Chapter 2 - The Exam Room
A young pediatrician, Dr. Renata Cho, walked in, followed by a nurse with her hair pulled back and sharp, attentive eyes.
"I'm going to take a look at Emma, okay?" she said, calm, speaking directly to the child, not to me.
I liked that. Emma didn't answer. She just stared at the door. The doctor noticed. "No one is coming into this room without my permission."
Emma finally looked up. "Not even my mom?"
The air went out of the room. The doctor and I traded a split-second glance. The nurse stepped over and closed the door softly.
"Not even your mom, if you don't want her to," Dr. Cho said.
Emma swallowed hard and nodded. The exam was slow. Respectful. Agonizing to watch. When the doctor carefully peeled back the tape, a small, clean incision came into view — fresh stitches, slight inflammation. Not a kitchen-table job. Not a DIY bandage.
"This was done by medical personnel," Dr. Cho said, her face hardening. "Do you know if she had any recent surgery?"
"No," I said. "My sister didn't tell me anything."
The doctor turned back to Emma. "Sweetie, do you remember why they did this to you?"
Emma looked down at her swimsuit on the floor. "They said it was so Mommy would stop crying."
I felt the room tilt. The doctor didn't show surprise, but her shoulders went rigid. "Who said that?"
Emma picked at the edge of the paper sheet on the table. "The man in the coat. And Mommy said if I was good, everything would be easier for everyone. That I shouldn't tell my aunt because she wouldn't understand."
The nurse was already typing. The doctor kept her voice exactly as soft as before. "Did it hurt?"
Emma nodded.
"Did anyone explain what they were going to do?"
She shook her head hard.
"Did you go to sleep for it?"
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"Yes… they put a mask on me that smelled bad."
I had to grip the counter to keep from going down. The doctor looked at me then, with the expression of someone about to open a door that can never be closed again. "I need to speak with you outside for a moment."
