Chapter 5: Hospital
Emma was admitted with a fractured rib, severe bruising, and dehydration. Lucas was in the pediatric ICU on IV fluids and antibiotics. His fever broke after eighteen hours. The doctors said another day without treatment and we might have lost him.
I sat between their two beds and didn’t sleep.
Emma woke up around noon. When she saw me, fresh tears filled her eyes.
“I tried to protect him,” she whispered. “I tried so hard.”
I took her hand carefully. “You don’t have to protect him alone anymore. Or yourself.”
She looked at the monitors, at our son fighting for his life, and then back at me.
May you like
“I want them gone,” she said. “All of them. I don’t care if they’re your family.”
I nodded. “They already are.”
