Chapter 5 - The Bottle Beside the Bed
The water bottle was sealed as evidence.
Laboratory testing found a low dose of lorazepam inside.
The amount was not enough to render Emily unconscious.
It was enough to slow her responses, blur her memory, and make her appear confused.
The same medication had been added to her blood during two previous appointments.
Emily remembered both days.
On one, Preston told a nurse she had become disoriented in the parking garage.
On the other, he claimed she had forgotten an entire conversation.
She had begun doubting herself.
That had been the point.
Raymond ordered an audit of every medication administered to Emily during pregnancy.
Preston demanded a lawyer.
Vanessa demanded her phone.
Hospital security gave neither of them what they wanted.
At six o’clock, the trust board gathered through an emergency video conference.
Preston’s father, Dr. Lawrence Whitmore, appeared from his private office.
He seemed more annoyed than concerned.
“Raymond, this family drama should not interrupt a network-wide vote.”
Raymond placed the forged consent form on camera.
“Do you recognize this?”
Lawrence barely glanced at it.
“Emily signed it.”
“She did not.”
“Then her husband acted under marital authority.”
“No marital authority allows him to forge her signature.”
Lawrence leaned back.
“You are allowing a frightened young woman to damage a billion-dollar restructuring.”
Emily asked to be placed on the call.
Raymond hesitated.
She insisted.
A nurse moved the monitor beside her bed.
Emily looked directly at Lawrence.
“You signed the psychiatric hold.”
“Based on reports from your husband.”
“Did you examine me?”
“No.”
“Did you speak to my obstetrician?”
“That was unnecessary.”
“Did you know I was scheduled for an induction tonight?”
Lawrence remained silent.
The board members began exchanging messages.
Emily continued.
“Did you know your son’s mistress planned to assault me in the hallway?”
“That is an outrageous accusation.”
Vanessa shouted from outside the room.
“He said she would only be scared.”
Every person on the call heard her.
Preston turned on her.
“Be quiet.”
Vanessa looked at him in disbelief.
“You promised I would be protected.”
Security officers separated them.
Lawrence disconnected from the conference.
Raymond immediately froze the restructuring vote.
Then legal counsel discovered something worse.
Lawrence had submitted a second document.
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It transferred ownership of Emily’s unborn child’s medical data to a private research company.
The company belonged to Vanessa Cross.
