Chapter 9: The Medical Plan
I spent the next hour trying to get Patricia to explain what she meant.
She refused to speak about the medical report over the phone. She said she needed to retrieve the original documents from a safe place and would only discuss them with my attorney present.
For once, I agreed with her.
I wasn't going to meet her alone, and I wasn't going to let her turn another conversation into an opportunity to manipulate me.
My attorney arranged a supervised meeting later that afternoon. Before then, she wanted me to review the copies already in our possession and make a list of specific questions.
I sat at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee that had gone cold.
Lily was at my sister's house, safe and surrounded by people she trusted. She had asked whether she could keep the welcome-home card she had made for Daniel.
I had told her yes.
She didn't need to understand the adult decisions that had shattered our family. She needed to know that none of it was her fault.
I spread the medical documents across the table.
The first page described Nathan's blood disorder and the possibility of a bone marrow transplant. The second discussed potential donors and the need for accurate family medical history.
The third page was missing.
I checked the folder again.
Nothing.
Then I noticed a line at the bottom of the second page.
*See Appendix B: Donor Selection and Family Relationship Verification.*
Appendix B wasn't there.
I called my attorney.
"There's a missing page from the medical plan.""
"Which page?""
"Appendix B. It refers to donor selection and family relationship verification.""
"Don't try to obtain it yourself. I'll request the complete record through the appropriate channels.""
"What if Daniel already has it?""
"Then we need to know what it says before drawing conclusions.""
She was right, but waiting felt unbearable.
I wanted to know why my daughter had been placed on a list of potential donors without my knowledge. I wanted to know whether any medical tests had been performed without proper consent. Most of all, I wanted to know why a man who had spent years telling me he loved our child had been willing to make decisions about her body without even asking me.
At three o'clock, I arrived at my attorney's office.
Patricia was already there.
She looked smaller than I remembered. Her gray hair was pulled back tightly, and her hands rested on a brown leather folder.
She didn't look at me when I entered.
My attorney closed the door.
"Mrs. Carter, you agreed to provide the original report and answer questions about the travel and medical arrangements. Is that still your intention?""
Patricia nodded.
"Yes.""
"Then let's begin with the report.""
Patricia opened the folder and removed several pages.
"This is the original laboratory correspondence," she said.
"The report Sarah received was incomplete.""
I leaned forward.
"What did you remove?""
She slid the first page across the table.
It was a genetic screening report concerning Nathan. It identified the blood disorder and recommended further testing to determine the most appropriate treatment.
The next page listed several possible relatives who might be suitable donors.
One name had been highlighted.
Michael Carter.
Another name appeared beneath it.
Lily Carter.
I looked up.
"Why is Lily listed if Michael is the primary candidate?""
Patricia pressed her lips together.
"Because Michael refused to participate.""
"Then why did Daniel arrange a flight for Lily?""
"Because he believed he could persuade Michael to reconsider if the family was together.""
"That's not an answer.""
My attorney interrupted.
"Mrs. Carter, please be specific. Was Lily medically cleared to donate?""
Patricia shook her head.
"No. Not fully. The specialist needed additional testing.""
"Was Sarah's consent obtained?""
"No.""
"Was a medical procedure scheduled?""
"An evaluation was scheduled. A transplant was not confirmed.""
I felt a fraction of relief, followed immediately by anger.
"So Daniel was planning to take Lily to London for an evaluation she had never agreed to undergo, using forged documents to bypass me.""
Patricia lowered her eyes.
"Yes.""
The admission hung in the room.
I could barely believe she had finally said it aloud.
"Why?"" I asked.
"Why would you help him?""
"Because Nathan is innocent.""
"So is Lily!""
Patricia flinched.
I leaned forward.
"You keep talking about Nathan as though he's the only child who matters. Lily is seven. She's not a spare part. She's not a solution to a problem your family created.""
"I know.""
"Do you?""
Her eyes filled with tears.
"I thought I was saving one grandchild without hurting the other.""
"You didn't even ask me.""
"No.""
She wiped her face.
"I was wrong.""
For the first time, her apology sounded real.
