Chapter 6: The Doctor Who Knew Too Much
The words stayed in the air long after Dr. Wright said them.
“The person Logan was afraid of…”
He looked at me with a face full of disbelief and fear.
“…was the doctor who delivered Ethan today.””
I felt the room tilt.
“No.””
The word came out before I could even think.
“No.””
Because there were some things your mind refused to accept.
Because only hours earlier, that doctor had held my son.
He had checked his heartbeat.
He had made sure Ethan was breathing.
He had been the person standing between my baby and danger.
Dr. Wright stepped closer.
“Joanna, listen to me.””
I pulled Ethan closer.
“No.””
“Please.””
“You’re telling me the man who helped deliver my child was the person Logan was running from?””
Dr. Wright didn’t answer.
And that silence terrified me.
The officer looked between us.
“Who is this doctor?””
Dr. Wright swallowed.
“Dr. Samuel Hayes.””
The name meant nothing to me.
But it clearly meant something to him.
“You know him.””
“Yes.””
“How?””
The doctor looked away.
“He was the physician involved in the case Logan discovered.””
My chest tightened.
“The case with the altered records?””
He nodded.
“Yes.””
I looked at Ethan.
My son’s tiny chest rose and fell.
A few hours ago, I had been thanking strangers for helping bring him into the world.
Now I was wondering if one of those strangers had been connected to the reason his father disappeared.
“Why would he deliver my baby?””
Dr. Wright looked confused.
“He knew you were here?””
“I don’t know.””
The answer made me angry.
Everyone kept saying they didn’t know.
Everyone except me.
I was the only person who had been left in the dark.
“I want him brought here.””
The officer looked surprised.
“Ms. Miller—”
“I want to ask him myself.””
Dr. Wright shook his head.
“No.””
I turned toward him.
“No?””
“Not yet.””
My eyes narrowed.
“You don’t get to decide that.””
“I’m trying to protect you.””
I almost laughed.
“Everyone keeps saying that.””
I looked at the letter on the table.
“Logan said the same thing.””
Dr. Wright went silent.
The officer stepped forward.
“Ms. Miller, we need to be careful. If Dr. Hayes is involved, approaching him directly could put you at risk.””
“Then what am I supposed to do?””
The officer looked at the phone.
“Find out what Logan knew.””
The room became quiet.
I looked at the device.
At the last few seconds of Logan’s video.
The fear in his eyes.
The panic.
The way he looked behind him.
He hadn’t been leaving me.
He had been trying to save me.
A painful thought entered my mind.
How many nights had I cried over him?
How many times had I called him a coward?
How many times had I believed he didn’t love me?
My eyes burned.
“I hated him.””
The words escaped quietly.
Dr. Wright looked at me.
“I hated him for leaving.””
A tear fell onto the blanket.
“I thought he chose not to be a father.””
Nobody spoke.
Because nobody knew what to say.
The truth was cruel.
Sometimes the person who hurts you isn’t trying to hurt you.
Sometimes they are just too afraid to explain why.
A nurse suddenly knocked and entered.
“Joanna?””
I wiped my face quickly.
“Yes?””
“Sorry to interrupt, but the baby needs his first checkup.””
My arms tightened around Ethan.
“Who is doing it?””
The nurse smiled.
“Dr. Hayes usually handles newborn assessments, but we can assign another physician if you prefer.””
My heart stopped.
“Another physician.””
The nurse noticed my expression.
“Is something wrong?””
I looked at Dr. Wright.
Then at the officer.
Then back at the nurse.
“Yes.””
My voice was firm.
“I don’t want Dr. Hayes anywhere near my son.””
The nurse’s smile disappeared.
“Of course.””
She nodded.
“I’ll make sure another doctor comes.””
After she left, the officer looked at me.
“You did the right thing.””
I looked at Ethan.
“I don’t know what the right thing is anymore.””
The officer didn’t answer.
Because neither did I.
An hour later, another pediatrician examined Ethan.
Everything was normal.
Healthy.
Perfect.
The words should have comforted me.
Instead, I felt a constant fear sitting in my chest.
After the examination, I was finally moved back into my recovery room.
Dr. Wright stayed nearby.
I wasn’t sure if I wanted him there.
But I wasn’t ready to be alone either.
“You need to tell me everything,” I said.
He nodded.
“I will.””
“No more protecting me.””
“I understand.””
“No more secrets.””
He looked at Ethan.
“I promise.””
I studied his face.
“Start with Dr. Hayes.””
Dr. Wright sat down.
“Samuel Hayes was my closest colleague.””
“Was?””
“Yes.””
“What happened?””
He looked at his hands.
“Twenty years ago, we worked at the same hospital.””
“And the child who died?””
His expression darkened.
“That was Samuel’s case.””
I waited.
“He made a mistake during treatment.””
“What kind of mistake?””
“A medication error.””
My stomach turned.
“And then?””
“Then he asked me for help.””
I stared at him.
“You helped him hide it.””
“Yes.””
The honesty shocked me.
“Why?””
“Because I was afraid.””
“Of what?””
“Losing everything.””
The answer was quiet.
A successful doctor.
A respected name.
A perfect career.
All built on fear.
“What happened to the child’s family?””
Dr. Wright looked devastated.
“They were told the child died from complications.””
“But that wasn’t true.””
“No.””
I shook my head.
“And Logan found out.””
“Yes.””
“How?””
“He found old records.””
“And he confronted you.””
“Yes.””
“What did Samuel do?””
Dr. Wright looked toward the door.
“I don’t know.””
I sighed.
“Again.””
He looked at me.
“I truly don’t.””
“Then tell me what you think.””
He was silent.
Finally, he said:
“I think Samuel realized Logan knew too much.””
A cold feeling moved through me.
“And now Samuel is here.””
“Yes.””
“Working at this hospital.””
“Yes.””
“Delivering babies.””
Dr. Wright’s face tightened.
“Yes.””
I looked down.
“Why would he do that?””
The doctor didn’t answer.
Because the answer was obvious.
To get close.
To watch.
To control what happened next.
My phone suddenly rang.
I froze.
Nobody should have been calling me.
Not after everything.
The screen showed an unknown number.
Dr. Wright looked at it.
“Don’t answer.””
I stared at the phone.
The ringing continued.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Then a message appeared.
One sentence.
My blood ran cold.
*You should not have trusted Robert Wright.*
I looked at Dr. Wright.
Then another message appeared.
*Logan was right about him.*
My fingers went numb.
A third message came.
*But he was wrong about one thing.*
The room was silent.
I opened the final message.
And the words on the screen made my entire body freeze.
*The person who destroyed Logan’s life was never his father.*
A second later, another message arrived.
A photograph.
I opened it.
And my heart stopped.
It was a picture of me.
Taken today.
Inside the hospital.
Holding Ethan.
Someone had been watching me.
Someone had been close enough to take the picture.
Dr. Wright stood immediately.
“When was this sent?””
“Just now.””
His face turned pale.
“Joanna…”
I looked at him.
“What?””
He stared at the photograph.
Then at the hallway outside my room.
“Because whoever sent this…”
May you like
His voice dropped.
“…is still inside the hospital.””
