Dr. Ichika
The hospital was silent, the kind of silence that weighed heavily after a long, exhausting day. I sat at my desk, staring at the phone. In front of me was the crumpled piece of paper where Amber had hesitantly scribbled her father’s contact information earlier in the session. It had taken days of gentle nudging to get her to share it, and even then, I could see the conflict in her eyes.
She didn’t trust him. That much was obvious.
I took a deep breath, dialing the number before I could overthink it. The line rang once, twice, and then a third time before a gruff voice answered.
“Hello?”
“Mr. Queen?” I asked, keeping my tone professional. “This is Dr. Ichika Kirishima. I’m calling from Hunter Valley Medical.”
“What’s this about?” he asked, his voice sharp and impatient.
“I
