Chapter 1 - The Third Time
My name is Griffin Maddox.
I was forty years old when I walked into my daughter’s hospital room and saw my mother dragging her out of bed.
Elodie was seven.
Small for her age.
Pale from six days in the hospital.
Dark hair tangled around her cheeks.
A clear nasal oxygen tube ran beneath her nose.
A pulse-oximeter wire trailed from one finger.
Her stuffed rabbit, Button, was pressed against her chest.
Or had been.
Bernice snatched it away.
My mother was sixty-six.
Elegant.
Cream blouse.
Pearl earrings.
Tailored black trousers.
Every movement still carried the confidence of a woman accustomed to being obeyed before she finished speaking.
“Elodie.”
My daughter’s eyes widened.
“No.”
“You have been lying in this bed all morning.”
“I’m tired.”
“You’re always tired when your father is looking.”
Elodie reached for Button.
Bernice threw the rabbit onto the floor.
“Enough.”
Then she grabbed Elodie by both shoulders.
I entered at exactly that moment.
Bernice pulled.
Elodie cried out.
Her legs slid over the edge of the mattress.
The oxygen tubing stretched.
One foot touched the floor.
Then the other buckled.
She fell.
Not from high enough for a dramatic injury.
Still hard enough that her knee struck the vinyl flooring.
Button landed beside her.
My briefcase? I didn't have one. I had my phone and coffee. The coffee hit the counter as I moved.
“LET GO OF MY DAUGHTER!”
I crossed the room.
Bernice turned.
“Griffin—”
I shoved myself between them and slapped her.
Hard.
One open-handed strike.
Her head turned.
She stumbled into the visitor chair.
I did not hit her again.
I immediately bent.
“Elodie.”
She was crying.
“I’m here.”
“My knee.”
“I know.”
I lifted her carefully.
Put her back onto the bed.
Checked the oxygen tubing.
The pulse-oximeter alarm began chirping.
Her saturation had fallen.
Ninety-one.
Eighty-nine.
Then slowly back upward with oxygen and rest.
I hit the nurse call button.
My mother stood behind me holding one hand against her cheek.
“You have lost your mind.”
I ignored her.
Picked up Button.
Placed him back into Elodie’s arms.
She hugged the rabbit against her chest.
Bernice pointed at her.
“She’s pretending to be sick because she wants your attention.”
I turned.
“What did you say?”
“You heard me.”
“She is in a hospital.”
“And she loves it.”
Elodie flinched.
I saw.
My voice dropped.
“Do not say another word to her.”
Bernice laughed once.
“She can walk.”
“What?”
“She walks when she thinks nobody is looking.”
“Mom.”
“I have seen it.”
Elodie grabbed my sleeve.
Her fingers shook.
“Daddy…”
I turned immediately.
“What?”
Her eyes moved toward Bernice.
Then back to me.
“Grandma makes me get out of bed every time you leave.”
Everything inside me stopped.
Bernice snapped:
“She’s lying!”
The door opened.
Colette Avery entered.
Elodie’s pediatric nurse.
Twenty-nine.
Hair tied back.
Blue scrubs.
Calm eyes that became sharp the second she took in the room.
She looked at Elodie.
At the oxygen tubing.
At Bernice.
At me.
Then she stepped directly between my mother and the bed.
“No more.”
Bernice stiffened.
“Excuse me?”
Colette did not answer her.
She looked directly at me.
Visibly disturbed.
“Mr. Griffin… this is the third time I’ve caught your mother doing this.”
May you like
I slowly turned toward Bernice.
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