I pulled Emily behind me before I even realized I was doing it.<\/p>\n
The man at the nurses\u2019 station was gone.<\/p>\n
I scanned the hallway.<\/p>\n
Nothing.<\/p>\n
Just nurses moving between rooms, a technician pushing a cart, and a television mounted high on the wall showing a muted weather report.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere did he go?\u201d I whispered.<\/p>\n
Emily pointed.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was there.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI saw him.\u201d<\/p>\n
She shook her head quickly.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, Mom. You don't understand.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen help me understand.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her eyes filled again.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe shouldn't know my name.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did he say?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe didn't.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen how do you know he knows you?\u201d<\/p>\n
Emily hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe looked at me.\u201d<\/p>\n
That answer frightened me more than I wanted to admit.<\/p>\n
I took her back toward the imaging area.<\/p>\n
The technician introduced herself and asked Emily to lie still.<\/p>\n
Before the door closed, Emily caught my sleeve.<\/p>\n
\u201cStay.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI'll be right here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPromise?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI promise.\u201d<\/p>\n
She released me reluctantly.<\/p>\n
I sat outside.<\/p>\n
For the next twenty minutes, I tried calling Daniel.<\/p>\n
No answer.<\/p>\n
I called again.<\/p>\n
Straight to voicemail.<\/p>\n
I stared at his name on my screen.<\/p>\n
Daniel Bennett.<\/p>\n
For two years, I had trained myself not to expect anything from him.<\/p>\n
Now I suddenly needed him to answer.<\/p>\n
A nurse walked past.<\/p>\n
I stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cExcuse me. Did you see a man in a dark jacket near the nurses\u2019 station?\u201d<\/p>\n
She paused.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhich man?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know his name.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did he look like?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cForties, maybe. Dark hair. Medium height.\u201d<\/p>\n
She frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a lot of visitors.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was asking about my daughter.\u201d<\/p>\n
The nurse looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cWas he family?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
That wasn't true.<\/p>\n
I knew exactly what I feared.<\/p>\n
Someone who wasn't supposed to be there.<\/p>\n
The nurse checked the computer.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is your daughter's name?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEmily Bennett.\u201d<\/p>\n
She typed.<\/p>\n
Then stopped.<\/p>\n
\u201cHas anyone checked in with her?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked at the screen again.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat's strange.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was a call to the desk earlier.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom who?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know. I wasn't the one who answered.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWas it about Emily?\u201d<\/p>\n
She hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can't discuss another person's call.\u201d<\/p>\n
My voice dropped.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe's my daughter.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI understand.\u201d<\/p>\n
She walked away.<\/p>\n
I stood there, staring after her.<\/p>\n
When Emily returned, she looked exhausted.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom.\u201d<\/p>\n
I went straight to her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did they do?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPictures.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you see anything?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked around.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs he here?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
She lowered her voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe will come.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe man.\u201d<\/p>\n
I crouched beside her.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmily, you have to tell me everything you know.\u201d<\/p>\n
She shook her head.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can't.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause Dad said never to.\u201d<\/p>\n
My chest tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour father told you never to talk about this?\u201d<\/p>\n
Emily nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA long time ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow long?\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked down at her hands.<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore he left.\u201d<\/p>\n
That was the first time I understood that our divorce might not have been the beginning of the story.<\/p>\n
It might have been the consequence.<\/p>\n
Dr. Harris returned with the preliminary imaging.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is inflammation,\u201d he said. \u201cWe need another test before we can say exactly what's causing it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIs she going to be okay?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe're going to keep her here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emily looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you know my dad?\u201d<\/p>\n
He went still.<\/p>\n
I watched his face.<\/p>\n
This time he didn't deny it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI've met him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA few years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emily's breathing changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he bring someone here?\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. Harris glanced at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy would you ask that?\u201d<\/p>\n
Emily said nothing.<\/p>\n
The doctor pulled the stool closer.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmily, I need you to answer something honestly.\u201d<\/p>\n
She nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cHas anyone ever hurt you?\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked at me.<\/p>\n
Then at him.<\/p>\n
Her eyes dropped.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
The answer came too quickly.<\/p>\n
Dr. Harris didn't press.<\/p>\n
\u201cOkay.\u201d<\/p>\n
He stood.<\/p>\n
But as he turned, Emily whispered, \u201cNot like you mean.\u201d<\/p>\n
He stopped.<\/p>\n
I felt something inside me go cold.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
Emily's eyes filled.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. Harris looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cMrs. Bennett, could I speak with you outside?\u201d<\/p>\n
I followed him.<\/p>\n
The hallway suddenly felt too bright.<\/p>\n
\u201cHer symptoms don't completely fit a routine abdominal illness,\u201d he said quietly.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are you saying?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m saying we need to investigate further.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you think someone hurt her?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid Daniel?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI can't answer that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou just said you knew him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew him professionally.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked toward the room.<\/p>\n
\u201cI treated a patient he brought to another facility.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
He didn't answer.<\/p>\n
\u201cDoctor.\u201d<\/p>\n
His jaw tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can't discuss another patient's information.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWas it a child?\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked at me.<\/p>\n
That was enough.<\/p>\n
I stepped backward.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh my God.\u201d<\/p>\n
Before he could respond, a voice came from behind us.<\/p>\n
\u201cMrs. Bennett?\u201d<\/p>\n
I turned.<\/p>\n
A hospital security officer stood there.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere's someone asking to see you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
He glanced at the paper in his hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cDaniel Bennett.\u201d<\/p>\n
My heart stopped.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere is he?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe says he's your daughter's father.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked through the glass toward Emily.<\/p>\n
She was sitting on the bed.<\/p>\n
She had heard.<\/p>\n
Her face had gone completely white.<\/p>\n
I walked back into the room.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmily.\u201d<\/p>\n
She stared at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs Dad here?\u201d<\/p>\n
I nodded.<\/p>\n
Her eyes closed.<\/p>\n
Then she whispered something I had never heard her say before.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon't let him talk to me alone.\u201d<\/p>\n
I took her hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cI won't.\u201d<\/p>\n
The door opened.<\/p>\n
Daniel stepped inside.<\/p>\n
He looked older than the last time I had seen him.<\/p>\n
His hair was shorter. His face thinner.<\/p>\n
But it was his eyes that made me stop.<\/p>\n
He wasn't surprised to see Emily.<\/p>\n
He looked terrified.<\/p>\n
\u201cClaire,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
I stood between him and our daughter.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou need to explain something.\u201d<\/p>\n
His eyes moved past me.<\/p>\n
Emily wouldn't look at him.<\/p>\n
Daniel swallowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was afraid this would happen.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat would happen?\u201d<\/p>\n
He stared at our daughter.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe remembered.\u201d<\/p>\n
I pulled Emily behind me before I even realized I was doing it. The man at the nurses\u2019 station was gone. I scanned the hallway. Nothing. Just nurses moving between … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":323,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-325","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-best-one-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bestonestory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/325","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bestonestory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bestonestory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestonestory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestonestory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=325"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/bestonestory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/325\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":337,"href":"https:\/\/bestonestory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/325\/revisions\/337"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestonestory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/323"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bestonestory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=325"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestonestory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=325"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestonestory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=325"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}