Chapter 14 - The Doctor’s Verdict
I left a specialized security team to guard the estate and drove back to the children’s hospital. The adrenaline that had carried me through the morning began to fade, replaced by a heavy, sickening dread as I walked through the pediatric wing.
Lily was awake when I entered the private room. She was sitting up in the hospital bed, clutching a stuffed bear a nurse had given her. She looked so small, her blonde hair finally brushed out and clean, but the dark circles under her eyes made her look like a tiny ghost. When she saw me, she didn't speak. She just reached her arms out.
I climbed into the bed with her, wrapping my arms around her fragile body, burying my face in her hair. "I'm here, baby," I whispered. "Mommy is never leaving you again. I promise."
Dr. Aris, a pediatric trauma specialist I had known for years, knocked softly before entering the room. He carried a thick medical file, and his expression was grim. He motioned for me to step out into the hallway.
"Evelyn," Dr. Aris said quietly once the door was closed. "I've reviewed the x-rays and the bloodwork. The bruising on her arms and legs is consistent with forceful grabbing and physical restraint. But that's not the worst of it."
My stomach plummeted. "Tell me everything."
"She is severely malnourished. According to her blood panels, she has been systematically deprived of adequate food for at least four weeks," Dr. Aris explained, his voice thick with professional anger. "Furthermore, the bruising on the back of her hands and knees... Evelyn, someone has been forcing her to kneel on hard surfaces for extended periods. The trauma is profound. It’s no wonder she has gone completely non-verbal. It’s a classic psychogenic fugue state caused by extreme terror."
A cold, lethal fury settled into my bones. The corporate firing and the eviction suddenly felt like a slap on the wrist. They had starved my five-year-old child. They had tortured her.
"I have documented everything," Dr. Aris continued softly. "I've already contacted Child Protective Services, as mandated by law. But given your federal clearance, I imagine you have your own resources."
May you like
"I do," I said, my voice completely devoid of emotion. "Keep her safe here for two more days, Doctor. By the time she is discharged, the people who did this will be entirely removed from society."
I pulled out my phone and dialed Marcus Vance, a senior agent in my federal division who owed me his life. It was time to unleash hell.
