The Night Lily Almost Died

Part 2 — “I Called the Police.”

I unlocked my phone.

Patricia stepped toward me.

“What are you doing?”

I looked directly at her.

“Calling the police.”

Her expression changed.

“Emily, don’t.”

“I already did.”

Daniel stared at me.

“Mom…”

Patricia grabbed my wrist.

“You’re going to destroy this family over an accident?”

I pulled away.

“You slapped me while I was holding my baby.”

“I was trying to stop the crying!”

“And now she’s fighting for her life.”

Patricia opened her mouth.

Nothing came out.

Then the hospital doors opened.

A nurse hurried toward us.

“Mrs. Miller?”

I stood.

“Yes?”

“We need you back in the treatment area.”

I followed her immediately.

Daniel tried to come with me.

The nurse stopped him.

“Only the mother right now.”

Patricia grabbed his arm.

“Daniel, don’t let her tell them I did anything.”

I heard her.

And I knew then that she wasn’t sorry.

She was afraid.

Part 3 — The Doctor’s Question

Dr. Blake was standing beside Lily’s bed.

There were tubes everywhere.

Machines were beeping.

A nurse was performing compressions while another prepared medication.

I almost collapsed.

“Is she alive?”

Dr. Blake looked at me.

“We have a pulse again.”

I covered my mouth.

A sob escaped.

“But she’s critical,” he continued.

I nodded.

“What happened?”

I told him.

Everything.

The crying.

The slap.

Lily slipping.

The impact.

Patricia’s words.

Dr. Blake listened carefully.

Then he asked,

“Did anyone else witness the incident?”

“Daniel was nearby.”

“Your husband?”

“Yes.”

“Anyone else?”

“No.”

He nodded.

“We’ll document your statement.”

I looked at Lily.

“Will she be okay?”

He didn’t give me a false promise.

“We don’t know yet.”

Those four words were terrifying.

Then a police officer entered.

“Mrs. Miller?”

“Yes.”

“I need to speak with you.”

I looked toward Lily.

The officer followed my gaze.

“We’ll stay here as long as you need.”

I nodded.

Then he asked the question that would change everything.

“Did your mother-in-law strike you before the baby fell?”

“Yes.”

“Did she touch the baby?”

“No.”

“Then we need to understand exactly how the baby fell.”

I closed my eyes.

“I was holding her against my shoulder.”

The officer wrote something down.

“Which means the fall occurred immediately after the slap?”

“Yes.”

He nodded.

“That’s important.”

Part 4 — The Camera

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