Chapter 2 - The Medical Verdict
The private clinic in Annapolis was completely dark except for the examination room where Dr. Evelyn Harrison, a veteran pediatrician with thirty years of crisis experience, was reviewing the lab results.
Blythe sat on a low stool by the examination table, where Ellis had finally fallen asleep under the influence of a mild, non-narcotic sedative. His small hand was still locked around the edge of her sleeve, a primal, subconscious grip that she refused to break.
"It’s ugly, Blythe," Dr. Harrison said, dropping the clipboard onto the counter with a heavy sigh. She looked at Blythe with eyes full of professional fury. "The boy is severely malnourished. He’s presenting with severe vitamin D deficiency, early-stage rickets, and high cortisol levels consistent with long-term confinement."
Blythe’s hand tightened around the USB drive in her pocket. "And the behavioral issues Reed claimed he had?"
"He doesn't have behavioral issues, Blythe. He has severe neglect trauma," Dr. Harrison said fiercely. "He was kept isolated because he was an inconvenience to their new domestic arrangement. But that’s not the most concerning thing in the lab work."
Dr. Harrison pulled a separate sheet from the file. "I ran a comparative DNA screen against the medical records Reed filed for the family insurance company last year. He’s been drawing high-tier disability stipends from Sutter Medical Logistics for Ellis’s 'specialized care.' Over twelve thousand dollars a month, funneled into a private account in the Cayman Islands. And the medical signature on the authorization forms?"
"Let me guess," Blythe said, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "Dr. Julian Mallory. Reed’s cousin."
"Exactly," Dr. Harrison nodded. "The reports are entirely fabricated. They were using your son as a corporate tax shelter and a cash cow while keeping him in a utility shed."
The door to the clinic opened quietly, and Marcus stepped in, holding a secure satellite tablet. "Boss, we just intercepted a filing from the county court. Reed’s lawyer just moved for an emergency ex parte injunction to return the child to the primary residence, claiming you are an active threat to the minor’s safety due to psychological instability from your contract work."
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Blythe looked down at Ellis’s pale face, at the small, healing scar on his chin where he must have fallen against the concrete of the shed.
"Let him file it," Blythe said, a cold, predatory smile finally touching her lips. "In fact, tell our legal team to expedite the hearing. I want us in front of a judge by Monday morning. It’s time to show the court exactly what Reed Mallory’s 'care' looks like."
