The afternoon Emily Parker and her father, Robert Parker, entered the pediatric clinic, Dr. Allison Reed immediately noticed something was off. Emily, a sixteen-year-old, walked with her shoulders slumped, avoiding eye contact with everyone. Her father, on the other hand, seemed tense, almost vigilant, as if he feared something might spiral out of control at any moment.
“Good afternoon, what brings you here?” the doctor asked, with a professional smile.
Robert answered before his daughter could even open her mouth.
“Stomach pains. For days now.”
Emily clasped her hands in her lap. She said nothing.
During the initial interview, the doctor asked routine questions: diet, sleep, menstrual cycles. Every time Allison directed a question to Emily, Robert intervened, answering for her or placing a hand on her shoulder, a gesture that seemed more intimidating than reassuring.
The doctor, accustomed to noticing the small details that others overlooked, decided to order an abdominal ultrasound.
“Just to rule out any complications,” she said, though something in her intuition was beginning to alarm her.
When Emily lay down on the examination table, Robert tried to stay in the room, but Allison politely insisted he wait outside.
“I’ll need space and to concentrate. Don’t worry, I’ll call you as soon as we’re finished.”
As soon as the door closed, Emily let out a shaky sigh.
“Does it hurt a lot?” the doctor asked as she applied the gel.
The girl shook her head, but her eyes filled with tears.
“No… it’s not that.”
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