PART 5

Two hours later, the hospital hallway had changed completely.

Eric was gone.

Daniel was still there.

He sat alone in a plastic chair beneath a vending machine, staring at the floor.

When he saw me, he stood.

“Is she okay?”

I couldn’t answer immediately.

He looked at my face.

“What happened?”

I walked toward him.

“Eric accused you.”

“I know.”

“He told the police to arrest you.”

“I know.”

“Why?”

Daniel swallowed.

“I don’t know.”

I studied him.

“You keep saying that.”

“Because it’s true.”

“You’ve never hurt Sophie?”

His face crumpled.

“Never.”

“Have you ever given her medication?”

“No.”

“Have you ever been alone with her?”

“Not without you.”

That answer made me pause.

Daniel looked at me.

“I know what you’re thinking.”

“What am I thinking?”

“That maybe I’m guilty.”

I didn’t answer.

He took a slow breath.

“Then ask me everything.”

So I did.

And Daniel answered every question.

He had never taken Sophie anywhere alone.

He had never given her medicine.

He had never touched her inappropriately.

He had never even helped her change clothes when she was younger.

He had always been careful.

Because he knew how protective Eric was.

When he finished, I sat beside him.

“Why would Eric accuse you?”

Daniel looked toward the closed hospital room.

“I think I know.”

My head snapped toward him.

“What?”

He hesitated.

“Three months ago, I confronted Eric.”

“About what?”

“He was taking Sophie somewhere.”

“Where?”

“I don’t know.”

“Daniel.”

“I followed them.”

My heart started pounding.

“You followed my daughter?”

“I followed Eric.”

“Why?”

“Because I saw him meeting a man behind a medical office.”

“What man?”

“I don’t know.”

“What medical office?”

Daniel rubbed his forehead.

“Somewhere outside the city.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because I didn’t have proof.”

“And now?”

He looked at me.

“Now I think whatever happened that day has something to do with your daughter’s blood.”

Before I could respond, a doctor ran toward us.

“Mrs. Morgan?”

I stood.

“Yes?”

“We need you upstairs.”

“Why?”

The doctor’s face was pale.

“Sophie’s condition just changed.”

My heart stopped.

“What happened?”

“She started bleeding.”

Daniel stood behind me.

“Is she okay?”

The doctor looked between us.

“We don’t know yet.”

Then, from inside the room, we heard Sophie scream.

“Mom!”

I ran.

And as I pushed open the door, I saw the blood on the hospital sheet.

But what frightened me most wasn’t the blood.

It was the expression on Dr. Ortiz’s face.

She was staring at the monitor.

And whispering to herself:

“This isn’t a pregnancy.”

She looked at me.

“It’s something else.”

Then she pointed at the screen.

“We found a mass.”

The room went silent after Dr. Ortiz said the word mass.

I stared at the ultrasound screen, trying to understand the collection of gray and black shapes that meant absolutely nothing to me.

“A mass where?”

Dr. Ortiz pointed carefully at the monitor.

“Near the left ovary.”

My knees nearly gave out.

“Is it cancer?”

“We don’t know.”

“Then tell me what you do know.”

She looked at Sophie.

“We know this isn’t a normal pregnancy. We know the tissue is producing beta-hCG, which explains the positive pregnancy tests. And we know the bleeding means we need to investigate immediately.”

Sophie was crying.

“Mom, am I sick?”

I rushed to her side.

“No matter what happens, I’m right here.”

“But they keep saying things.”

“I know.”

“Am I going to die?”

I looked at Dr. Ortiz.

She shook her head gently.

“We don’t know that, sweetheart. Right now, we’re going to take care of you.”

The door opened.

A nurse entered with another physician.

Behind them stood Detective Harris.

And behind Detective Harris was Daniel.

Eric was nowhere in sight.

The detective looked at the doctor.

“Is she stable?”

“For now.”

He nodded.

Then he turned toward me.

“Mrs. Morgan, I need to speak with you privately.”

