Chapter 9 - THE PHYSICAL THERAPIST
Physical therapist Megan Hale agreed to an interview.
She liked Evan.
Quiet.
Funny when comfortable.
He hated one exercise that stretched the surgical area.
Normal.
Robert responded badly to hesitation.
“Again.”
“Don’t baby it.”
“You want another surgery?”
Megan corrected him.
The exercise was not punishment.
Pain above a certain threshold meant stop.
Robert laughed once and said:
“If you let him decide, he’ll do nothing.”
Megan documented it.
Then she requested Claire attend future sessions.
Robert canceled the next appointment.
Reason entered:
transportation conflict.
Claire had been free.
She never knew the appointment existed.
The clinic scheduling log showed Robert removed Claire from reminder notifications after the first session.
Why?
Lauren Pierce said he managed the calendar.
Grace asked:
“Why remove only Claire?”
No answer yet.
Then Megan remembered something from the canceled appointment week.
Robert called asking whether “noncompliance” could cause surgical complications.
Megan said yes, depending on the situation.
Robert asked:
“Would that be documented?”
“Yes.”
“Would it show the parent tried to enforce exercises?”
Megan thought the question was odd.
Now it felt worse.
Claire stared at Grace.
“He was building something too.”
Maybe.
Or he was afraid Evan’s recovery would reflect on him.
They needed evidence.
Then the surgical clinic produced a voicemail Robert left two days before the laundry-room assault.
“My son refuses rehab, exaggerates pain, and his mother keeps undermining the plan. I need that documented before his follow-up.”
Claire listened once.
Then again.
May you like
Robert was not only rewriting how Evan got hurt.
He was beginning to rewrite how Evan recovered.
