“Please don’t move,” Daniel said softly. “Lucas brought me. I’m going to get you help.”
Emily shook her head weakly.
“My son…” she whispered. “Take care of him… please…”
“You’re going to take care of him yourself,” Daniel replied firmly.
He quickly called 911 and explained the situation.
While they waited for the ambulance, Daniel removed his jacket and placed it gently over her. Lucas sat beside his mother, stroking her hair and whispering comforting words.
“It’s okay, Mommy,” the boy said quietly. “The man came. I told you someone would help.”
Daniel had to look away to hide the tears forming in his eyes.
When the paramedics arrived, their expressions immediately turned serious.
“Severe pneumonia,” one of them said after checking her breathing. “She’s in critical condition.”
Lucas clung to Daniel’s leg.
“Don’t let her die,” he cried.
Daniel lifted the boy into his arms.
“She won’t,” he said with determination. “We’re going to the hospital together.”
Inside the ambulance, Daniel held Lucas’s small hand while the sirens screamed through traffic.
For the first time in years, he felt something stronger than ambition.
Purpose.