Chapter 9 - The Doctor's Report
Before Ryan could formulate a reply, the heavy doors of the trauma unit pushed open, and Dr. Hannah Patel walked out into the waiting room, removing her surgical mask.
All three of us turned toward her instantly.
Dr. Patel looked at me first, her expression softening with professional relief. “Nora. She’s stable.”
I let out a ragged, broken gasp of air, my knees buckling slightly before I caught myself on the back of a chair. “Is she... is she going to be okay?”
“Yes. The pediatric team successfully flushed her system, and her blood oxygen levels have stabilized completely. She’s awake, breathing on her own, and crying—which, in this case, is the best sound in the world.” Dr. Patel let out a long breath. “She’s going to need to stay under observation in the neonatal ICU for twenty-four hours, but she’s going to make a full recovery.”
“Thank God,” Ryan muttered, wiping a hand across his forehead. He turned toward Judith. “See? Everything is fine. Mom didn't mean any harm—”
“Mr. Caldwell,” Dr. Patel interrupted, her voice dropping to an icy, official register that made Ryan freeze. “Do not speak for a second. You need to understand the gravity of what occurred today.”
Dr. Patel pulled a small plastic evidence bag from her lab coat pocket, containing the amber tube Judith had handed over at the party.
“This substance contains high concentrations of alcohol and pharmaceutical-grade valerian derivatives,” Dr. Patel stated clearly. “Administering this to a newborn infant constitutes severe child endangerment. As a mandated reporter, I have already contacted the hospital social work department and local child protective services. State troopers have been notified.”
Judith’s face turned the color of ash. “CPS? You’re calling child services over a harmless family remedy?”
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“I am calling child services because an infant was chemically sedated without her mother's consent during a private family gathering,” Dr. Patel said coldly. “And the father of the child stood by and permitted it.”
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