When hospital security quietly took their places near the consultation room entrance, Dr. Lucas Bennett felt that familiar heaviness settle in his chest — the same feeling he always had when something wasn’t right.

Laura glared at him.

“Are you detaining me?”

Maria replied calmly.

“We just need to clarify a few things.”

Emma continued crying softly.

Lucas gently took her hand.

“Everything is going to be okay.”

About an hour later, the preliminary test results arrived.

Lucas read them once.

Then again.

Then a third time.

He wished he had misunderstood.

But the numbers were clear.

“My God…” he murmured.

Maria looked at him.

“What is it?”

Lucas lifted his eyes.

“There are traces of ipecac.”

Maria frowned.