Chapter 2 - THE X-RAY
Jonathan did not call Samuel Voss.
That was Nina’s first request.
“Please don’t tell him what we found yet.”
Jonathan looked at her.
“Why?”
“Because if I’m wrong, we embarrass ourselves.”
“And if you’re right?”
Nina looked at Ethan.
“Then I want another doctor seeing him first.”
Jonathan almost argued.
Then Ethan whimpered when Jonathan adjusted his hold.
That ended the debate.
They drove to the emergency department at North Valley Children’s Hospital, not St. Matthew Medical Center where Ethan had been born.
Jonathan chose distance on purpose.
A pediatric emergency physician examined Ethan.
Dr. Sara Malik was calm, specific, and unimpressed by wealth.
Jonathan liked her immediately.
“When does he cry?” she asked.
Nina handed over the notebook.
Dr. Malik read three pages.
“You wrote all this?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because everyone kept saying colic, but he doesn’t cry randomly.”
Dr. Malik looked at Jonathan.
“Did you notice the positional pattern?”
Jonathan’s shame came fast.
“No.”
“Most parents wouldn’t.”
He hated the mercy.
The examination was gentle.
Ethan tolerated his right side.
Cried sharply over the lower left chest.
Dr. Malik ordered imaging.
Jonathan stood behind the lead barrier while Ethan’s tiny body was positioned for the X-ray.
He wanted to tear the hospital apart simply because his son was crying.
Nina stood beside him.
“This is better than not knowing.”
Jonathan said nothing.
Twenty minutes later, Dr. Malik returned.
Her expression was no longer casual.
“There appears to be a healing fracture of the left sixth rib.”
Jonathan stared.
“A fracture?”
“Yes.”
“In a six-week-old?”
“Yes.”
His eyes moved to Nina.
She went white.
Dr. Malik continued quickly.
“The age estimate is not exact, but this does not look brand new. There is callus formation.”
Jonathan swallowed.
“How old?”
“Potentially several weeks.”
Nina covered her mouth.
Jonathan sat down.
The nursery camera.
His accusation.
Get away from my baby.
Dr. Malik continued:
“There’s also evidence of soft-tissue healing around the area. I want a skeletal survey and pediatric radiology review.”
Jonathan looked up sharply.
“Are you saying someone hurt him?”
“I’m saying we have to consider all causes.”
Nina began crying silently.
Dr. Malik added:
“Birth trauma, resuscitation injury, accidental injury, non-accidental trauma, metabolic bone disease. We don’t guess.”
Jonathan nodded mechanically.
The skeletal survey showed no other fractures.
No signs of repeated injury.
No skull injury.
No suspicious pattern.
One healing rib fracture.
One localized pain source.
Dr. Malik asked about the birth.
Jonathan could barely answer.
Emergency C-section.
Fetal distress.
Laura under spinal anesthesia converted to general anesthesia late.
Ethan taken briefly to another room.
Jonathan told there had been “minor respiratory support.”
“How long?” Dr. Malik asked.
“I don’t know.”
“Chest compressions?”
“No one said.”
“Intubation?”
“No one said.”
Nina opened Ethan’s newborn record.
“His discharge summary says routine stabilization.”
Dr. Malik frowned.
“That wording is vague.”
Jonathan felt the room tighten.
Then a pediatric radiologist called.
The fracture, in her opinion, looked consistent with an injury several weeks old—possibly dating back to the neonatal period.
Jonathan whispered:
“The day he was born.”
Dr. Malik did not confirm.
But she did not dismiss it.
Then she asked the question that turned suspicion into direction.
“Do you have the delivery-room resuscitation record?”
May you like
Jonathan looked at the stack.
“There isn’t one.”
