I was still holding Paige's little hand when the nurse came back into the room.<\/p>\n
She looked at Kate first.<\/p>\n
Then at Ryan.<\/p>\n
She explained that the medical team was ready to continue Paige's examination.<\/p>\n
Kate immediately stood.<\/p>\n
"Do we have to move her again?"<\/p>\n
The nurse answered gently.<\/p>\n
"We need to complete the imaging the doctor ordered."<\/p>\n
I looked at Paige.<\/p>\n
Her eyes were half closed.<\/p>\n
She looked so tired that I wanted everyone to leave her alone.<\/p>\n
But I remembered what the resident had told me.<\/p>\n
There could be injuries we hadn't seen.<\/p>\n
And if there were, the doctors needed to find them.<\/p>\n
Kate moved away from the bed.<\/p>\n
Ryan stood beside her.<\/p>\n
Neither said anything.<\/p>\n
I stepped closer to the nurse.<\/p>\n
"Can I stay with her?"<\/p>\n
She explained that I could remain nearby when permitted, but certain parts of the examination would require the staff to work without us beside the equipment.<\/p>\n
I nodded.<\/p>\n
I had already learned that wanting to hold Paige didn't mean holding her was always the best thing.<\/p>\n
Sometimes caring for her meant stepping aside.<\/p>\n
That was harder than I expected.<\/p>\n
The nurse checked Paige's blanket.<\/p>\n
She made sure the injured leg was supported.<\/p>\n
Then she prepared to take her for the additional X-rays.<\/p>\n
Kate bent down.<\/p>\n
"Mommy loves you, sweetheart."<\/p>\n
Paige gave a small, tired cry.<\/p>\n
My sister straightened quickly.<\/p>\n
I saw tears in her eyes.<\/p>\n
For a moment, I wanted to hug her.<\/p>\n
But Ryan put his hand on her shoulder, and she leaned toward him.<\/p>\n
I remained where I was.<\/p>\n
I didn't know what to say.<\/p>\n
The nurse took Paige for the examination.<\/p>\n
The three of us were left in the room.<\/p>\n
Without Paige there, the space felt strangely empty.<\/p>\n
Her diaper bag was still beside the chair.<\/p>\n
The green sleeper lay with her belongings.<\/p>\n
I looked at both.<\/p>\n
I remembered how normal everything had seemed when Kate brought them to my house.<\/p>\n
Now I couldn't look at either object without thinking about the bruise.<\/p>\n
Ryan moved toward the window.<\/p>\n
Kate sat down.<\/p>\n
I remained standing.<\/p>\n
After a while, my sister spoke.<\/p>\n
"Ally, why didn't you call me before taking her here?"<\/p>\n
I turned toward her.<\/p>\n
"Because she was screaming in pain."<\/p>\n
"I would've come."<\/p>\n
"I know."<\/p>\n
Kate rubbed her forehead.<\/p>\n
"I just wish you'd told me."<\/p>\n
I sat opposite her.<\/p>\n
"Kate, I found bruising under makeup on her thigh. Her leg was swollen, and she could barely move it."<\/p>\n
She looked down.<\/p>\n
"I didn't know it was that bad."<\/p>\n
I waited.<\/p>\n
I wanted her to explain how she could have changed Paige that morning without noticing.<\/p>\n
But she didn't say anything else.<\/p>\n
I finally asked,<\/p>\n
"Did she scream when you changed her diaper?"<\/p>\n
Kate pressed her lips together.<\/p>\n
"She cried."<\/p>\n
"Like she cried at my house?"<\/p>\n
"I don't know, Ally."<\/p>\n
Her voice became sharper.<\/p>\n
"Babies cry."<\/p>\n
I felt something tighten in my chest.<\/p>\n
"Yes, they do. But babies don't normally have broken legs."<\/p>\n
Ryan turned from the window.<\/p>\n
"That's enough."<\/p>\n
I looked at him.<\/p>\n
"I wasn't trying to fight."<\/p>\n
"Then stop questioning her."<\/p>\n
I took a slow breath.<\/p>\n
I knew Paige needed us to stay calm.<\/p>\n
I also knew I couldn't pretend the questions weren't important.<\/p>\n
"The doctors are asking the same things," I said.<\/p>\n
Ryan looked away.<\/p>\n
Kate wiped her eyes.<\/p>\n
Nobody spoke for several minutes.<\/p>\n
I heard footsteps outside.<\/p>\n
A telephone rang somewhere down the hall.<\/p>\n
Then a cart passed the doorway.<\/p>\n
I tried to concentrate on those sounds.<\/p>\n
Anything that kept me from imagining Paige being moved for another examination.<\/p>\n
Eventually, a nurse returned.<\/p>\n
She told us Paige had completed the imaging and would be brought back shortly.<\/p>\n
I stood immediately.<\/p>\n
"Was she okay?"<\/p>\n
The nurse explained that the team had supported and monitored her during the procedure.<\/p>\n
I nodded.<\/p>\n
That was enough for the moment.<\/p>\n
When Paige returned, I moved toward her bed.<\/p>\n
Her face looked exhausted.<\/p>\n
Her hair was slightly damp around her forehead.<\/p>\n
I remembered seeing the same thing at my house.<\/p>\n
Back then, I had been trying to work out why she wouldn't stop crying.<\/p>\n
Now I knew at least part of the reason.<\/p>\n
A broken leg.<\/p>\n
I carefully touched her hand.<\/p>\n
"Hey, sweetheart."<\/p>\n
Her fingers moved against mine.<\/p>\n
I felt a small amount of relief.<\/p>\n
