Chapter 10: The Placement
Emma and Olivia were moved from the hospital into a short-term foster home experienced with sibling pairs and medical-observation step-downs. The transition was managed quietly through child services; no public departure, no opportunity for the father to stage a confrontation at the curb. The foster parent had been briefed on the benzodiazepine exposure, the forensic findings, and the children’s hyper-vigilance around adult men entering rooms unannounced. Olivia still tired easily. Emma still positioned herself between her sister and any doorway. Both girls slept in the same room by request, beds pushed close enough that Emma could reach out and touch Olivia’s blanket without sitting up.
Child services scheduled supervised therapeutic contact only after consultation with the forensic interviewer and the pediatric team. Michael Carter’s first request for a visit was denied pending the initial dependency hearing. His attorney filed the expected motions asserting parental rights and claiming the medication had been administered with benign intent. The motions were entered into the record alongside the pharmacy trail, the toxicology results, the children’s consistent statements, and the timeline proving the girls had sought protection before the missing-child report was even made.
