Judith refused at first.
She said I was trying to destroy her family.
She said I had always been dramatic.
She said the pressure mark on my back could have come from anything.
The nurse moved between the bed and the doorway and told her she needed to step out.
Graham reached for his mother’s elbow, but Judith jerked away from him as though he had become the traitor.
Before the door closed, she looked directly at me.
“You will regret this,” she said.
I believed her.
That was the frightening part.
I also knew I would regret myself more if I lied.
The nurse photographed the visible bruising for my medical chart with my permission, then wrote down my words exactly.
She asked whether I wanted to speak with someone about making a report.
My first instinct was to ask Graham what he thought.
The habit was so deep that I actually turned my head toward the door.
