Daniel came back on the phone.
“Just part-time,” he said quickly. “Only a few hours in the mornings. Megan hasn’t been sleeping. It was supposed to be temporary.”
“When did this start?”
“About two weeks ago.”
I pressed my free hand to my forehead.
“And today? Was she with Noah before I arrived?”
Daniel hesitated. Just long enough to confirm every bad thought.
“Yes.”
“How long?”
“About an hour. Megan had a postpartum checkup.”
I closed my eyes.
“Daniel, did you ever notice anything off about her?”
“No. She seemed fine. Great, actually. Calm. Professional. Excellent references.”
“What’s her name?”
“Laura.”
The waiting room door opened, and Dr. Patel stepped inside with another printout in his hand.
“We’ve stabilized Noah,” he said. “He’s resting now.”
Relief washed over me so sharply it almost hurt. For one brief, selfish second I wanted to ignore everything else and cling only to that. He was resting. He was not dying. The world had not ended in the worst way available.
Then the doctor added, “There’s something else.”
And the fear came back just as hard.
