Chapter 2 - Noah was hurt, but alive
Noah underwent:
Head imaging after pediatric evaluation.
Neurological monitoring.
X-rays.
Repeated abdominal checks.
The result was better than I feared.
Multiple bruises.
A mild concussion.
A sprained wrist.
No skull fracture.
No internal bleeding.
No spinal injury.
No broken bones.
He remained overnight for observation because he was one year old and had fallen down multiple steps.
He cried whenever a nurse touched his wrist.
Then calmed when Lily made his stuffed elephant dance.
The pediatrician said:
“He was extraordinarily fortunate.”
I knew.
At home, our staircase turned at the bottom.
If Noah had struck the newel post differently—
I stopped thinking there.
Vanessa went to another hospital.
My slap had caused her to stumble into the railing.
The impact opened a scalp laceration.
Four staples.
No skull fracture.
No intracranial injury.
She was physically stable.
Police interviewed her there.
She continued saying:
“Lily pushed the baby.”
May you like
Until they told her a camera existed.
Then her story changed.
