Chapter 2 - The Medical Verdict
The hospital waiting room felt like an icebox.
Marcus paced back and forth, his hands running through his hair in absolute disbelief.
Hours passed before Dr. Evans, the head of pediatric toxicology, finally walked through the swinging doors.
His expression was grim, and he carried a thick medical file.
"Your daughter is stable, but she is very lucky you found her when you did," Dr. Evans said quietly.
I collapsed into a plastic chair, sobbing with relief.
"What did they give her?" Marcus asked, his voice shaking with anger.
The doctor adjusted his glasses and leaned in close.
"That’s the disturbing part," Dr. Evans whispered.
"It wasn't a standard over-the-counter sleep aid or cough syrup."
He opened the file and pointed to a complex chemical breakdown.
"We found traces of a highly regulated, black-market anesthetic."
"It’s a drug typically used to keep large animals unconscious during transport."
My blood ran cold as the reality of his words set in.
"In recent years, the FBI has flagged this specific compound," the doctor continued.
"It is frequently used by human trafficking rings to keep children silent."
The room started to spin.
My parents hadn't just made a careless mistake.
They had intentionally dosed my four-year-old daughter with a trafficking drug.
And Vanessa had pointed me to the dumpster.
Why would she want me to find Lily if they were trying to get rid of her?
"Don't let this become another Nora," Lily had muttered before passing out.
May you like
I realized then that Nora hadn’t died of childhood leukemia like I had been told.
My parents had done this before.
