Not My Patient

At six-thirty that evening, I came back from campus still wearing the white coat I hadn't had time to take off after my afternoon clinical rotation.I carried takeout toward my apartment building and noticed a group of older residents gathered beneath the courtyard gazebo.My neighbor, Gloria Vance, sat among them with one arm around a thin little boy. She was complaining, "My grandson only just came to live with me. He's had diarrhea for days and barely eats. I'm worried sick."Someone noticed me passing and called casually, "Miles, you're back. I heard you go to Bellmont University. You're studying medicine, right?"I stopped and answered politely, "Yes, ma'am."Gloria's eyes lit up immediately.She set the boy beside her, hurried over, studied me from head to toe, and stared at my white coat before grinning. "Medicine? Perfect. Come examine my grandson."She grabbed my wrist with surprising strength, digging her nails into my skin.I frowned and pulled free. "Mrs. Vance, ple

While everyone piled on, I crouched down until I was level with Gloria's eyes."Mrs. Vance, I've explained this clearly. I'm not refusing because I don't care. I genuinely can't treat your grandson. Take him to the Bellmont Community Health Center. A basic visit costs far less than letting him get worse out here."Gloria looked up with reddened eyes."Far less?" Her voice trembled. "Easy for you to say. I'm from a rural town, I've got no pension, and I don't have money for a clinic."Someone nearby murmured, "The community health center does have a reduced-fee program."Gloria whipped around and glared until the speaker fell silent.Then she softened her voice and turned back to me. "Please, just take pity on an old woman. All I need is for you to look at him and suggest some medicine. I'll take all the responsibility if anything happens.""Mrs. Vance, responsibility isn't the issue...""Then what is?" she cut in, suddenly raising her voice. "You just don't want to help. You de

I came back to the doorway with my wallet but didn't hand her the money right away."Mrs. Vance, I need to ask you something."Gloria paused, and suspicion flickered in her eyes. "What?""Is this child really your grandson?"Her expression froze.Her mouth opened, but after just two seconds she rearranged her face into wounded disbelief. "Miles, what are you accusing me of? If he weren't my grandson, why would I be carrying him around at midnight? What would I get out of it?""I'm asking because the neighborhood-services coordinator says you live alone and have no son on record."Gloria's face changed.Her eyes darted away. She lowered her head and spoke through tears. "I got divorced years ago. My son went with his father. He had this boy with some woman who abandoned them, so the child got left with me."The explanation sounded plausible enough, but there was panic trembling under her words."Then why wouldn't you take him to a clinic during the day?""I already told you.

Gloria's face changed in an instant.She waved both hands in a panic. "No, no, no. Don't call the police. I don't want to blow this up any bigger than it needs to be."We're all neighbors here, and I don't want to leave a black mark on his future. If he just pays some compensation, I'll let the whole thing go."A chill ran through me as I looked at her.So this was what she'd been after all along."How much?" My voice stayed calm."Three thousand dollars." Gloria said it like the demand was perfectly reasonable. "Pay three thousand, and I won't take this any further."Three thousand dollars.I couldn't help letting out a laugh."Mrs. Vance, you came to my door last night saying your grandson had a fever and asking me to look at him. I told you I couldn't treat him and gave you forty dollars to take him to the ER. You took the money and left. I never gave that child a single pill. And now you're turning it around, saying I poisoned him, and demanding three thousand dollars?"G

Gloria's eyes darted wildly, and her lips trembled without an answer coming out.In the middle of the standoff, a police cruiser came screaming up.Gloria tried to run, but I caught her arm before she could get away.Three Bellmont police officers came over. The one leading them was the middle-aged lead investigator, Detective Marcus Reed—Jenna's supervisor.Jenna came in behind him and gave me a reassuring look.She must have confirmed Gloria was the one behind the missing child and come straight to the scene before she even had a chance to text me back."Which one of you is Gloria Vance?"I pointed at the woman trying to slip away. "That's her, officer. I think she abducted this child."A gasp went through the crowd.The doctor spoke up too. "I'm an emergency physician at St. Alder Medical Center. This child appears to have suffered prolonged abuse, and right now he's showing signs of drug poisoning. He needs to be hospitalized immediately."Detective Reed glanced at the ch