Chapter 7: The Long Night at Louisville General
The smell of antiseptic and stale coffee greeted me as I walked back into the pediatric wing of Louisville General. It was past midnight. The frantic energy of the ER had died down, replaced by the hushed, sterile quiet of the night shift.
I found Evelyn's room at the end of the hall. The lights were dimmed. Jamie was asleep in the metal crib, an IV line taped securely to his tiny hand. His breathing was even now, the terrifying flush of fever replaced by a pale, exhausted calm.
Evelyn was sitting in the vinyl chair next to the crib, her head resting on the metal railing. She was still wearing the oversized, stained t-shirt. She looked so fragile that I was afraid speaking too loudly would break her.
I pulled up a chair beside her and gently covered her hand with mine. She stirred, her eyes fluttering open. When she saw it was me, a flicker of panic crossed her face, an instinctual reaction that broke my heart all over again.
"He's okay," she whispered, her voice raspy. "The fever broke about twenty minutes ago. The doctor said the antibiotics are working."
"Thank God," I breathed, leaning forward to press a kiss to my son's cool forehead. I turned back to Evelyn. "Evie... she's gone. My mother is gone. She’s in police custody, and Marcus is with her."
Evelyn blinked, trying to process the words. "In custody? For what? Because of the party?"
"No," I said gently. "Because Marcus tried to run from the cops, and they found a forged quitclaim deed in his jacket. She was trying to sign the house over to herself."
Evelyn’s hand clamped over her mouth to stifle a gasp. Tears welled in her eyes, spilling over her lashes in hot, silent streams. I pulled her out of the rigid plastic chair and onto my lap, wrapping my arms around her tightly. She buried her face in my shoulder, and years of repressed terror, exhaustion, and manipulation finally poured out of her.
"She told me you were angry with me," Evelyn sobbed against my chest. "She said you were working so much because you couldn't stand being around a depressed wife. She took my debit card, Colin. She said I was spending too much on baby clothes when we were behind on the mortgage. Every time I tried to call you, she would stand right next to me. If I complained, she threatened to call CPS and tell them I was neglecting Jamie."
Bile rose in my throat. "Why didn't you tell me? I would have come home. I would have quit my job, Evie."
"I was so tired," she confessed, her voice breaking. "I was barely sleeping. She was waking me up at all hours to clean up after her friends. I felt like I was going crazy. I thought... I thought maybe she was right. Maybe I was just a terrible mother."
"Look at me," I said, pulling back just enough to force her to meet my eyes. "You are the strongest woman I know. You kept him alive. You endured hell because you thought you were protecting our family. I am the one who failed you. I brought her into our home. I trusted her."
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"You didn't know," Evelyn whispered, wiping her face.
"I know now," I vowed, my voice hardening with absolute resolve. "And I promise you, Evelyn, she is going to pay for every single tear she forced you to shed."
