Chapter 6

Back to the labs

My heart missed a beat, and I smiled back insecure. Insecure about what the future might bring and about what would happen when we reached the labs. Cath told me to wait until she was back. And so I did. I watched her as she parked her car on the driveway of the Reese’s residence. She got out of the car again, with her kit and asked for my keys. She walked back to my SUV and started the engine. She drove the car back until the car and the ambulance blocked the view for the photographers. Nevertheless they where still trying to take pictures. Ryan was still sleeping in my arms, not aware of his surrounding.

Cath opened the back door for me and I stepped into the car with Ryan sitting on my lap. Cath was still smiling, she found it all pretty amusing; seeing me dragging around with a kid. Alyson walked around the car and opened the front door.

The drive back to the labs was silent. Nobody had anything to say and besides we didn’t want to wake Ryan up. By the time that we reached the labs my arm was asleep. When Cath parked the car and stepped out, she took Ryan from me. I got out of the car and picked our kits up. We entered the building and walked into the break room. Cath placed Ryan on the sofa, and asked Alyson whether she would like to have a coffee. A little while later I was discussing with Alyson what would happen to Ryan.

“Well first we try to locate his closest relatives of course and asked whether they are interested in taking him in. if they all decline we search for a foster home for him, a foster home decides if he can stay with them forever or only temporarily.” I nodded.

“Let’s just hope that he has a family member that’ll take him in.”

Suddenly the door of the break room slams open and a young woman walks in. She walks straight over to Ryan and picks him up. Cath and I are so astonished that we don’t know what to do. Alyson jumps over to the woman and stops her. Ryan looks scared; he has no idea what is happening.