But it didn't erase what she had done.
My attorney turned to the remaining pages.
"There is still the question of paternity. Why did you say Nathan's biological father was Michael?""
Patricia took a deep breath.
"Because the genetic results indicated a close biological relationship between Nathan and Michael's side of the family. Daniel assumed Nathan was his son, but the testing raised questions.""
"Did it establish paternity conclusively?"" my attorney asked.
"Not from the copy I saw.""
I stared at her.
"Then why did you tell us Michael was definitely his father?""
Patricia looked at me with red-rimmed eyes.
"Because I recognized the pattern in the family records. And because Michael had contacted me privately before Nathan was born.""
Vanessa's earlier claim returned to my mind. She had insisted she had never been with another man while involved with Daniel.
"Are you saying Michael and Vanessa had a relationship?""
Patricia shook her head.
"I don't know the full circumstances. I know Michael told me he had a child. I know Richard threatened to cut him off if he returned. And I know Daniel was furious when he discovered the possibility years later.""
"Then why didn't Daniel get a proper paternity test?""
"Because he was afraid of the answer.""
My attorney made a note.
"That is speculation. We will need verified records.""
Patricia nodded.
Then she pulled one final page from the folder.
"This is why I said the medical plan was the worst part.""
I looked at the heading.
It was a letter from the London specialist, Dr. Evelyn Shaw.
The letter explained that Nathan's condition required careful evaluation and that the family had been told not to assume any particular donor would be suitable. It specifically warned that no invasive procedure should occur without independent medical review and informed consent from the child's legal guardian.
Then I reached the last paragraph.
We have also been informed that Mr. Daniel Carter may possess information regarding a second child in the family who could be at risk of the same inherited disorder. We strongly recommend that this child's medical history be reviewed by an independent specialist before any donor decision is made.
I read the paragraph twice.
"A second child?""
Patricia nodded slowly.
"That's what Daniel was afraid of.""
"Who is the second child?""
She looked directly at me.
"Lily.""
My heart slammed against my ribs.
"Are you saying Lily might have the same condition?""
"I'm saying the family history makes it possible. The letter recommends testing. It does not establish a diagnosis.""
I grabbed the edge of the table.
"Did Daniel know this?""
Patricia closed her eyes.
"Yes.""
"And he still planned to take her to London?""
"He believed that getting her tested there would help both children.""
"Without telling me?""
She couldn't answer.
My attorney immediately clarified that the letter was not a diagnosis and that Lily's health needed to be assessed by her own qualified medical team, with my informed consent. She advised me not to delay arranging an appropriate medical consultation simply because the information had been discovered through this dispute.
I agreed.
But before the meeting ended, I asked Patricia one last question.
"Why did Daniel write, 'If Michael refuses, proceed without him'?""
Her face went pale.
"Because Michael has the same inherited disorder.""
The room went silent.
I stared at her.
"Does Michael know?""
"Yes.""
"Then why would he refuse to help his own son?""
Patricia looked down at the folder.
"Because he believes the Carter family has already destroyed enough lives.""
She stood, then hesitated at the door.
"There is something else you need to understand, Sarah. Daniel didn't just want Lily to be tested. He wanted her to meet Michael.""
"Why?""
Patricia's eyes filled with tears.
"Because Michael has evidence about Richard's death, the family trust, and the reason Daniel was told his brother was dead.""
My attorney immediately asked her to clarify the statement, but Patricia shook her head.
"I can't say more without the original records.""
She left the office.
I sat motionless, staring at Dr. Shaw's letter.
Daniel had built a second family. He had forged my signature. He had planned to take Lily overseas without my permission.
But beneath all of it was a family secret involving a supposedly dead brother, a sick little boy, and a medical risk that might affect my own daughter.
My phone vibrated.
A message from an unfamiliar number appeared.
**My name is Michael Carter. Patricia says you have the documents. Don't let Daniel take Lily to London.
He's not trying to bring the family together. He's trying to stop me from telling you what really happened to Richard.**
May you like
Then a second message arrived.
*And Sarah, your daughter is not the only child Daniel has been hiding from you.*
