I closed my eyes, for an instant, exasperated. But instead of taking the cue and leaving the area, I pulled out a chair and took a seat, listening.
“Hello, Ms. McDowell,” Evan’s voice droned.
“Yeah, hi,” she responded.
A heavy pause permeated the air before Evan spoke again. This time, his voice was directed at Sarah. “So, how are you feeling today?”
“A little better,” she said.
“That’s good. This is my friend here, Nurse Watson. She’s going to take you to another room to play for a little while, so that I can talk to your mother. Is that okay?”
“Can I go with Tessa instead?”
/> I felt a brief and smug satisfaction over Sarah asking for me, and I almost volunteered to go with her. But then I remembered my break would soon be over, and I’d have to rejoin Dr. Newman soon.
“Not today, sweetie,” Evan answered. “But I promise you, Nurse Watson is just as nice. And she’s even got a friend with her!. This is…”
“Jasmine. I’m the intern working with Nurse Watson this week. It’s so nice to meet you, Sarah!”
“What’s an intern?” Sarah asked suspiciously with narrowed eyes.
“An intern is a student. It just means I’m still in school, like you!”
“But why are you still in school? You’re old!” Sarah exclaimed, drawing a brief laugh in what would soon turn into a not-so-funny situation.
“Well, I’m not that old,” Jasmine said. “Come on—I’ll tell you all about school for old people.”
“Okay.”
I listened to their retreating footsteps, knowing that the light-hearted moment was over. I clenched my fists at the sides of my chair, waiting with baited breath for Evan to resume.
“Look, Ms. McDowell—I’m not good at sugar-coating things, so I’m going to cut straight to the chase.”
“Fine by me. I’m not much for sugar, anyway. I’ve never been fond of anything too sweet.”
“Sarah has some suspicious marks on her wrists. They’ve raised some concern, and CPS has been called.”
There was a pregnant pause in the air, and I worried this woman and Evan could hear my heart pounding.
“But…she’s just a kid. She could have gotten them scars from anywhere, right?”
“I don’t know. You tell me. What’s your relationship with your daughter like, ma’am?”
“It’s fine!”
“She tends to seem a little nervous around you. And the last time I saw her, she implied to my nurse that there were people—as in more than one—hurting her.”
Another long pause. I had expected Ms. McDowell to start arguing at any second, but instead, there was a loud and long sniff. When she spoke again, her voice was heavily choked with tears.
“It’s not my fault. She just…she acts up sometimes, and you know how kids are. You have to put them in check.”
“Not with abuse.”
“It’s not abuse. Not from me…”
“Who lives in your household?”
“My boyfriend and his cousin. They…they just get a little impatient at times. But they help out with the bills and stuff.” She descended into sobs that went on for a full minute before she resumed. “I told Sarah not to say anything! I told her I would sort it all out in a little while!”