Chapter 3 - A Mother’s Vigil
The next forty-eight hours were a agonizing blur of mechanical hums, flashing monitors, and endless chemical washes. The targeted antidote began neutralizing the aconitine in Hazel's system, but her young body had taken a severe beating.
I barely slept. Colton stayed by my side in a cot provided by the hospital, wrapped in a fleece blanket. Detective Sarah Miller from the Major Crimes Division visited us, taking Colton’s detailed statement in a gentle, reassuring voice. Colton explained how he had noticed Dennis acting strangely in the kitchen during their weekend visitation. Dennis had always ignored lunch duty, yet he had insisted on packing Hazel’s favorite organic juice boxes himself. Suspicious, Colton had snapped a picture of the strange bottle sitting near the sink before Dennis hid it in his leather briefcase.
"You saved your sister's life, Colton," Detective Miller said softly, placing a hand on his small shoulder. "You are the bravest boy I’ve ever met."
On the third morning after Dennis’s arrest, the cardiac monitor’s rhythmic beeping changed tone. The chaotic spikes leveled out into a healthy, steady rhythm. Dr. Cortez gently lowered the ventilator tube.
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Hazel opened her eyes. They were unfocused at first, but then she blinked, turned her head slightly toward the bedside table, and whispered in a raspy voice, "Mommy... tiny suns?"
I broke down into tears, laying the yellow daisies beside her pillow.
