My mother and Ashley arrived at the hospital only moments later. Both of them were crying, but something about their reactions felt wrong from the beginning. Instead of rushing to ask about Emily or Noah, they immediately started defending themselves. My mother insisted Emily had been difficult and emotional after childbirth, while Ashley weakly repeated that they had done their best to help. The doctor looked directly at them and repeated the phrase “your best?” with a disbelief that made both of them visibly uncomfortable.
A nurse then asked whether I still had Emily’s hospital discharge paperwork. I suddenly remembered the instruction folder and panicked until Mr. Harris helped me search through the diaper bag I carried from home. Inside, we found the folded papers with the warning section circled in blue ink by me before I left town. The instructions clearly stated that caregivers needed to call immediately if Emily developed fever, severe weakness, dehydration, fainting, or signs of infection.
