Chapter 1
The night I saw a woman raise a syringe toward my wheelchair-bound husband, my six-year-old daughter screamed, “Don’t hurt Daddy!” Then the woman kicked her to the floor—and my husband suddenly stood up.
I had only stepped into the kitchen for a glass of water.
When I came back, our private caregiver, Vanessa, was crouched beside Daniel’s wheelchair with a syringe in her hand.
Daniel had been unable to walk since the car accident eight months earlier.
“What are you giving him?” I asked.
Vanessa jumped and quickly covered the syringe with her palm.
“His evening medication.”
“That doesn’t look like anything the doctor prescribed.”
Her face hardened.
Before I could reach them, my daughter Lily ran into the room.
She had tears streaming down her cheeks.
“Mommy, don’t let her do it!”
Vanessa snapped, “Go back upstairs.”
Lily shook her head and grabbed the armrest of Daniel’s wheelchair.
“No! Daddy gets sleepy every time you give him that!”
I froze.
Daniel looked at me, but his eyes were heavy and unfocused.
“What does she mean?” I demanded.
Vanessa suddenly grabbed Lily’s wrist.
“Stop making trouble.”
“Let her go!”
I rushed forward, but Vanessa shoved a chair into my path.
Then Lily screamed something that made my blood turn cold.
“I saw you putting medicine in Daddy’s drinks!”
Vanessa’s entire expression changed.
She wasn’t pretending to be calm anymore.
“You little liar.”
Lily tried to run toward me.
Vanessa lifted her foot and kicked my daughter hard enough to send her crashing onto the hardwood floor.
“LILY!”
I dropped beside her as she started sobbing.
And behind us, I heard Daniel’s wheelchair creak.
His voice came out low and clear.
“Take one more step toward my daughter.”
Vanessa slowly turned around.
So did I.
Daniel’s hands were gripping the armrests.
Then, trembling with rage, my husband pushed himself upright.
He stood.
Vanessa stared at him like she had just seen a dead man come back to life.
The syringe slipped from her fingers.
“No,” she whispered. “You’re not supposed to be able to do that.”
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Daniel took one unsteady step toward her.
And said, “I’ve been able to walk for three weeks.”
