Chapter 6 - The Dark Discovery
Dr. Cole’s words echoed in my ears like a distant siren. Exposed to a specific compound over an extended period...
I stood motionless in the hallway, the hospital lights suddenly feeling blindingly bright.
“No,” I said slowly, panic clawing at my chest. “No, she doesn't do drugs. She’s a straight-A student, a soccer player, a kid who wouldn’t even take an aspirin without asking. She eats what I cook, drinks what I give her...”
I stopped mid-sentence.
My own words hung in the air, echoing back to me with terrifying clarity.
She eats what I cook, drinks what I give her...
“Mrs. Bennett?” Dr. Cole prompted gently, noticing the sudden loss of color in my face. “Is something coming to mind?”
“Daniel,” I whispered, the name slipping out like a curse.
“Your husband?”
“He... he was always the one who insisted on making her special protein shakes every morning before school,” I stammered, my thoughts racing backward through the past year. “He said she needed extra nutrition because she was playing sports. He made them in his blender in the kitchen every single day, and insisted she drink the whole glass before he’d let her leave the house... and whenever I tried to taste it, he would get irrationally angry, yelling at me for wasting his expensive supplements.”
Dr. Cole’s expression darkened instantly. “Did she complain about feeling worse after drinking them?”
“Always!” I gasped, horror washing over me in a tidal wave. “She said it tasted bitter, that it made her stomach burn right away! But Daniel... Daniel told her she was just being dramatic, that healthy supplements always tasted bad, and forced her to finish it!”
The pieces of a monstrous, unimaginable puzzle slammed together in my mind. Daniel didn't just dismiss her illness—he had engineered it. Or worse, he had been giving her something toxic, something to keep her weak, compliant, or dependent, or perhaps to cover up financial schemes involving insurance payouts or medical neglect.
“Dr. Cole,” I said, my voice trembling with cold rage. “Can the lab test her blood and tissue samples for specific toxins?”
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“Yes,” he replied firmly. “We can run a comprehensive toxicology screen right now. If there are foreign compounds in her system, the lab will find them.”
“Do it,” I said. “Do whatever it takes. And keep this room locked down. I don't want Daniel anywhere near my daughter.”
