Chapter 16 - The Deputy outside
I stumbled out of Room 4, my vision blurred by a cascade of fresh tears.
The deputy stationed outside the glass door watched me with a hard, unreadable expression.
I collapsed into a vinyl chair across the hallway, pressing my forehead against my knees.
The hospital corridor was quiet, cold, and sterile.
A nurse walked by, offering a small cup of water, but I couldn't look at her.
I sat there for hours, suspended in an unbearable, waking nightmare.
Inside Room 4, I could see David through the glass, sitting motionless beside Leo's bed, holding his tiny hand.
He didn't look back toward the hallway once.
At midnight, Child Protective Services investigator Sandra Martinez arrived on the floor.
She spoke briefly with the deputy before entering Room 4 to interview David.
Twenty minutes later, she walked out and sat in the chair beside me.
"Mrs. Vance," she said softly, pulling a thick Manila folder onto her lap.
"I have placed an emergency safety hold on Leo."
"What does that mean?" I whispered.
"It means that effective immediately, you are restricted from unsupervised contact with your son," Sandra explained.
"If Leo recovers and is discharged, he will be placed in the primary custody of his father pending a full state investigation."
"You cannot be left alone with him."
May you like
The words cut through me, cold and final.
I was officially deemed a threat to the child I had carried for nine months.
