Julian felt anger rising in his throat. This wasn’t a poorly handled accident; it was an attempt to cover it up. “We’re going to the hospital. Right away,” he stated firmly. Lily’s eyes widened in panic. “Am I going to get in trouble?” “No. You haven’t done anything wrong. Asking for help is never a bad thing,” he promised, pulling her gently into a hug. “I’m here for you.”

In the car, speeding towards the children’s hospital, every bump in the road elicited a groan from the back seat. “Did you have a fever?” Julian asked, gripping the steering wheel. “I was so hot on Thursday… Mom said it was normal.”

Fever. Infection. Julian felt as if the ground was giving way beneath his feet.

At the emergency room, they were seen immediately.   Dr. Marcus Hale   , the on-call pediatrician, entered calmly. “Okay, Lily… let’s remove this gently.” As he removed the gauze, the doctor’s face darkened. Removing the last layer revealed the lesion: a large, dark mass surrounded by irritated, red, and swollen skin.

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