Chapter 5 - The Hospital Photographs
At the hospital, doctors documented everything.
Drew’s leg had a healing fracture near the ankle.
It was at least ten days old.
No medical treatment had been provided.
He was dehydrated.
Underweight.
Covered in fading bruises.
Lily was more severely malnourished.
Her blood sugar was dangerously low.
A nurse brought her apple juice.
She held the cup with both hands and looked toward Drew before drinking.
“Can he have some?”
The nurse gave Drew his own cup.
Only then did Lily take a sip.
Peter stood near the wall and tried not to break down.
A child-protection investigator named Grace Holloway arrived.
She spoke gently.
No uniform.
No clipboard in the children’s faces.
She sat on the floor near Drew’s bed.
“What were the lines on the wall for?”
Drew looked at Peter.
Peter said, “You can tell her.”
The boy whispered, “Days.”
“How many days were you downstairs?”
“Not all at once.”
“What did the lines count?”
Drew’s fingers tightened around the blanket.
“Every day Daddy was gone.”
Grace stayed very still.
“Did Vanessa let you upstairs at night?”
“Sometimes.”
“For food?”
He nodded.
“What did she give you?”
“Crackers. Sometimes cereal.”
“And Lily?”
“My food.”
Peter closed his eyes.
Drew had been giving his portions to his sister.
Grace asked how he injured his leg.
Drew looked toward the door.
“She pushed me on the stairs.”
Peter’s head snapped up.
“Drew—”
The boy flinched.
Peter stopped himself and lowered his voice.
“I’m sorry. You’re not in trouble.”
Drew began crying.
“She said if I told, she’d make Lily sleep alone.”
Grace asked, “Did your dad ever see your leg?”
Drew nodded.
“What did Vanessa tell him?”
“That I jumped off the garage roof.”
“Did he believe her?”
A long silence.
May you like
Then Drew whispered, “He wanted to.”
👉 Mark had seen the injury and chosen Vanessa’s explanation—but the hospital records would force him to answer why.
