Chapter 2 - The Toxicology Report
The emergency room was a sterile nightmare of glaring fluorescent lights and the smell of bleach. They had rushed Leo behind double doors into Trauma Room 3, leaving Marcus and me in a cold waiting area, pacing the floor for what felt like an eternity.
Finally, a doctor with a grim expression walked through the swinging doors.
"Mr. and Mrs. Vance?" he asked. We practically leaped out of our chairs. "Your son is stable, but he’s in critical condition. We’ve administered epinephrine and pumped his stomach."
"Pumped his stomach?" Marcus choked out. "Why? Was it a food allergy? He doesn't have any severe allergies!"
The doctor sighed, looking down at his chart. "It wasn't an allergy, Mr. Vance. It was a severe toxicity reaction. We found concentrated traces of liquid digitalis—foxglove extract—in his system. It’s highly toxic, especially to a child his size. It induces severe abdominal pain, heart palpitations, and can be fatal. What exactly did he eat or drink before he collapsed?"
My blood ran cold. Digitalis. A plant extract. My mind raced back to the morning. The peach crisp. The sweet tea. The sweet tea.
"My mother," Marcus whispered, the realization hitting him like a freight train. His eyes widened in absolute horror. "She grows foxglove in her greenhouse. She brought a thermos of her special herbal tea for the adults. I saw her hand Leo a small cup of it right before the dessert."
The doctor’s expression hardened. "I need to notify the police. But right now, Leo needs a blood transfusion to stabilize his kidney function. The toxin did some damage."
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"Take mine," Marcus said instantly, rolling up his sleeve. "I'm O-Negative. I'm the universal donor. Take whatever he needs."
The doctor looked at his tablet, swiping through Leo's digital medical file. He frowned, his brow furrowing in confusion. "Mr. Vance... you can't be the donor. According to this file from four years ago, you aren't a genetic match to this child."
