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Sophie’s entire body relaxed. Then she studied the image on the monitor.
“So that thing tricked the test?”
“That is one way to describe it.”
Eric lowered himself into a chair.
He stared at Daniel for several seconds.
“I thought—”
“I know what you thought,” Daniel said.
“I was trying to protect her.”
“You accused me before you even asked her.”
“I heard the word pregnant. She’s ten. What was I supposed to think?”
“You were supposed to believe your daughter when she told you the truth.”
Eric looked toward Sophie, but she turned her face into my shoulder.
Dr. Shah explained that Sophie would be admitted that night. More blood tests and scans would help identify the tumor. A neurosurgeon and an oncology team were already reviewing her case.
“Can you remove it?” I asked.
“Treatment depends on the exact diagnosis. Many germ cell tumors respond well to therapy, but we need to move quickly.”
The phrase respond well was meant to comfort me.
The words move quickly erased that comfort.
A nurse entered to place an identification band on Sophie’s wrist. Only hours earlier, hospital staff had treated her room like the scene of a hidden crime.
Now we understood that something truly had been hurting her.
It was not Daniel.
It was not an unborn baby.
It was growing inside her head.
Sophie looked at the adults gathered around her bed.
“Does this mean Daniel can come home?”
Eric closed his eyes.
Dr. Shah answered gently.
“It means the pregnancy test did not prove that anyone hurt you.”
Daniel took Sophie’s hand.
She held on tightly.
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