Love beyond the mask ( Whitney )

Whitney furrowed her brow, uncertain if they had actually gone there.

After all, the neighborhood was vast, and their car was parked out of sight. They could very well be off doing something else entirely.

She decided to check out the children's hospital information and stumbled upon an interesting coincidence.

This hospital, much to her surprise, was under the Nelson Group, known across Harmonia Country as the top-notch children's specialty hospital, dealing with complex cases.

A sudden jolt ran through her, her dark eyes fixated on the phrase "complex cases." If this was Shane's family's hospital, then Sammy and his friend could very well be there, especially since Shane was someone all the kids knew.

Whitney's face turned a shade paler as she pondered on the idea of "complex cases." Her two sons were perfectly healthy, and as a holistic health practitioner, she would often check their pulses, just in case.

But if they were at the children's hospital, it surely had something to do with an illness! Her mind was racing with worry. Could her son be sick and hiding it from her?

Shaking her head, she dismissed the thought as impossible.

Instead of making wild guesses, she decided to take action. She walked over to the security booth at the hospital entrance and tapped on the window.

Two security guards inside looked over at her.

With a hopeful heart, Whitney took out her phone, showing them a picture of her son, "Excuse me, I got separated from my kids. They were playing around while I was registering, and they just disappeared. Have you seen these two? They're around four years old, clean-cut, and pretty smart."

The older guard put on his reading glasses and took her phone. He shook his head, "No, haven't seen 'em."

He handed the phone to the younger guard next to him.

Whitney's hope was dwindling when the younger guard spoke up, "Oh! Those two are your kids?" Whitney's eyes widened, "Yes! Did you see them?"

"Yeah, but not here. I was at the back of the hospital earlier and saw two little boys about their size. They came out of the neurology building, holding hands, running like the wind, and caught a cab at the back gate. I thought it was odd, no adults with them."

Whitney's mind was buzzing, and she nodded vaguely, her brow knitting tightly as she asked, "Did you see what kind of car it was? Do you remember the license plate?"

The guard chuckled, "It was a black car, a private one, but who remembers license plates?"

Whitney pressed further, "Which direction did they go? Do you remember?"

"Down the back street, to the right. Probably headed towards Unity Road. You better hurry and find them; you wouldn't want to lose your kids."

Whitney quickly nodded and headed towards the hospital's back entrance.

Rushing down the street, she opened her map and confirmed that Unity Road was indeed a possibility.

The children's hospital was just a couple of turns away on Unity Road...

Her thoughts finally settled. She flagged down a cab and told the driver to take her to the children's hospital.

Once there, she decided to take a gamble.

Just in case, she bought a mask and a hat from a store at the entrance, disguising herself before heading inside the hospital.

To avoid drawing attention, Whitney didn't ask anything at the front desk.

This was Shane's hospital, and given Shane's connection with Ludwik, if her sons were here, Shane would likely know.

She needed to find out something without Shane noticing her.

Standing by the information wall, she scanned the electronic screen for department listings, unsure of where to start looking for them.

She realized she'd have to search floor by floor, building by building.

Starting with the surgery department, Whitney walked through the corridors, her eyes scanning for any sign of her two little ones.

Occasionally, she'd show a cleaner her phone and ask if they'd seen them.

As hours ticked by, her task felt like searching for a needle in a haystack.

But the nagging worry that her children might be secretly seeking medical help kept her going. It would explain why Sammy had kept this from her, even bringing Ludwik into the secret.

She hoped it wasn't the case.

It was around 2 PM when she finally got a lead from a janitor.

"Oh, those two kids? I remember them; they took the elevator up."

The janitor pointed to the elevator outside the hallway.

Whitney noticed it was the critical care section as she entered the building.

Her mind went blank, "Are you sure you weren't mistaken?"

"No mistake. The critical care area has strict visitation rules, so when kids come in, I take notice. A nurse even asked them, but they said they knew the director and went up using a code."

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Could it really be them? Why would they be in the critical care unit?

Whitney's fingers twisted together anxiously, her gaze drifting to the elevator. It needed a passcode to access, clearly restricted.

Her eyes lit up with an idea, and she pulled out some cash from her bag, pressing it into the janitor's hand.

The janitor looked surprised but listened as the pretty woman said, "You can go in to clean, right? Could you swipe me in? Please, I'm desperately looking for my kids."

"But..."

"I'll give you more money," Whitney added several more bills.

The janitor hesitated but eventually nodded, gesturing for her to follow.

On the elevator ride to the third floor, the janitor whispered, "I don't know which floor your kids went to,

from here, the stairway is op ect. 4

can search each floor."

Whitney thanked her and slipped out.

Looking up, she saw the third-floor sign read: Neonatal Unit!

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Her focus sharpened. It couldn't possibly be here; if they needed help, they'd be in pediatrics.

Still, to rule it out, Whitney went down the corridor, checking each room.

Strangely, the floor seemed unoccupied.

Just as she assumed no one was admitted on this floor, she reached the end of the hall.

That section was large and separated from the rest, the door marked: Intensive Care Unit, Do Not Enter.

A nurse's station was nearby, with a nurse moving about.

Indicating there were indeed patients in there.

Whitney considered, then decided to check it out.

She waited for the nurse to turn her back and quickly slipped through the door.

Inside, the lights were bright, and the hallway walls were painted a welcoming pink, decorated with cute, comforting designs.

As Whitney glanced around, she realized she was in what looked like a nursery for baby girls.

Her gaze darted nervously, and

suddenly, a wave of unease washed over her. Her chest felt tight, as if the air had thickened, and her heart began to race uncontrollably, thumping loudly in her ears. She couldn't quite put her finger on why she felt this way.

A strange sense of discomfort tugged at her heart, leaving her flustered and filled with a restless anxiety.

She pressed her lips together, instinctively wanting to turn around and leave.

Her child couldn't possibly be here...

But then-

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed something.

Through the large glass door, she caught a fleeting glimpse of a familiar piece of clothing!

It was Danny's shirt, a little white tee!