Chapter 2 - The Antidote
The double doors swung open, and the lead toxicologist walked out. His face was grim but composed. “Mr. and Mrs. Vance?”
Sarah practically leaped out of her chair. “Is he okay? Please tell me my baby is alive.”
“He is stable, but he’s in critical condition,” the doctor explained. “We ran a rapid toxicology screen. The substance in his system is a highly concentrated form of ethylene glycol—antifreeze. Because he only ingested a small spoonful of the filling, the dose wasn't immediately fatal. But if he had eaten a full slice of that tart…” The doctor trailed off, the implication hanging in the heavy air.
Sarah collapsed into Daniel’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably. The sheer evil of it was incomprehensible. Ethylene glycol is sweet to the taste. Beatrice chose it specifically because a child wouldn't reject it.
May you like
“We have administered an antidote, Fomepizole, to block the toxic metabolites from destroying his kidneys,” the doctor continued. “The next twenty-four hours are critical. You can see him now, but he is heavily sedated.”
Walking into the ICU and seeing Lucas hooked up to a tangle of tubes and IV bags shattered whatever remained of Daniel’s familial loyalty. The woman who gave birth to him was dead to him. In her place was a monster that needed to be caged.
