Mark stood up suddenly. The chair scraped the floor.
“She can’t just take my children and disappear.”
Dr. Patel rose too, not intimidated.
“She didn’t disappear. She left the hospital with a discharge plan, medical supervision, and documentation. If you have legal questions, you’ll need to speak with an attorney.”
An attorney.
The word hung between them like a locked door.
Mark snatched his phone from the table and walked out.
In the parking garage, the late afternoon air was heavy and hot. He stood beside his car and called Emily eleven more times.
No answer.
He called his mother.
She answered on the first ring.
“Mark?”
Her voice sounded older than it had four days ago.
