Chapter 2 - The Papers Were Not Routine
Richard Carter took the pen from the nurse.
Emily tightened both arms around her newborn daughter.
“Dad, what are you signing?”
Richard did not answer immediately.
He read the first page again.
Then his eyes lifted toward Ryan.
The anger on his face changed.
It became colder.
“What exactly did you tell this hospital?”
Ryan stepped forward.
“Richard, you don’t understand.”
“Then explain why my daughter is listed as unable to make safe decisions for her child.”
Emily stopped breathing.
“What?”
The blonde woman beside the bassinet looked at Ryan.
Ryan’s jaw tightened.
The nurse, Melissa Grant, glanced between them.
“Mrs. Carter, these forms were submitted this morning.”
Emily stared.
“I didn’t submit anything.”
Melissa held up the packet.
“It requests a temporary discharge safety plan and a secondary responsible adult for the baby.”
Richard looked down.
Ryan’s name was already printed in one section.
Below it was another name.
Madison Cole.
The blonde woman.
Emily looked at her.
“Who are you?”
Madison went pale.
Ryan interrupted.
“She’s a family friend.”
Emily laughed once.
It hurt.
Her body still ached from twenty hours of labor.
“A family friend standing next to my baby?”
“Emily—”
“Get away from me.”
The newborn began crying.
Emily pressed her cheek to the baby’s head.
Richard turned to Melissa.
“What happens if I sign?”
“You’re agreeing to serve as Emily’s support person at discharge while the hospital reviews conflicting information.”
“What conflicting information?”
Melissa hesitated.
“Someone reported that Emily had threatened to leave the hospital with the infant against medical advice.”
Emily stared at Ryan.
“I never said that.”
Ryan looked away.
That was enough.
Richard signed.
Then he put the pen down.
“My daughter and granddaughter leave with me when the doctors say they’re ready.”
Ryan’s face hardened.
“You can’t decide that.”
Richard looked at him.
“No. Emily decides.”
Then Emily noticed something else.
Ryan was not angry because Richard had interfered.
May you like
He was afraid because the paperwork had been read aloud.
And Madison looked even more frightened.
