Chapter 4 - THE DOCTOR WHO HAD NEVER EXAMINED ME
Dr. Warren Hale arrived at the hospital at midnight.
He wore a dark suit instead of medical clothing.
He introduced himself as a consulting psychiatrist.
I had never met him.
Dominic entered behind him.
Eleanor remained outside with her attorney.
Dr. Hale opened a file.
“Mrs. Vance, your family has expressed concern about persecutory thinking.”
“My family?”
“Your husband’s relatives.”
“You mean the people recorded forcing me to sign custody papers?”
He looked toward Julian.
“This is exactly the type of interpretation described in the report.”
Julian took the file from his hands.
“You diagnosed my wife without examining her?”
“The report is preliminary.”
“It says severe postpartum instability.”
“She gave birth yesterday.”
“Symptoms can begin immediately.”
Julian turned another page.
The report claimed I believed Eleanor wanted to steal my baby.
The draft was dated two weeks before Ava’s birth.
Julian held up the page.
“You diagnosed postpartum instability before she was postpartum.”
Dr. Hale’s expression changed.
“That may be a clerical error.”
I opened my laptop.
“I found five more clerical errors.”
The screen displayed payments from Vance Family Health to Hale Behavioral Associates.
The clinic received eight hundred thousand dollars during the previous year.
Three payments were labeled maternal-risk consulting.
No services were described.
Dr. Hale closed his file.
“I am not discussing financial records without counsel.”
Dominic stepped forward.
“Clara obtained those records unlawfully.”
“They are public nonprofit filings.”
“I organized them.”
“That is what forensic accountants do.”
Julian looked at Dominic.
“Why was the family foundation paying him?”
“For hospital consulting.”
“Why was he preparing a report about Clara?”
Dominic’s voice became colder.
“Because your wife is dangerous.”
I almost laughed.
I had been bruised, threatened, and separated from my newborn.
Yet they still needed me to be the threat.
Dr. Hale requested that the hospital place me under observation.
The attending physician refused.
My blood tests were normal.
My medical records showed no psychiatric history.
The video showed coercion by others.
Hospital security escorted Hale from the floor.
Before leaving, he looked at me.
“You may think this recording protects you.”
“It only proves you planned for conflict.”
I answered calmly.
“Yes.”
“I planned for powerful people to lie.”
He had no response.
After the door closed, Julian looked at the foundation transfers again.
“My mother controls this board.”
“Yes.”
“Dominic controls the legal committee.”
“Yes.”
“And they paid the doctor who was supposed to declare you unstable.”
“Yes.”
Julian stared toward the hallway where Eleanor waited.
May you like
For the first time, he was beginning to see that the custody papers were not an impulsive attack.
They were one piece of a larger machine.
