“Who is this?”
“My name is Officer Daniels with Phoenix Police Department.”
The room started spinning.
“What happened?”
There was a brief pause.
Then he asked another question.
“Can you get to St. Mary's Children's Hospital immediately?”
My knees nearly gave out.
I don't remember leaving work.
I don't remember the drive.
I only remember running through the hospital doors.
A nurse intercepted me before I reached the pediatric unit.
“Your daughter is alive,” she said quickly.
Alive.
Not okay.
Alive.
The distinction terrified me.
When I finally reached Ava's room, she was connected to monitors.
An IV line ran into her tiny arm.
Her cheeks were bright red.
Her lips were cracked.
I turned to the doctor.
“What happened?”
His expression hardened.
“Your daughter was found locked inside a vehicle.”
The words didn't register.
Locked.
Inside.
A vehicle.
“No.”
The doctor nodded.
“A bystander heard crying in a grocery store parking lot. Your daughter had been inside the car for nearly three hours.”
Three hours.
In 115-degree heat.
I couldn't breathe.
“Where were my parents?”
The doctor looked away.
That answer came moments later when police escorted my mother and father into the hospital.
Neither looked upset.
Neither looked worried.
My father actually rolled his eyes.
And what my mother said next nearly broke me.
“She'll be fine. People are overreacting.”
That's when I realized this wasn't an accident.
And it got even worse when witnesses started talking.