Chapter 3 - The Medical Breakdown
The emergency room doors didn't slide open fast enough. I wheeled Ava through the automated entry, my voice echoing off the sterile tile walls as three triage nurses instantly rushed forward with a gurney.
"Patient has a history of spinal trauma, acute emotional distress, physical assault, and suspected prolonged unprescribed sedation," I reported, the words cutting through the room with a clinical precision I didn't know I possessed. "She has bruising on the left cheek and wrist marks from physical restraint."
The lead physician, Dr. Marcus Vance, looked up from his clipboard, his eyes narrowing as he took in Ava's pale face and Lena's swollen jaw.
"Get her into Trauma Room 3 immediately," Dr. Vance ordered, his team moving with rapid efficiency. He turned to me, his hand resting firmly on my arm. "Sir, I need you to step back to the intake desk. If there is a suspicion of poisoning or elder/dependent abuse, we are legally required to initiate a forensic toxicology screen and notify the authorities."
I sat in the plastic waiting room chair, the smell of hospital antiseptic stinging my nose. My phone was vibrating continuously in my pocket.
Mother: 15 Missed Calls. Mother: 3 Text Messages. “You are destroying your father’s legacy over a misunderstanding.” “If you don’t bring Ava back to the estate, I will have the security team report your vehicle as stolen.”
I ignored the screen, my eyes fixed on the small plastic evidence bag Lena had handed me before she went to get her jaw X-rayed. Inside were three of the white pills she had managed to sweep off the floor before we left the office.
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The doors to the treatment bay opened, and Detective Reynolds walked in, her badge visible against her dark coat. She looked at the evidence bag in my hand, then at the expression on my face.
"Ethan Miller?" she asked. "I'm the lead investigator assigned to the domestic disturbance call. Dr. Vance just handed me the preliminary blood panel for your wife. We found toxic levels of a banned sedative in her system. It’s the kind of drug used to induce compliant behavior and short-term memory loss."
