Chapter 1: What Was Hidden Beneath the Cast
Chapter 1: What Was Hidden Beneath the Cast
Daniel stared at Evelyn, his mind racing.
"You were a pediatric trauma nurse?"
"For six years," Evelyn answered. "Long enough to know when a child is terrified for a reason."
Marissa folded her arms.
"This is ridiculous. If you cut off that cast, you'll undo everything the orthopedic surgeon did."
Evelyn looked at Daniel.
"I'm not asking to remove the entire cast. Just a small inspection window."
Noah's breathing became faster.
"Dad... please..."
Daniel hesitated.
Every instinct told him to trust his wife.
But another part of him—the part that remembered every promise he'd made beside his first wife's grave—told him to trust his son.
He nodded.
"Do it."
Marissa stepped forward.
"No! Daniel, if anything happens—"
"It's my decision."
Silence filled the room.
Evelyn carefully switched on the cast saw.
The familiar buzzing sound filled the hospital room.
She gently guided the blade across the plaster.
Unlike ordinary saws, the oscillating blade couldn't cut skin.
Within seconds, she lifted away a narrow strip of hardened plaster.
A foul odor escaped immediately.
The nurses exchanged confused looks.
"That shouldn't smell like this," one whispered.
Evelyn peeled back the inner padding.
Something black wriggled.
She froze.
Then something crawled out.
A live cockroach.
Another followed.
Then another.
One nurse screamed.
Daniel staggered backward.
"What... what is that?"
Evelyn quickly pulled away more padding.
Dozens of insects scattered across the hospital bed.
Underneath them, Noah's arm was covered with angry red bites.
Tiny scratches crossed his skin.
Blood mixed with infected sores.
Noah burst into tears.
"I told you something was moving..."
Daniel's knees nearly gave out.
He looked at Marissa.
She had gone completely pale.
"No..." she whispered.
But Evelyn wasn't looking at the insects anymore.
Her eyes focused on something much worse.
Tucked deep inside the padding...
...was a tiny plastic capsule with dozens of ventilation holes.
Someone had deliberately created a container to keep the insects alive.
The room fell silent.
One detective who happened to be interviewing another patient nearby stepped into the room after hearing the commotion.
He picked up the capsule using gloves.
"This wasn't an accident."
Daniel slowly turned toward his wife.
"Tell me you didn't do this."
Marissa didn't answer.
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For the first time since Noah's mother died...
Daniel looked at his wife as though she were a complete stranger.