I knew a tiny movement didn't mean everything was fine.<\/p>\n
But it meant she was responding to me.<\/p>\n
I stayed beside her.<\/p>\n
Kate sat on the other side.<\/p>\n
Ryan stood near the door.<\/p>\n
The room became quiet again.<\/p>\n
I wondered whether the doctors would return quickly.<\/p>\n
I wondered what the additional pictures would show.<\/p>\n
I wanted them to find nothing.<\/p>\n
I wanted them to say the fracture in her left leg was the only injury.<\/p>\n
I kept repeating that hope silently.<\/p>\n
Nothing else.<\/p>\n
Please, nothing else.<\/p>\n
When the resident returned, another physician accompanied her.<\/p>\n
The new doctor introduced herself as part of the team helping evaluate Paige's injuries.<\/p>\n
She spoke with Kate and Ryan first.<\/p>\n
Then she acknowledged me.<\/p>\n
I could tell from the way the doctors pulled their chairs closer that they needed to discuss something important.<\/p>\n
Kate sat straighter.<\/p>\n
"Did you find anything?"<\/p>\n
The doctor looked at her.<\/p>\n
"We've reviewed the additional images."<\/p>\n
I held my breath.<\/p>\n
She explained that the survey had shown another area of concern.<\/p>\n
Something that required careful interpretation and further medical review.<\/p>\n
For a moment, I didn't understand.<\/p>\n
"Another injury?"<\/p>\n
I asked.<\/p>\n
The doctor nodded.<\/p>\n
"There is a finding involving another bone that we need to evaluate."<\/p>\n
Kate covered her mouth.<\/p>\n
Ryan stared at the doctor.<\/p>\n
"What does that mean?"<\/p>\n
The physician explained that they were concerned Paige might have experienced an additional fracture.<\/p>\n
I felt cold.<\/p>\n
I looked down at my niece.<\/p>\n
She was lying between us.<\/p>\n
So small.<\/p>\n
So helpless.<\/p>\n
I had brought her to the hospital because of one swollen thigh.<\/p>\n
Now there was concern about another bone.<\/p>\n
I wanted to ask how many places a baby could be hurt without anyone realizing.<\/p>\n
But I didn't.<\/p>\n
I was afraid of the answer.<\/p>\n
Kate began crying.<\/p>\n
"How can that happen?"<\/p>\n
The doctor didn't claim to know.<\/p>\n
She explained that the team needed to review the imaging carefully and consider the medical history.<\/p>\n
She also explained that the timing of different injuries could be difficult to determine precisely.<\/p>\n
I listened closely.<\/p>\n
I didn't want to misunderstand anything.<\/p>\n
I didn't want to turn a medical concern into a certainty before the doctors had finished.<\/p>\n
But the possibility alone was enough to frighten me.<\/p>\n
Paige might have been hurting in more than one place.<\/p>\n
And no one had warned me.<\/p>\n
The doctor asked Kate whether Paige had experienced any previous accidents or injuries.<\/p>\n
Kate shook her head.<\/p>\n
"No."<\/p>\n
She asked Ryan the same question.<\/p>\n
He said he couldn't think of anything.<\/p>\n
The physician remained calm.<\/p>\n
She asked about Paige's health.<\/p>\n
Her feeding.<\/p>\n
Her development.<\/p>\n
Any known medical conditions.<\/p>\n
Any previous hospital visits.<\/p>\n
Kate answered what she could.<\/p>\n
I listened without interrupting.<\/p>\n
These were things I didn't know well enough to explain.<\/p>\n
I was Paige's aunt.<\/p>\n
I loved her.<\/p>\n
But I wasn't the person who cared for her every day.<\/p>\n
That distinction mattered.<\/p>\n
The doctor needed information from the people who knew her routine.<\/p>\n
I watched Kate answer.<\/p>\n
Sometimes quickly.<\/p>\n
Sometimes after a pause.<\/p>\n
Ryan added a few details.<\/p>\n
I tried not to interpret every hesitation.<\/p>\n
I reminded myself that frightened parents might struggle to remember things clearly.<\/p>\n
I was frightened too.<\/p>\n
I had already forgotten ordinary details from my own morning until someone asked about them.<\/p>\n
Still, one fact remained.<\/p>\n
Neither parent had described an accident that explained Paige's broken leg.<\/p>\n
And now there was another finding the doctors were concerned about.<\/p>\n
The physician explained that the evaluation would continue.<\/p>\n
She said the medical team would review the images and determine what treatment and follow-up Paige needed.<\/p>\n
Kate asked whether Paige would remain in the hospital.<\/p>\n
The doctor said they expected to keep her under care while the examination and safety planning continued.<\/p>\n
Ryan rubbed his face.<\/p>\n
"How long?"<\/p>\n
The doctor couldn't give him a definite answer.<\/p>\n
I watched him lower his hand.<\/p>\n
He looked tired.<\/p>\n
I wondered whether he'd slept the night before.<\/p>\n
Then I remembered Paige had apparently been restless.<\/p>\n
I wondered who had stayed awake with her.<\/p>\n
Kate?<\/p>\n
Ryan?<\/p>\n
Both?<\/p>\n
I didn't know.<\/p>\n
And suddenly I realized how many ordinary questions about that night still had no answers.<\/p>\n
