Chapter 4 - The Call Nobody Explained.
Dr. Mercer listened without interrupting.
Rachel could hear a faint voice through the receiver but not the words.
Emma stood pressed against her side.
Tessa waited near the door with the printed report held against her chest.
Finally, Dr. Mercer spoke.
“Are you certain?”
Rachel closed her eyes for half a second.
She had begun to hate that question.
The doctor listened again.
“All right.”
He looked toward Emma.
“No, do not request a redraw yet.”
Emma grabbed Rachel's sleeve.
“What's a redraw?”
Rachel answered before anyone else could.
“Another sample.”
Emma's eyes widened.
“No.”
Dr. Mercer ended the call.
“Emma, nobody is doing anything without explaining it first.”
The girl shook her head.
“I don't want another needle.”
“You may not need one.”
Rachel stepped between her daughter and the doctor, not because he had moved toward them, but because fear had made her protective of every inch of space.
“What did the supervisor say?”
Dr. Mercer placed the phone on the counter.
“They confirmed that Emma's basic blood panel is hers.”
Rachel waited for the rest.
“The disputed result came from a separate tube that was processed after the system interruption.”
“Whose tube?”
“They still cannot confirm that electronically.”
Rachel's frustration sharpened.
“So we are back where we started.”
“Not exactly.”
Dr. Mercer pointed to the verified report.
“The blood panel, vital signs, examination, and symptoms all point in the same direction.”
“A minor infection.”
“Yes.”
“And the frightening result?”
“Does not fit Emma clinically.”
Rachel folded her arms.
“That sounds like a doctor's way of saying you think the computer is wrong.”
“It means I trust verified information more than an unverified line in a portal.”
Tessa stepped closer.
“The lab can also compare the collection timestamp from the tube against the nurse log from yesterday.”
Rachel looked at her.
“How long does that take?”
“They're doing it now.”
Emma climbed back onto the examination table and pulled her knees toward her chest.
“Can I have my phone?”
Rachel handed it over.
Emma opened a game but did not play.
She stared at the start screen.
Dr. Mercer lowered his voice.
“Rachel, I know this is upsetting.”
“Upsetting?”
She glanced at Emma, then forced herself to speak more quietly.
“I spent the entire morning imagining things I should never have been pushed to imagine.”
Dr. Mercer nodded.
“You're right.”
The admission caught her off guard.
“There should not have been an unverified result released to you.”
“So somebody made a mistake.”
“Yes.”
Tessa looked uncomfortable, but she did not contradict him.
Rachel appreciated that more than another polished explanation.
“What happens after this?”
“We document the error, correct the chart, and make sure it cannot keep generating alerts.”
“And my daughter?”
“We treat what she actually has.”
Emma looked up from the phone.
“Do you know what I actually have?”
Dr. Mercer rolled his chair closer but kept a respectful distance.
“I believe you have a minor bacterial infection that is making you feel tired and uncomfortable.”
“Can medicine fix it?”
“Yes.”
“Without a shot?”
Dr. Mercer almost answered.
Then Tessa's pager sounded.
She checked the message.
Her face changed.
“The timestamp review is done.”
Rachel stood.
“And?”
Tessa looked at Dr. Mercer first.
“The disputed tube was collected at 8:43 yesterday morning.”
Dr. Mercer turned to Emma's chart.
Rachel already knew what he was looking for.
Emma's blood had been drawn at 9:17.
The room went still.
Rachel spoke first.
“Then it was never hers.”
Dr. Mercer nodded slowly.
“No.”
Relief rushed through Rachel so quickly that her knees felt weak.
Then Tessa added one more sentence.
“There is still a second portal entry we cannot account for.”
May you like
Rachel's relief stopped cold.
“What second entry?”
