Doctor Dan exchanged a quick glance with Ellen and then with a very tense Frank.
“And then?” he asked.
“He took blood,” I said. “Every time.”
“For what?”
I shrugged. “He said the blood draws were to monitor my injuries,” I said, shaking my head. “But the doctor never gave results or followed up.”
But there was never any follow-up about the test, and I never heard anything about the results from the doctor's office.
Frank leaned forward slightly. “Did you ever question it?”
A bitter, broken breath escaped. “No. I never tried again after that first time—I learned quickly. Fear roots deep.”
“Why not?” Doctor Dan asked gently.
I looked up at him. “Because in my marriage, the rules were simple; questioning anything meant more beatings.”
The words landed heavily. No one spoke for a mom
