Thanks to the immediate first aid, Noah's condition improved significantly.
A moment later, he coughed violently and spoke in a weak, raspy voice.
"Daddy? Is it Daddy... did he come to save Noah?"

"Noah..."
My voice trembled.
He blinked, his eyes focusing on me.
Through the grime, he tried to force a smile.
"Mommy came too... It must be... it must be Daddy who got Noah out, right?
"I knew it... Daddy would never give up on Noah... Daddy is a superhero..."

"He's breathing! He's back!"
Michael's ecstatic shout rang out at the worst possible moment.
I looked up. Lucas was coughing loudly. Michael, looking relieved as if a heavy burden had been lifted, gently picked the boy up.
He high-fived the crew members surrounding him.

"We did it! Thank God!"
"Noah, Daddy is..." I didn't know how to explain it.
"Did Daddy... save another kid too?"
Noah wheezed, smiling through the pain.
"Daddy is so amazing... Noah wants to be... a big hero like Daddy someday...
"Mommy, did you know?
"Being burned... hurts so much...
"Noah wants to save... everyone trapped in fire...
"Otherwise... it just hurts too bad..."
A tear dropped onto Noah's face.
I couldn't imagine how much despair and pain Noah had endured in my past life.
Even until the very end, this child believed his hero father would come for him.
I stood up and walked over to Michael.
Slap!
A vicious slap struck his face, silencing the celebration.
"Do you not have a son of your own?
Why are you guarding someone else's child!"
Tears streamed down my face as I roared.
"Noah still thinks you're the one who saved him! But look at you! You haven't even looked at him! You haven't even asked!
Who is this kid to you? Is he worth abandoning your own flesh and blood?"
"Emily, calm down! You're scaring the boy!"
Michael immediately shielded Lucas in his arms and backed away.
Several crew members rushed up to mediate.
"Mrs. Miller, please, don't get excited. The Captain has his reasons."
"What reasons!"
I screamed. "He didn't hesitate for a second when he left his own son to die in Building B!"
"Emily!"
Michael frowned deeply.
"This isn't the place to argue!
This child has a congenital heart condition.
He can't handle stress! I am the Captain. Per FDNY triage protocols, patients with severe underlying conditions get priority monitoring! Do you want me to violate protocol?"
"Is it protocol or personal feelings?"
I lunged forward, grabbing his uniform.
"Was it protocol to direct everyone to Building A when a rescue in B was possible? You said Building B was a lost cause! Then how did Johnson manage to save my son!
"Is this boy, Lucas, so important? Important enough for you to sacrifice your living, breathing son!"
Even while I tore at his uniform, Michael refused to let go of Lucas. He bent over to protect the child further.
"Stop being unreasonable!"
"Let go of her!"
A force slammed into me, pushing me to the ground.
A familiar woman, wearing Louboutin heels, rushed to Michael's side.
Her voice was frantic.
"Michael!"