I shook my head. “Not now.”

“I understand.”

“My daughter is bleeding.”

“I know.”

“Then don’t ask me questions.”

He lowered his voice.

“We searched Eric’s house.”

Everything inside me froze.

“What?”

“We obtained a warrant.”

My mouth went dry.

“What did you find?”

Detective Harris looked at Daniel.

Then at me.

“A locked refrigerator in the garage.”

I stared at him.

“What’s inside?”

“We’re still processing it.”

“Then why are you telling me?”

“Because there was a medication vial inside.”

My heart pounded.

“What medication?”

“We’re waiting for the lab.”

I looked down at the pink bottle still sitting on the counter.

“Was there a syringe?” “Yes.”

My stomach turned.

“Anything else?”

Detective Harris hesitated.

“A notebook.”

“What kind of notebook?”

“Medical records.”

I frowned.

“For Sophie?”

“Not exactly.”

“What does that mean?”

He opened his notebook.

“The records contain dates.”

“Dates of what?”

“Her symptoms.”

My entire body went cold.

“What symptoms?”

“Headaches. Vomiting. Dizziness. Breast development. Weight changes. Hormonal changes.”

I couldn’t breathe.

“He was tracking her.”

Detective Harris didn’t answer.

He didn’t need to.

I looked at Sophie.

She was staring at us.

She had heard everything.

“Mom?”

I walked to her immediately.

“Don’t worry about anything they’re saying.”

“But Dad has a notebook about me?”

I couldn’t lie.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know.”

She began crying again.

Daniel stepped closer.

“I’m here, Sophie.”

She looked at him.

“Did I do something wrong?”

Daniel’s face broke.

“No.”

“Then why is everybody acting like I did?”

“You didn’t.”

He sat beside her.

“You didn’t do anything.”

Sophie reached for his hand.

He took it.

And for the first time since the nightmare began, I realized something.

Sophie trusted Daniel.

Completely.

That mattered.

Because children often know who makes them feel safe long before adults admit what they see.

That evening, surgeons took Sophie into another room for an emergency procedure.

I wasn’t allowed to go with her.

I stood outside the operating room doors, staring at the red light above them.

Daniel sat beside me.

Neither of us spoke.

After twenty minutes, he finally whispered:

“I should have told you.”

I turned.

“Told me what?”

“About Eric.”

I stared at him.

“What exactly did you know?”

Daniel rubbed his hands together.

“I knew he was seeing someone.”

“Someone?”

“A doctor.”

My heart sank.

“What doctor?”

“I don’t know her name.”

“Daniel.”

“I swear.”

“Then tell me everything.”

He took a breath.

“Three months ago, I saw Eric outside a private clinic. He wasn’t alone. There was a woman with him.”

“What did she look like?”

“Early forties. Dark hair. White coat.”

“A doctor.”

“Yes.”

“Did you hear what they were talking about?”

“Only one thing.”

“What?”

Daniel looked toward the operating room.

“He asked her, ‘How long before the hormone levels become noticeable?’” I felt as though the floor disappeared beneath me.

“What did the woman say?”

“She said, ‘That depends on what you’re giving her.’”

My hand flew to my mouth.

Daniel continued.

“I didn’t understand what they meant.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because I thought they were talking about someone else.”

“Someone else?”

“Eric had told me he was helping a family member with a medical condition.”

I stood.

“You should have told me.”

“I know.”

“You should have told me the moment you saw him.”

“I know.”

“You could have protected her.”

Daniel lowered his head.

“I know.”

I wanted to scream at him.

But then the operating room door opened.

A surgeon stepped out.

I rushed forward.

“Doctor?”

He removed his mask.

“The mass has been removed.”

My legs nearly collapsed.

“Is she okay?”

“She is stable.”

“Is it cancer?”

“We’ve sent the tissue for pathology.”

“Will she wake up?”

“Yes.”

“When?”

“Soon.”

I closed my eyes.

Thank God.

CONTINUE FOR NEXT PART….