“Doctor,” she said cautiously, “her vitals were stable earlier.”
The doctor paused. “We’ll reassess.”
They moved closer. The mattress shifted slightly above me. My muscles screamed as I stayed frozen, breath locked in my chest.
Then Emily spoke.
“She isn’t here.”
The silence that followed was crushing.
“What do you mean?” Linda snapped.
“My mom went to the bathroom,” Emily said quietly.
“That’s not possible,” the doctor replied. “She wouldn’t be allowed to—”
“Allowed to what?”
Mark’s voice came from the doorway.
The door opened wider. Shoes stopped abruptly.
Linda laughed too quickly. “Oh, Mark, we were just—”
“Why is a doctor in here talking about consent forms?” Mark interrupted. “I just spoke to the nurse’s station. They said my wife hasn’t been cleared for anything.”
The nurse with the blue-striped shoes stepped back.
“Sir, I was told—”
“By who?” Mark demanded.
Emily dropped to her knees and lifted the bed skirt.
“Dad,” she said, her voice shaking but strong, “Mom is under here because Grandma is trying to hurt her.”
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