The emergency room physician confirmed what I already suspected.
My father hadn’t been the aggressor.
He had been the victim.
X-rays revealed two cracked ribs.

His left wrist had a hairline fracture.
Bruises covered both arms.
Several injuries had clearly occurred over different days—not just that evening.
The doctor quietly looked at me before speaking.
“These injuries are consistent with repeated physical abuse.”
Those words echoed in my mind.
Repeated.
Not accidental.
Not a misunderstanding.
Repeated.
My father tried to smile.
“It’s nothing, sweetheart.”
I gently held his hand.
“It isn’t nothing anymore.”
For the first time since arriving, tears rolled down his face.
“I didn’t want to cause trouble.”