Free The Rescue by Nicholas Sparks Page A

Judy.
    Judy had surprised the nurse on duty by walking up to the station in the middle of the night to request a wheelchair for Denise Holton. "What are you doing here? Don't you know what time it is? Visiting hours are over. . . ." But Judy simply ignored the questions and repeated her request. A little cajoling was necessary-though not much. "They found her son and they're bringing him here. She wants to meet him when he arrives."
    The nurse went ahead and granted the request.
    The ambulance rolled up a few minutes earlier than predicted, and the back door swung open. Kyle was wheeled in as Denise struggled to her feet. Once inside the doors, both the doctor and the nurses stepped back so that Kyle could see his mother.
    In the ambulance he'd been stripped down, then wrapped in warm blankets to get his body temperature back up. Though his temperature had dropped a couple of degrees over the last few hours, he hadn't been at real risk of hypothermia, and the blankets had done their job. Kyle's face was pink and he was moving easily-in every respect he looked far better than his mother did.
    Denise reached the gurney, bending closer so that Kyle could see her, and Kyle sat up immediately. He climbed into her embrace and they held each other tightly.
    "Hello, Mommy," he finally said. (Hewwo, Money)
    Denise laughed, as did the doctor and nurses.
    "Hi, sweetie," she said, whispering into his ear, her eyes tightly closed. "Are you okay?"
    Kyle didn't answer, though this time Denise couldn't have cared less.
    Denise accompanied Kyle, holding his hand as the gurney was rolled to the exam room. Judy hung back throughout all this, watching them go, not wanting to interrupt. As they disappeared from view, she sighed, suddenly realizing how tired she was. She hadn't been up this late in years. It had been worth it, though-there was nothing quite like riding an emotional roller coaster to really get the old ticker pumping. A few more nights like this and she'd be in shape for a marathon.
    She walked out of the emergency room just as the ambulance pulled away and began to search through her pocketbook for her keys. Looking up, she spied Taylor talking to Carl Huddle near his patrol car and breathed a sigh of relief. Taylor saw her at the same time, sure at first that his eyes were playing tricks. He eyed her curiously as he started toward her.
    "Mom, what are you doing here?" he asked incredulously.
    "I just spent the evening with Denise Holton-you know, the child's mother? I thought she might need some support."
    "And you just decided to come down? Without even knowing her?"
    They hugged each other. "Of course."
    Taylor felt a surge of pride in that. His mother was a hell of a lady. Judy finally pulled back, giving him the once-over.
    "You look terrible, son."
    Taylor laughed. "Thanks for the vote of confidence. I actually feel pretty good, though."
    "I'll bet you do. And you should. You did something wonderful tonight."
    He smiled briefly before turning serious again. "So how was she?" he asked. "Before we found him, I mean."
    Judy shrugged. "Upset, lost, terrified . . . pick your adjective. She's been through pretty much everything tonight."
    He looked at her slyly. "I heard you gave Joe a piece of your mind."
    "And I'd do it again. What were you guys thinking?"
    Taylor raised his hands in defense. "Hey, don't blame me. I'm not the boss, and besides, he was as worried as we were. Trust me."
    She reached up, brushing the hair from Taylor's eyes. "I'll bet you're pretty worn out."
    "A little. Nothing that a few hours' sleep can't fix. Can I walk you to your car?"
    Judy looped her arm through Taylor's and they started toward the parking lot. After a few steps she glanced at him.
    "You're such a nice young man. How come you're not married yet?"
    "I'm worried about the in-laws."
    "Huh?"
    "Not my in-laws, Mom. My wife's."
    Judy playfully pulled her arm away. "I take back everything I just said."
    Taylor chuckled to himself as he reached for