The flight from New York to London had been smooth—uneventful, even. As a flight attendant with nearly a decade of experience, I’d seen almost everything: nervous fliers, crying toddlers, the occasional argument over reclining seats. But nothing—not even my worst turbulence nightmare—could’ve prepared me for what happened after that plane landed.

We had just arrived in London, and passengers were disembarking. I stayed back to do the final cabin walkthrough. Business class was almost empty now, the quiet broken only by the soft murmur of the air system. Then, I heard it—a sharp, unmistakable cry.