Then toward Olivia.
The attendant was quietly organizing the galley for arrival.
Naomi smiled.
"Olivia?"
The young woman approached.
"Yes, ma'am?"
"Thank you for your help today."
Olivia looked surprised.
"Of course."
Naomi continued.
"And thank you for telling operations what happened."
The attendant swallowed.
"I was nervous."
"I imagine you were."
She smiled faintly.
"But you told the truth."
Olivia nodded.
Naomi looked toward the window.
"That matters more than you know."
And as the aircraft descended toward the evening lights of Ohio, Naomi began thinking about how she would make certain that the next young crew member who noticed something wrong wouldn't have to choose between honesty and fear.
The meeting in Columbus began at nine the following morning.
Naomi arrived at a modern conference center attached to a regional children's hospital.
The room overlooked a landscaped courtyard.
Several hospital administrators were already seated around a long table, alongside transportation coordinators, nonprofit representatives, and specialists responsible for patient support programs.
Naomi recognized Dr. Angela Mercer, the hospital's director of regional clinical partnerships.
Angela was fifty-two, thoughtful, and known for asking direct questions.
She greeted Naomi warmly.
"Good morning."
Naomi smiled.
"Good morning."
Angela looked toward the empty chair beside her.
"We heard you had some trouble with the aircraft yesterday."
Naomi nodded.
"A personnel and authorization issue. It's being addressed."
Angela studied her.
"Was anyone hurt?"
"No."
"Good."
Then she smiled gently.
"Let's get to work."
Naomi appreciated that.
The previous afternoon had been ugly.
But she didn't want it to consume the work she'd traveled to complete.
The meeting focused on transportation barriers affecting patients and families traveling between regional facilities.
Administrators described the difficulty of coordinating multiple appointments, managing changing schedules, and helping people reach specialized services they couldn't obtain close to home.
One social worker discussed families who missed appointments because transportation arrangements fell through.
Another described patients who needed assistance navigating unfamiliar cities.
A clinician explained how specialized medical teams sometimes required coordinated travel between facilities, particularly when multiple organizations were involved.
Naomi listened carefully.
Then asked questions.
What barriers caused the most disruption?
Which services already existed?
Where would additional funding make the greatest difference?