“Yes,” she whispered. “Every specialist said the same thing.”
He picked up a pebble and rolled it between his fingers.
“And you believed them?”
The question hit harder than any diagnosis.
“How could I not?” she replied sharply. “They had scans. Test results. Credentials.”
“They saw what protected them,” he said gently. “Or what was easier to see.”
A chill moved through her.
“What does that mean?”
He stood and stepped closer.
“Mrs. Sullivan, do you remember Dr. Bennett? The surgeon?”
Of course she did. Dr. Thomas Bennett had delivered the news after her operation.
“Yes.”
“He told you there were complications. Unexpected bleeding.”
She nodded.
“Do you know why that bleeding happened?”
She shook her head.
The boy inhaled slowly.
“He made an error. He damaged a nerve he shouldn’t have touched. If it had come out publicly, it would’ve destroyed his career. And the hospital would’ve faced massive lawsuits.”
Her heart pounded.
“That’s impossible…”
“Every doctor who reviewed your file afterward knew,” he continued quietly. “That’s why none of them offered corrective surgery. If they admitted it could be fixed, they’d be admitting negligence.”
Her world tilted.
“No… no…”