Daniel stepped between me and the bed.

“You’re overreacting, Doctor.”

I looked at Emily’s hand.

The fingers were cold.

Purple.

Almost completely numb.

“Mr. Harris, move aside.”

“She needs rest.”

“She needs surgery.”

His jaw tightened.

“I said her orthopedic surgeon told us to leave the cast on.”

“Then your orthopedic surgeon is not here.”

I looked at Marcus.

“Call surgery. Now.”

Daniel grabbed my wrist.

“Don’t touch that cast.”

The room went silent.

I slowly looked down at his hand.

Then at his face.

“You have no authority to stop me.”

“I’m her husband.”

“And I’m her physician.”

I pulled my wrist free.

“Unless you want to explain to the police why you prevented emergency treatment, step away.”

His expression changed.

For the first time, he looked afraid.

I turned toward the nurse.

“Cut it.”

The cast saw started.

Daniel suddenly shouted.

“Wait!”

Too late.

The first layer came off.

Then another.

And the smell became unbearable.

Marcus covered his mouth.

Emily moaned weakly.

When the cast finally opened, everyone in the room froze.

Her forearm was severely swollen.

The skin beneath the cast was black in several places.

There were deep pressure wounds around her wrist.

And embedded into the skin were pieces of dirty gauze.

But that wasn’t the worst part.

There was a long surgical incision running along her forearm.

It had been stitched.

Then deliberately covered.

I stared at it.

“Who operated on you?”

Emily’s lips moved.

I leaned closer.

“Emily?”

Her eyes opened slightly.

“Daniel…”

She began crying.

Daniel immediately stepped backward.

“She doesn’t know what she’s saying.”

I looked at him.

“Get out.”

He shook his head.

“This is my wife.”

“Get out before I have security remove you.”

He didn’t move.

So I pointed at the door.

“Now.”

Part 2 — What Was Underneath

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