Chapter 2 - THE STORY MAISY TOLD
The children were examined that evening.
Maisy had:
scraped feet,
small cuts,
mild dehydration,
no fractures.
Theo was exhausted but medically stable.
Rachel sat beside them in the emergency department and asked Maisy to tell the story once.
Not over and over.
Once.
Curtis had been making lunch.
Then he stopped.
He stared at Theo.
Called him Danny.
Maisy corrected him.
“No, Grandpa. That’s Theo.”
Curtis became angry.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He picked Theo up.
Maisy said Theo started crying.
Curtis headed toward the back door.
Maisy blocked him.
“Mom says we stay inside.”
Curtis grabbed her arm.
“Give him here.”
Maisy pulled Theo back.
Curtis reached again.
She ran.
Not toward the street.
Into the woods.
Why?
“Grandpa was by the front door.”
Smart child.
Terrified child.
Rachel asked:
“Did Grandpa hit you?”
Maisy shook her head.
“He squeezed.”
“Did he say he wanted to hurt Theo?”
“No.”
“What did he say?”
Maisy thought.
“He said he had to take Danny home.”
Rachel closed her eyes.
Curtis believed Theo was his dead son.
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That was not normal aging.
That was acute confusion until proven otherwise.
