Chapter 10 - THE OTHER CHILD
The answer came from an old hospital report.
A second vehicle had been involved in the crash.
Its driver survived.
His young daughter did not.
Her name was Hannah Ortiz.
The hospital had admitted both girls within minutes of each other.
An early patient identification error had linked Hannah’s body to Lily’s chart.
What began as a terrible mistake had become an opportunity.
A physician had corrected the internal record.
But Cameron’s family received the wrong notification.
Marcus located the physician, now retired.
Dr. Susan Vale remembered the accident immediately.
“I was told your brother had explained the correction,” she said during a recorded interview.
“Then I learned the child had been transferred to rehabilitation.”
“Why wasn’t I contacted?”
“Your brother was listed as the authorized family representative.
That was what the administration told us.”
Ruth showed her the altered guardianship document.
Dr. Vale’s face changed.
“I never saw that.”
Hannah’s father, Daniel Ortiz, agreed to meet Cameron.
They sat in a small room at Ruth’s temporary office.
Daniel carried a photograph of a laughing child with missing front teeth.
“They told me the burial arrangements had already been handled,” he said.
“I was recovering from surgery.
My sister dealt with most of it.”
Cameron could barely look at him.
“I put my daughter’s name on your daughter’s grave.”
“You didn’t know.”
“I should have checked.”
Daniel leaned forward.
“You trusted people while your wife was dead and your child was missing.
That’s what they used.”
They agreed that Hannah’s resting place would be corrected with her family’s wishes guiding every decision.
No cameras.
No public spectacle.
When Cameron returned to Eva, he told her the truth.
She cried for a girl she had never met.
“Did she have somebody who loved her?”
“Yes.”
Eva nodded.
“Then her name should be there.”
“It will be.”
For the first time, she let Cameron sit beside her.
Not close enough to touch.
But beside her.
That evening, Ruth received the next document.
Briar House had submitted a plan to send Eva to another facility.
May you like
The proposed destination was overseas.
The request had been signed by Graham that morning.
