Chapter 1 - The First Diagnosis
Dr. Andrews adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, his professional patience wearing thin beneath the heavy silence of the nursery. He glanced up at Rory, who stood immovable beside the doorframe, his broad shoulders blocking the hallway like a bulkhead.
“Right here,” Lily whispered, pressing her small palm against the crown of her head. “It sounds like bees. Inside the bone. When it gets loud, my teeth feel like they’re shaking.”
“And what about you, Rose?” Dr. Andrews turned his attention to the second twin, whose face remained pressed firmly into her sister's nightgown. “Do you hear the bees too?”
Rose nodded against Lily’s shoulder, her voice muffled. “It gets bigger when the house is dark. It wants to come out of the walls.”
Dr. Andrews stood up, smoothing his tie, and stepped back toward Rory. He lowered his voice, though the girls could clearly hear every word.
“Mr. Starks, childhood night terrors combined with acute sensory processing disorder are not uncommon in children who have suffered the early loss of a mother. The shared trauma creates an echo chamber of anxiety between twins. They are feeding off each other’s neurological distress. I can prescribe a regimen of low-dose pediatric sedatives and cognitive behavioral therapy—”
“No,” Rory said. His voice was flat, carrying the cold weight of absolute authority. “My daughters are six years old. They are not insane, and they are not simply having bad dreams. They have never had a history of sensory issues until two months ago. Exactly fifty-six days ago.”
Dr. Andrews frowned. “Data points don't always align with parental intuition, Mr. Starks. You are looking for an external enemy because it is easier to fight a man than it is to fight the human mind. There is no monster in this room. There is only grief.”
Rory didn’t argue. He signaled to his chief of security, a hulking ex-marine named Marcus, who waited in the hallway.
“Escort Dr. Andrews and his associates off the property,” Rory ordered quietly. “Ensure their fees are paid in full, and make sure they understand their confidentiality agreements extend to the driveway.”
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As the doctors were ushered out, the silence in the nursery deepened. Lily reached down, her small fingers nervously stroking the blue ribbon tied around the neck of the golden-brown teddy bear sitting between them.
Rory watched them from the doorway. His heart clenched with a familiar, searing pain. He would burn New York to the ground if it meant finding the source of his daughters' torment, but right now, he was utterly helpless.
