"What's your name?" Joan asked gently, crouching down to his eyes level.
"Sam," the child replied softly after a moment of hesitation.
"Hello, Sam. My name is Jaon, and I'm a nurse. Would you be fine with me waiting with you until someone comes looking for you?Or do you want to go with me to a police station?" Joan negotiated with him, as she knows she couldn't just take the child away ,as it would create a terrible misunderstanding if he cried.
The child's eyes reddened, he was still trying his best not to cry.
"I want to wait longer," the child replied with a soft chock in his voice.
"Okay, I will wait with you," Joan paused, she noticed an empty bench a few steps away. "Do you want to go sit over there?"
The kid went ahead and sat down, he must be tired from standing.She wanted to soothe him a little. Unfortunately, she couldn't offer him candy so easily, it might encourage a dangerous habit of accepting food from strangers. Also she is somehow certain the kid will not accept it, Despite his age, the child was clearly well raised.
The fact that he had not burst into tears or run aimlessly through the park already said enough.
"So Sam, can you tell who we are looking for?" Asked Joan, smiling.
"We are looking for my aunt " like remembering something, his shoulders twitched.
"You aunt, and how does she look? Do you remember what she was wearing?" Joan asked while patting his back gently.
Joan could feel it's working, and he is calming down, although slightly.
"She is wearing a red coat and a black hat" The child replied, unhappy.
"Oh, then we will take our time waiting, and if she doesn't come, we will look for help, okay?" Joan asked, ruffling his thick blond hair. The child nodded in response.
After that Joan didn't let the silence engulf them, she kept asking him about the new year ,his new clothes, his friends and a little about his family. Keeping the last without detailed questions.
The kid responded, although worried, became more engaged in the conversation. All that did not prevent the two from searching for a red coat.
Nearly an hour passed as they continued waiting, until Joan heard the child's stomach growl softly in hanger.
"How about this? We will go along the route you walked if you remember, maybe we will find them looking for you there" Joan paused, gently taking the child's hand, said "And we will buy something to eat on our way"
Looking up at her with a young frightened face, Sam got up from his seat. Joan let the child guide their walk with his little finger, pointing south. After a couple of dozen meters Joan found a stall selling pies and sandwiches. She bought 2 cheese sandwiches for her and the child. After handing one to him, she noticed the child seemed not used to street food, as expected, although not overly rich, his family seemed relatively comfortable.
"There he is!We found him, " said a man wearing an unkept suit, running towards them with another man and a woman wearing a red coat catching up behind him.
"Aaaah, uncle" Sam sprinted into his uncle's embrace, tears finally spilling running down his face. He even dropped his sandwich.
"I'm here, Samuel. Uncle here now. Don't cry" said the worried uncle patting his nephew back. In these fewer minutes, the other two arrived, witnessing this scene.
"Oh, Sam. Where have you been? Your aunt has been worried sick looking for you. I'm so sorry I didn't look after you well"
Even though she was crying bitterly, talking to Sam, he still didn't pay her any attention, burying his head in his uncle's embrace.
"It's alright. We find him now" Sensing the child's displeasure ,the uncle shut down the issue.
Only then did the man finally look toward Joan properly, as though remembering she was the reason the child had been found safely at all.
"Hello there, I'm Thompson Whitmore, Samuel's uncle. Thank you miss…?"