Thomas jerked his hand back as if burned. His heart dropped to his feet. He leaned in again — slowly, cautiously. And he saw a small face. Red, wrinkled. The lips were trembling.

A baby. A real, living newborn baby.

For a second, his vision went dark.

— My God… — he managed to whisper, his voice breaking. — Merciful God…

Rex fell silent, as if he understood that what had been found was the most fragile thing in the world. He only whimpered softly, staring at the baby.

With trembling fingers, Thomas wrapped the child in his scarf, pressed him to his chest, and lifted him out of the freezing box. He felt the baby’s weak breathing against his collar. Enough to live… but a little longer — and it would have been too late.

Later, when doctors confirmed that the child had been saved, the investigation began. And that same evening, the patrol found the biological mother.

An emaciated woman stood in the doorway of a partially ruined house. Twelve children lived in that house, in extreme poverty.

She had given birth alone, without help. And she had thrown the newborn away because she… simply didn’t know what else to do.

— I have nothing to feed them… — she whispered, staring at the floor. — I didn’t want to… I couldn’t…

Thomas stood across from her, the report in his hands. But before his eyes there was only one image — the box in the snow and that small, trembling body.