I followed the officers into a small consultation room, my hands shaking so violently that I had to clasp them together. The walls felt too close, the fluorescent light too sharp. I couldn’t sit—I paced, unable to contain the panic clawing inside me.
“Please,” I said, my voice cracking, “just tell me what happened to my family.”
Officer Ramirez, the older of the two, exchanged a glance with his partner. Something unspoken passed between them. He took a deep breath.
“There was an incident at your home tonight.”
My heart dropped. “An incident? What kind of incident?”
“We received a call from a neighbor who heard shouting around ten p.m. When officers arrived, the front door was unlocked. Inside, they found your husband, your sister, and your son unconscious in the living room.”
My knees nearly gave out. “Unconscious from what? A gas leak? Did someone break in?”
Ramirez shook his head. “There were no signs of forced entry. No signs of struggle either.”
That didn’t make sense. “Then what—?”
He continued carefully. “All three showed symptoms consistent with acute intoxication from a high dose of a sedative substance. We’re waiting for toxicology reports to confirm.”
A sedative? That sounded deliberate. “Are you saying someone drugged them?”
“We’re not ruling anything out,” the younger officer added. “But based on the state of the house and the items left on the kitchen counter… we can’t dismiss the possibility that the substance was ingested voluntarily—or given to them by someone they trusted.”
A chill rippled across my spine. “Daniel would never— he would never do anything to harm Mason or Emily.”
“We’re not accusing anyone,” Ramirez said calmly. “But we do need to ask: when was the last time you saw them?”
I pressed a hand to my forehead, trying to steady my breathing. “Before my shift. They had dinner together at home. Daniel texted me around eight saying Mason had fallen asleep early.”
A thought struck me abruptly. “Wait—where’s my daughter? Where’s Lily?” My 4-year-old wasn’t with them.
The officers exchanged another look. Ramirez cleared his throat. “Your daughter wasn’t in the house when we arrived. Do you know where she might be?”
My chest tightened. “She was supposed to be with them. She always stays home when I’m on night shift. Are you telling me she’s missing?”
Before they could answer, the trauma room doors slammed open down the hall. Dr. Hayes rushed out, pulling off his gloves. He spotted me and broke into a run.
“Lauren,” he said urgently, “you need to come with me now. It’s about your son.”
My blood turned to ice. “What—what’s happening to Mason?”
“We’re losing him.”
I gasped, stumbling backward. The officers stepped aside as I sprinted after the doctor, my heart shattering with every step.
Whatever truth awaited me… it was only getting darker.
The trauma room was a whirlwind of motion—nurses pushing medication, machines blaring warnings, the faint smell of antiseptic mixing with the metallic scent of fear. Mason’s tiny body lay on the bed, dwarfed by tubes and wires. His chest rose unevenly, each breath a desperate battle.
“Mason!” I cried, rushing to his side.
A nurse gently held my arm. “Let Dr. Hayes work.”
He leaned over my son, counting under his breath as he pushed another dose of medication. “Come on, kid. Stay with us.”
I stood frozen, my hands pressed over my mouth. My little boy—my bright, curious, gentle boy—lay fighting for his life because someone had poisoned him. The world tilted; the room spun.
“Why isn’t he responding?” a nurse asked.
“The sedative is metabolizing too slowly,” Dr. Hayes replied. “We need to keep him stable until it clears from his system.”
Stable. Alive. The words blurred together.
I felt a hand on my shoulder—Officer Ramirez. His presence was calm yet heavy.
“Mrs. Carter,” he said softly, “the paramedics reported something unusual. When they found your family, your son was holding something in his hand.”
I tore my eyes away from Mason. “What was it?”
Ramirez hesitated. “A small plastic toy with residue on it. The same substance found in his bloodstream.”
My stomach lurched. A toy. Mason would only take something from someone he trusted. My husband? My sister? No—neither made sense. Neither had any reason.
Unless it wasn’t about reason.
Unless it was about a mistake.
Just then, a nurse called out, “Doctor, blood pressure dropping!”
Hayes acted fast, giving new orders. “Prepare for intubation!”
I couldn’t breathe. I wanted to scream, to tear the world apart, to demand answers—but all I could do was watch.
Minutes stretched into an eternity.
Finally—finally—Mason’s vitals steadied. The chaos gradually faded into cautious quiet.
Dr. Hayes looked at me with exhausted eyes. “He’s not out of danger, but… he’s holding on.”
My legs nearly gave out in relief. I pressed my forehead to my son’s hand, whispering, “Mommy’s here. I’m right here.”
The officers approached again. “We need you to answer a few more questions,” the younger one said gently. “We’re trying to piece together the timeline.”
“I’ll tell you anything,” I murmured. “Just find who did this.”
Ramirez nodded. “We will. And we’ll find your daughter too.”
That last sentence stabbed through the haze.
Lily was still out there.
Somewhere.
With someone.
Someone who had already harmed my family.
As I stood beside Mason’s bed, my grief and terror began sharpening into something colder, steadier—determination.
Whoever had walked into my home… whoever had touched my child… whoever had turned my life into this nightmare…
They weren’t going to get away with it.
And I wasn’t waiting quietly.
Not anymore.