The doctor returned to the injury in Paige's left leg.<\/p>\n
She explained that the team would continue managing the fracture and her pain.<\/p>\n
I felt grateful for that.<\/p>\n
No matter what the investigation uncovered, Paige needed treatment.<\/p>\n
She needed rest.<\/p>\n
She needed adults who could understand what she couldn't say.<\/p>\n
The doctor asked whether we had any questions.<\/p>\n
Kate wanted to know whether the additional finding meant Paige had been injured before Saturday.<\/p>\n
The physician answered carefully.<\/p>\n
She said some imaging findings could suggest different stages of healing, but conclusions about timing required specialist review.<\/p>\n
I paid attention to every word.<\/p>\n
Different stages of healing.<\/p>\n
I had not thought about that before.<\/p>\n
I had been imagining one terrible incident.<\/p>\n
One unexplained injury.<\/p>\n
One morning when something had gone wrong.<\/p>\n
Now I had to consider that Paige's pain might not have begun that Saturday.<\/p>\n
I looked at my niece again.<\/p>\n
I thought about all the times she'd been described as fussy.<\/p>\n
All the times someone might have assumed she was tired.<\/p>\n
Hungry.<\/p>\n
Teething.<\/p>\n
I couldn't know whether any of those earlier moments were connected.<\/p>\n
But the possibility frightened me.<\/p>\n
The doctor finished speaking.<\/p>\n
She told Kate and Ryan that the team would keep them informed.<\/p>\n
Then she stepped out with the resident.<\/p>\n
I remained beside Paige.<\/p>\n
I needed a moment before I could speak.<\/p>\n
Kate was crying quietly.<\/p>\n
Ryan stood near her.<\/p>\n
I looked at the blanket covering Paige's legs.<\/p>\n
There had been a time that morning when I wanted to find something simple underneath her clothes.<\/p>\n
A diaper irritation.<\/p>\n
A tight seam.<\/p>\n
Something that could be fixed in a few minutes.<\/p>\n
Instead, I had found bruising.<\/p>\n
And that had led us here.<\/p>\n
To doctors discussing fractures and possible injuries we hadn't known existed.<\/p>\n
Kate looked at me.<\/p>\n
"Ally, I didn't know."<\/p>\n
Her voice was barely above a whisper.<\/p>\n
I wanted to believe her.<\/p>\n
More than anything, I wanted to believe her.<\/p>\n
But I also needed to understand what she meant.<\/p>\n
Didn't know about the fracture?<\/p>\n
Didn't know about the bruise?<\/p>\n
Didn't know about the makeup?<\/p>\n
Didn't know Paige was in pain?<\/p>\n
I couldn't ask all those questions while she was crying.<\/p>\n
So I asked one.<\/p>\n
"Did you know she was hurting?"<\/p>\n
Kate looked at Paige.<\/p>\n
"I thought it was her teeth."<\/p>\n
I looked down.<\/p>\n
The words no longer gave me comfort.<\/p>\n
They only reminded me of how easily the explanation had been accepted.<\/p>\n
I had accepted it too.<\/p>\n
For twenty minutes, I had believed the same thing.<\/p>\n
Until Paige screamed when I moved my hand.<\/p>\n
I couldn't forget that sound.<\/p>\n
And I couldn't stop wondering how long she'd been trying to tell the adults around her that something was wrong.<\/p>\n
I remained beside her until the nurse returned.<\/p>\n
The nurse checked Paige and adjusted her blanket.<\/p>\n
She asked how we were doing.<\/p>\n
Nobody gave a real answer.<\/p>\n
I think she understood.<\/p>\n
After she left, I looked at the clock.<\/p>\n
The morning had turned into afternoon.<\/p>\n
I had expected Kate and Ryan to pick Paige up after shopping.<\/p>\n
Instead, we were still in the hospital.<\/p>\n
And the doctors were no longer asking only how one leg had been injured.<\/p>\n
They were trying to understand whether there had been more.<\/p>\n
I touched Paige's hand again.<\/p>\n
Her fingers closed weakly around mine.<\/p>\n
I leaned toward her.<\/p>\n
"You don't have to explain anything, sweetheart."<\/p>\n
My eyes filled.<\/p>\n
"That's our job now."<\/p>\n
I was still holding Paige's little hand when the nurse came back into the room. She looked at Kate first. Then at Ryan. She explained that the medical team was … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":37725,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-37734","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insightdrama"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37734","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=37734"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37734\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37754,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37734\/revisions\/37754"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/37725"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=37734"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=37734"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=37734"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}