Chapter 2 - THE DOCTOR ASKED ONE QUESTION
Dr. Claudia Harris arrived at the hospital shortly before midnight.
Alejandro had known her for twelve years.
He had never seen her look frightened before.
She examined the antibiotic bottle Elena had brought.
“This is the prescription I wrote.”
“You’re sure?”
“My name is on it.”
Claudia counted the tablets.
Her expression tightened.
“She’s barely taken any.”
Alejandro looked toward Sophie.
The little girl was sleeping beneath a thin hospital blanket with oxygen under her nose.
“So the infection got worse because she wasn’t getting her antibiotics.”
“That may be part of it.”
“Part?”
Claudia glanced toward Elena.
Then at the second bottle sealed inside a plastic evidence bag the hospital security officer had provided.
“I want toxicology involved.”
Alejandro’s jaw tightened.
“What was in that bottle?”
“I don’t know yet.”
“It says veterinary use.”
“I can read the label, Alejandro.”
Claudia lowered her voice.
“What I don’t know is whether Sophie was exposed to it.”
Alejandro looked through the glass wall at his daughter.
The anger inside him felt almost physical.
“What do you need?”
“Blood.”
“Take whatever you need.”
“And I need you to answer something.”
Claudia hesitated.
“Has Sophie been vomiting?”
“Sometimes.”
“Stomach cramps?”
“Yes.”
“Dizziness?”
“She complained about that last week.”
“Unusual sleepiness?”
Alejandro closed his eyes.
“Yes.”
Claudia’s face changed.
“When did those symptoms usually happen?”
Alejandro thought.
Then the answer hit him.
“At night.”
“After dinner?”
“After Valerie brought her milk.”
Silence.
Claudia looked at him.
“How often?”
“I don’t know.”
His voice cracked.
“I was working.”
That sentence destroyed him.
He had been working.
Building routes.
Closing contracts.
Taking calls.
Making money.
While Sophie had been upstairs asking someone to stop hurting her.
Elena touched his shoulder.
“Alejandro.”
“I should have seen it.”
“You saw it when Sophie finally told you.”
“I should have seen it before she had to tell me.”
Claudia stepped closer.
“Guilt won’t help Sophie tonight.”
Alejandro looked at her.
“What will?”
“Facts.”
She nodded toward the tablet.
“Start there.”
Elena handed it to him.
Alejandro watched the recording.
He made it thirty seconds.
Then he stopped.
His hands were shaking.
“Play the rest.”
Elena frowned.
“You don’t need to.”
“Yes.”
“Alejandro—”
“Play it.”
They watched.
Some recordings were ordinary.
Sophie sleeping.
Valerie cleaning.
An empty room.
Then they found another.
Three weeks earlier.
Valerie entered Sophie’s bedroom carrying milk.
She looked directly at the tablet.
Apparently she believed it was asleep.
It wasn’t.
She placed the glass beside Sophie.
Sophie whispered,
“I don’t want it.”
“You’re going to drink it.”
“I feel bad after.”
Valerie crouched.
“Listen to me.”
Sophie pulled away.
“You are making your father miserable.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Yes, you are.”
Sophie’s eyes filled.
“He loves me.”
Valerie smiled.
“For now.”
Alejandro paused the video.
He stood so suddenly the chair behind him tipped over.
“I’m going home.”
Elena blocked him.
“No.”
“Move.”
“No.”
“My wife did this.”
“And if you go home furious, what happens?”
Alejandro stared at her.
Elena didn’t move.
“You have a daughter in a hospital bed.”
She pointed toward Sophie.
“She needs her father here.”
Alejandro breathed through his nose.
Slowly.
Painfully.
Then his phone rang.
VALERIE.
He stared at the name.
Elena whispered,
“Don’t tell her what we found.”
Alejandro answered.
“Where are you?”
Valerie sounded frightened.
“At home.”
“Why?”
“I thought you wanted Sophie’s things.”
“I got them.”
A pause.
“How is she?”
Alejandro looked through the glass.
“Pneumonia.”
“Oh my God.”
Valerie sounded devastated.
Perfectly devastated.
“Can I come?”
Alejandro stared at the tablet.
“Not tonight.”
Another pause.
“Why not?”
“Doctors are running tests.”
“What tests?”
There it was.
Too fast.
Too interested.
Alejandro kept his voice calm.
“Routine.”
Valerie exhaled.
“Okay.”
Then she said something strange.
“Did your mother bring Sophie’s medicine?”
Alejandro looked at Elena.
“Why?”
“No reason.”
“You asked for a reason.”
“I just want the doctors to know what she’s been taking.”
Alejandro’s voice became almost gentle.
“I’m sure they’ll figure it out.”
Silence.
Then Valerie whispered,
“I love you.”
Alejandro looked at his daughter.
“I have to go.”
He ended the call.
Thirty minutes later, a nurse entered.
“Mr. Rivers?”
Alejandro stood.
“The toxicology team has preliminary results.”
Claudia followed behind her.
One look at Claudia’s face told him everything.
“What?”
Claudia closed the door.
“We found a substance in Sophie’s blood that should not be there.”
Alejandro stopped breathing.
“Is it dangerous?”
“In repeated exposure, it can cause gastrointestinal distress, weakness, dizziness, and other complications.”
“Was it in that bottle?”
“We’re testing it.”
Alejandro’s eyes hardened.
“But you think it was.”
Claudia didn’t answer immediately.
Then she said,
“Yes.”
Elena covered her mouth.
Alejandro looked at Sophie.
And from the bed came a tiny voice.
“Daddy?”
He rushed over.
“I’m here.”
Sophie opened her eyes.
“There’s something else.”
“What?”
Her eyes moved toward the door.
“Valerie told me never to tell you about the camera.”
Alejandro froze.
“What camera?”
May you like
Sophie lifted one trembling finger.
And pointed toward the tablet.
