Part 2

I pressed my hand against the hospital wall because the hallway suddenly felt unsteady beneath me. Dr. Carter positioned himself carefully so Brent could not see us around the corner. His expression stayed controlled, but urgency burned behind his eyes.

“Why are you giving this to me?” I whispered.

“Because your daughter listed you as her emergency contact if anything happened,” he replied quietly. “She updated it herself during a follow-up appointment last month.”

“Follow-up for what?”

He hesitated.

That hesitation told me I would hate the answer.

“Internal bruising,” he finally said. “She claimed she fell against the kitchen counter.”