Chapter 5 - Hospital Confessions
The Phoenix Children’s Hospital burn unit was bathed in quiet, sterile fluorescent light.
Olivia was tucked into a hospital bed, her small hands wrapped in thick white gauze bandages, finally fast asleep thanks to mild painkillers. In the room next door, Jessica lay on an examination table, an IV bag dripping saline into her arm while a nurse gently treated her blistered skin.
I walked into Jessica’s room, closing the door softly behind me.
When she saw me, she tried to sit up, her body trembling with shame. “Zayden... I’m sorry... I tried to keep the house clean, I tried to be a good wife—”
“Stop. Please, Jess, stop,” I choked out, stepping up to her bed and collapsing onto my knees beside her mattress. I buried my face into her blanket, sobbing unmanageably. “Don't you dare apologize to me. I’m the one who failed you. I brought that monster into our home. I believed her lies instead of seeing your pain.”
Jessica’s weak hand reached out, gently pressing against my cheek. Tears tracked down her pale, thin face.
“She started putting things in my tea six months ago, Zayden,” Jessica whispered, her voice cracking. “At first, I just thought I was getting early depression. My brain felt heavy, like I was moving underwater. Every time I tried to sit down or sleep, she would tell me I was a failure of a mother.”
“Why didn't you call me, Jess? Why didn't you tell me on the phone?”
“I tried,” she wept softly. “But she took my phone. She took my ID and passport out of my purse while I was sleeping and locked them away. She told me that if I ever told you the truth, she would use her money and her family connections to prove in court that I was mentally unstable and take Olivia away from me forever. I was so scared, Zayden... my head was so foggy from the pills... I couldn't think clearly.”
The medical doctor walked into the room, holding a clipboard with toxicology results.
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“Mr. and Mrs. Ferris,” the doctor said seriously. “The blood panels just came back. Mrs. Ferris’s system contains dangerously elevated levels of Haloperidol and Lorazepam. This explains the extreme fatigue, loss of muscle coordination, and confusion. It’s a miracle she didn't suffer long-term organ damage or a fatal overdose.”
The doctor looked at me sternly. “The police detective from the Special Victims Unit is waiting outside. This isn't just domestic dispute—this is attempted murder by chemical incapacitation.”
