PART 17 – I Had Finally Stopped Answering the Same Accusations, Because I Wanted the Officers to Discover What Really Happened

I sat quietly while the hospital staff continued caring for Lily.

I had been awake for so long that even simple movements felt difficult.

My eyes hurt.

My shoulders were stiff.

And I hadn't eaten anything since the previous evening.

But none of that mattered as much as knowing my daughter was recovering.

I kept looking toward the medical area.

Every time someone walked through the doors, I hoped they were coming to tell me something about her.

Daniel was still nearby.

He had become quieter, although I could tell he was still upset.

Patricia sat beside him.

Neither of them had offered me the comfort I had expected when they arrived.

I had stopped waiting for it.

I thought about the thirty-six magnets again.

I couldn't understand how anyone could look at that number and immediately conclude that I had caused it.

A five-year-old had swallowed thirty-six powerful magnets.

She had suffered internal injuries.

A surgeon had removed part of her damaged intestine.

Those facts deserved a serious investigation.

Not a family argument.

I looked toward Officer Carter.

"Have you received any information about the dining room recording?"

He explained that the information I had provided was part of what they needed to consider.

I nodded.

I didn't want to interfere with their work.

But I wanted to make sure the camera wasn't forgotten.

The recording covered an important part of our home.

I had told them where it was.

I had explained that it could help establish what happened before Lily became sick.

I wanted them to examine it.

Daniel finally spoke.

"You really think that camera is going to explain everything?"

I looked at him.

"I think we should find out what it recorded."

He shook his head.

I didn't respond.

I wasn't expecting the camera to answer every medical question.

I wasn't expecting it to explain the entire investigation.

I simply wanted evidence.

That seemed reasonable to me.

Patricia looked toward the officers.

Then she looked at me.

I wondered whether she was beginning to understand that the situation couldn't be settled by criticizing my parenting.

But I couldn't know.

I didn't want to guess anymore.

I had spent too much of the night watching people make assumptions.

I wanted the facts.

A nurse eventually approached and gave me information about Lily's condition.

I listened closely.

I asked whether I would be able to see her.

I was told to wait until the medical team was comfortable with her recovery.

I accepted that.

I wanted to follow their instructions.

I didn't want to make anything harder for Lily.

After the nurse left, I looked down at the blanket.

It was the same one I had wrapped around my daughter before driving to the emergency department.

I folded one corner between my fingers.

I remembered how tightly Lily had held my shirt.

I remembered her little voice.

I remembered promising that we were going to find help.

I had kept that promise.

Now I needed the truth about what had happened before I heard her crying.

Click here to continue reading: PART 18: The Questions Were Still Hanging Over Our Family, but I Wanted the Investigation to Follow the Evidence Instead of Anyone’s Opinion