Chapter 3 - State CustodyLydia Crane asked to speak privately.
Mara refused.
“This concerns a patient in my unit,” Mara said. “Anything you need to say can be said here.”
Lydia’s gaze flicked toward Earl.
“He is not family.”
The sentence hung in the air.
Earl did not flinch.
Mara folded her arms. “Are you?”
Lydia stiffened. “I am the assigned social worker.”
“Then you should be able to answer a simple question,” Mara said. “Why does Kendra Vale’s chart say she discharged herself at 2:12 when security footage shows her being escorted out at 1:03?”
For the first time since Mara had known her, Lydia looked cornered.
“That footage is protected hospital property.”
“That isn’t an answer.”
“Kendra was unstable.”
Earl’s eyes hardened.
Lydia noticed and adjusted her tone. “She had a history of substance abuse and erratic behavior. She refused treatment and demanded to leave. I escorted her because staff were concerned she might collapse.”
“Barefoot?” Earl asked.
“She refused shoes.”
“No bag?” Mara asked.
“She left it.”
“No signed infant care plan?” Jasmine added from behind.
Lydia turned sharply. “Nurse Cole, this is outside your role.”
Jasmine lifted her chin. “So is falsifying discharge times.”
The room went silent.
Lydia’s lips pressed together.
“I’m going to pretend I did not hear that accusation.”
“You can pretend whatever you want,” Mara said. “But I am filing an incident report.”
“Do you understand what you’re interfering with?” Lydia asked. Her voice dropped. “That baby is a ward of the state. There are legal procedures in place.”
Earl took a step forward. “What procedures?”
Lydia’s eyes flashed. “Confidential ones.”
The baby’s monitor beeped faster.
Mara moved immediately toward the incubator. “Lower your voices.”
Earl stepped back at once, shame passing over his face.
“Sorry,” he whispered to the baby.
Lydia watched him with visible contempt.
“You may have completed a volunteer program,” she said, “but that does not give you rights.”
Earl looked at her.
“No,” he said. “But Elias Vale gave me a promise.”
Lydia froze.
Mara saw it again—the fear.
“You knew Elias?” Lydia asked.
Earl lifted the dog tag.
“Better than you did.”
Lydia’s face tightened.
“I don’t know what story you’ve told yourself, Mr. Ransom, but emotional attachments are dangerous in cases like this. Baby Girl Vale needs placement with a qualified foster family.”
“Already chosen?” Mara asked.
Lydia looked at her. “That is not your concern.”
“It is if the mother was coerced into leaving.”
Lydia stepped closer to Mara. “Careful.”
It was one word.
But every nurse heard the threat inside it.
Earl moved again, not aggressively, but enough that Lydia remembered he was there.
Mara did not back down.
“Send me the court order authorizing transfer,” she said.
“It’s pending.”
“Then the baby stays.”
Lydia’s jaw worked.
“She cannot remain here indefinitely.”
“She’s a twenty-eight-week preemie on oxygen,” Mara said. “She isn’t going anywhere today.”
Lydia turned to leave, then paused.
Her eyes settled on Earl.
“You should have stayed gone,” she said quietly.
Earl’s face changed.
“What did you say?”
But Lydia had already walked out.
Mara followed her into the corridor, but by the time she reached the elevators, Lydia was gone.
When she returned, Earl was standing completely still beside bed seven.
“Sarge?”
“She knew me,” he said.
Mara nodded slowly. “I saw.”
“No.” His voice was hollow. “She knew I was looking for Kendra.”
Jasmine opened the file again. “How?”
Earl looked toward the NICU doors.
“Because after Elias died, one woman sent me a letter telling me to stop searching.”
Mara felt the air shift.
“Who?”
He turned back to them.
“It wasn’t signed Lydia Crane.”
His eyes lowered to the sleeping baby.
“It was signed Kendra Vale.”
Jasmine frowned. “But if Kendra didn’t write it—”
“Then someone wanted me to believe she hated me enough to disappear.”
Mara’s pager buzzed.
She glanced down and felt ice spread through her chest.
The message was from security.
UNKNOWN FEMALE ATTEMPTING TO ACCESS NICU. CLAIMS TO BE BABY VALE’S AUNT.
Mara looked at Earl.
“Did Kendra have a sister?”
Earl’s answer came immediately.
May you like
“No.”
At the NICU doors, the buzzer sounded again.
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