Chapter 2 - WHAT THEY CALLED A LITTLE MEDICINE
Maisie woke fully in the emergency department three hours later.
Claire cried harder at the sound of her daughter demanding apple juice than she had when the physician explained why they were keeping her for observation.
The attending doctor, Dr. Hannah Patel, was careful with her language.
Maisie’s symptoms were consistent with exposure to a sedating antihistamine. Her blood pressure had been low when paramedics arrived, and she had been mildly dehydrated. The hospital had preserved blood samples for additional toxicology testing, but Dr. Patel warned Claire that determining the exact amount swallowed might take time.
“What matters right now,” she said, “is that she’s awake, her breathing is stable, and her heart rhythm looks good.”
Claire sat beside the crib-style hospital bed.
Maisie clutched the ear of a stuffed rabbit Lucas had bought downstairs.
“Could one dose do this?”
“It depends on the medication and amount.”
“My mother says it was one.”
Dr. Patel paused.
“Then we need to know what ‘one’ means.”
A hospital social worker had already spoken with Claire.
Because Maisie was two and the medication had apparently been given without Claire’s knowledge before she was found unattended in a commercial dumpster, county children services had been notified.
Claire didn’t object.
The part that hurt was knowing someone needed to make that report about her own parents.
Lucas sat near the window, his untouched coffee cold between his hands.
He had been planning to propose that afternoon.
Claire didn’t know that yet.
He had spent two weeks arranging a small picnic at Blendon Woods because Claire hated public proposals. Maisie was supposed to wear a shirt Tessa had helped him order that said nothing clever, because Claire also hated shirts that announced adult business through children.
The ring was still zipped inside the inner pocket of his backpack.
He hadn’t looked at it once since the ambulance arrived.
Claire’s phone buzzed.
ELAINE.
Then WARREN.
Then ELAINE again.
She turned it face down.
A nurse entered.
“There’s a woman asking for you at the desk. Tessa Mercer?”
Claire’s jaw tightened.
“Let her in.”
Tessa entered alone.
The casual dress from the party looked wrong beneath hospital lights. There was a red mark around her forearm where Elaine had grabbed her.
Claire looked immediately at her hands.
“Where’s the bottle?”
“I gave it to the paramedic.”
“Good.”
Tessa sat down.
Claire didn’t invite her to.
“What did you mean?”
Tessa swallowed.
“When?”
“Don’t.”
Tessa looked at Maisie.
“It wasn’t one dose.”
Lucas stood.
“How many?”
“I don’t know.”
Claire felt anger rise so quickly that she had to grip the bed rail.
“You were there.”
“I know.”
“How many?”
“I gave her one.”
Lucas stared at her.
Claire did not move.
Tessa began crying.
“Mom handed me the cup. She said you’d told her Maisie could have children’s allergy medicine because she had trouble sleeping somewhere unfamiliar.”
“I never said that.”
“I know that now.”
“You know that now?”
Tessa wiped her cheek.
“She was fussy. Brooke was trying to sleep. Mom said you’d used it before.”
Claire stood.
“I have never drugged my daughter to make her sleep.”
“I know.”
“No, you don’t get to say that.”
“Claire—”
“What happened after you gave it to her?”
Tessa looked toward the hallway.
“Mom gave her more later.”
“How much later?”
“Maybe an hour.”
“And Dad?”
Tessa hesitated.
Claire saw it.
“What did Dad do?”
“I don’t know exactly.”
“That’s not what your face says.”
Tessa pressed both hands together.
“I went downstairs around four because I heard Maisie crying. Dad was holding the bottle.”
Claire’s mouth went dry.
“Doing what?”
“I didn’t see.”
“Then what did you see?”
“Maisie couldn’t stand properly.”
Lucas turned toward the wall.
Tessa’s voice dropped.
“I told them to call you.”
Claire stared at her sister.
“And?”
“Dad said you were finishing your shift and they weren’t going to destroy your career because a toddler was sleepy.”
“That makes no sense.”
“I know.”
“Why was she in the dumpster?”
Tessa started to answer.
Then stopped.
It was the same hesitation from the loading door.
Claire noticed something else.
“What?”
Tessa shook her head.
“What aren’t you telling me?”
“Not here.”
“You will tell me here.”
May you like
Tessa looked at Maisie again.
Then whispered, “Because this wasn’t the first time they’d used that medicine on a child.”
