Chapter 6 - The Investigation Deepens
Over the next three days, while Lily remained asleep, I went to work.
I couldn't just sit by her bed and do nothing. My mind needed a task, or it would consume itself with worry. I contacted a private investigator I had worked with during my prosecutor days—a sharp, retired detective named Frank Rossi.
"Frank, I need everything you can find on my father's past," I told him over a coffee in the hospital cafeteria. "Every police report, every domestic disturbance call to our childhood home, every incident at his construction sites. I want a pattern of behavior."
Frank nodded, scribbling notes in his pad. "You think there’s a history?"
"I know there is," I said, staring into my black coffee. "He beat us when we were kids. But back then, neighbors didn't call the police, and my mother covered it up. I want to know if anyone ever filed a report, even an anonymous one."
While Frank investigated, the medical team began the delicate process of waking Lily up. They gradually reduced her sedation, and James and I stood by her bed, holding our breath.
"Lily, sweetie, can you hear Mommy?" I whispered, stroking her cheek.
Her eyelids fluttered. She let out a small, weak whimper. Her fingers twitched, and then slowly, her beautiful blue eyes opened. She looked confused, looking around the bright, sterile room, before her eyes finally locked onto me.
"Mommy?" her voice was barely a whisper, hoarse from the breathing tube that had recently been removed.
"I'm here, baby. I'm right here," I cried, tears streaming down my face. James leaned over, kissing her forehead, his shoulders shaking with relief.
"My head hurts," she mumbled, her tiny hand reaching up toward the bandages.
"I know, sweetie. The doctors are helping it get better. You're safe now. I promise you, you are completely safe."
The pediatric neurologist, Dr. Chen, entered the room to conduct some basic cognitive tests. Lily was able to identify her colors, squeeze our fingers with equal strength, and follow a light with her eyes.
"She’s incredibly lucky," Dr. Chen told us outside the room. "The swelling subsided just in time. There doesn't appear to be any permanent cognitive deficit, though we will need physical therapy to help her regain her balance and strength. She has a long road of recovery ahead, but she’s going to be okay."
May you like
I leaned against James, feeling a massive weight lift from my chest. Lily was going to survive. She was going to be okay.
Now, it was time to make sure her attacker never saw the light of day again.
