Daniel didn't come closer.
He remained beside the door with both hands visible, as though he understood exactly how dangerous one wrong movement could look.
“What did she remember?” I asked.
He looked at me.
“You need to take her home.”
I almost laughed.
“You came into an emergency room and your first concern is getting her out?”
“Claire, please.”
“No.”
Emily sat rigidly on the bed.
Daniel looked at her.
“Em.”
She flinched.
He stopped.
“I'm sorry.”
She didn't answer.
I had spent years imagining what I would say if Daniel ever appeared again.
None of those speeches survived the moment.
“What did you do to her?” I asked.
His face tightened.
“I never hurt Emily.”
“She says you did.”
“I know what she thinks.”
“Then explain.”
He looked toward the hallway.
“Not here.”
“You don't get to choose where this conversation happens.”
His eyes met mine.
“There are people who shouldn't know she's awake.”
The words silenced me.
“Who?”
He shook his head.
“Not yet.”
Emily suddenly spoke.
“The medicine.”
Daniel looked at her.
“What medicine?”
“The white one.”
His expression changed.
I noticed.
So did Emily.
“You know what I'm talking about,” she whispered.
Daniel sat down.
“Emily, listen to me.”
“No.”
“You were very sick.”
“I wasn't sick.”
“You were.”
“You made me sick.”
Daniel covered his face for a moment.
When he lowered his hands, he looked defeated.
“I made a terrible decision.”
My voice came out low.
“What decision?”
He looked at me.
“I trusted the wrong person.”
“Who?”
Before he could answer, Dr. Harris appeared at the door.
“Daniel.”
The two men stared at each other.
“You know him?” I asked.
Dr. Harris nodded.
Daniel stood.
“You shouldn't be here.”
“I could say the same to you.”
Something passed between them that I couldn't understand.
Emily watched both men.
“Mom.”
I turned.
“He's lying.”
“Who?”
She pointed toward Daniel.
“He always says he didn't know.”
Daniel's face collapsed.
“Emily—”
“You knew.”
“About what?”
“The pain.”
Silence.
Dr. Harris closed the door.
Then he spoke.
“Daniel, you need to tell her.”
Daniel looked at him.
“You don't understand.”
“I understand enough.”
I looked between them.
“Someone please tell me what is happening.”
Dr. Harris took a breath.
“Three years ago, I was working at a different hospital.”
Daniel said nothing.
“We had a pediatric patient with unexplained abdominal pain,” the doctor continued.
My hands became cold.
“Emily?”
“No.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
“Another child.”
“Why does that matter?”
“Because the case was unusual.”
Dr. Harris looked at Daniel.
“And because the same pattern appeared again.”
My daughter whispered, “That's why.”
I turned to her.
“What do you mean?”
She looked at Daniel.
“He knows why it hurts.”
Daniel finally broke.
“I thought it had stopped.”
“What had stopped?”
“The treatment.”
I felt the room tilt.
“What treatment?”
Daniel shook his head.
“I didn't know what they were doing at first.”
“Who?”
He looked at Dr. Harris.
The doctor said one word.
“Mercer.”
Daniel nodded.
I recognized the name.
Dr. Victor Mercer.
A private physician whose name had appeared once in an argument Daniel and I had years ago.
I had forgotten it.
Apparently, Daniel hadn't.
“Who is Mercer?” I asked.
Daniel looked at Emily.
“He was supposed to help her.”
“Help her with what?”
“She was having episodes.”
Emily stared at the floor.
Daniel continued.
“She complained about pain. Nausea. Weakness. Sometimes she couldn't stand.”
I looked at my daughter.
“You told me those were stomachaches.”
She began crying.
“I didn't want you to worry.”
Daniel's voice broke.
“I took her to Mercer because he said he had seen similar cases.”
“Then what happened?”
“He gave her medication.”
“What medication?”
“I don't know the exact compound.”
Dr. Harris interrupted.
“We're testing for it.”
My stomach dropped.
“You think she's been poisoned?”
“No,” he said carefully. “We don't know that.”
Daniel looked at him.
“You know.”
The doctor didn't answer.
I stood.
“My daughter has been sick because of something someone gave her?”
Daniel shook his head.
“Not exactly.”
“What does that mean?”
“He was trying to make her symptoms predictable.”
I stared at him.
“That makes no sense.”
“It will.”
Emily spoke quietly.
“He wanted to know how much it took.”
The room went silent.
Daniel looked at her.
She continued.
“He kept asking when it started hurting.”
My knees almost gave out.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
Emily looked at me with tears running down her cheeks.
“Because Dad said if I told you, they'd take me away.”
I turned toward Daniel.
“Did you say that?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I believed Mercer had people watching us.”
“You let my child live in fear.”
“I was trying to protect her.”
“You disappeared.”
“I was trying to get evidence.”
“You left her with me.”
“I knew you would protect her.”
My voice shook.
“You don't get to call abandonment protection.”
Daniel looked down.
He had no answer.
Then a nurse entered.
“Doctor, the lab called.”
Dr. Harris took the phone.
His expression changed as he listened.
“Run it again.”
He hung up.
I stared at him.
“What?”
He looked at Emily.
“They found something.”
Daniel stood immediately.
“What?”
“An abnormal compound.”
My heart hammered.
“Is it dangerous?”
Dr. Harris hesitated.
“It can be.”
Daniel moved toward the door.
“We have to leave.”
“No,” I said.
He stopped.
“If Mercer knows the result, he may come here.”
“You said you were trying to protect her.”
“I am.”
“Then stay.”
Daniel looked at Emily.
She was trembling.
He nodded.
“I'll stay.”
For the first time that night, I saw the father I remembered.
Not the man who disappeared.
Not the stranger who had avoided my calls.
A frightened father standing beside his sick child.
Then the security officer rushed in.
“Doctor, there's a problem.”
Dr. Harris turned.
“What?”
“A man is demanding to see Emily Bennett.”
“Who?”
The officer looked at Daniel.
“Dr. Victor Mercer.”
Daniel's face went completely white.
Click here to continue reading: PART 4: When the Doctor Who Had Been Watching My Daughter Appeared Outside Her Room, Her Father Finally Told Me the Part He Had Hidden
The Moment My Daughter Stopped Crying, She Looked Past Me and Whispered Something That Made the Emergency Room Go Quiet
Part 3 of 12
