Chapter 6

The security officer stopped in front of me, holding a small evidence envelope with both hands.

"Dr. Carter," he said, his voice noticeably quieter than the reporters surrounding us. "We'll need your hospital identification badge."

For a heartbeat, nobody spoke.

Every camera turned toward me.

The blue badge clipped to my white coat suddenly felt heavier than it ever had before. Twelve years of medical school, residency, fellowships, and impossible nights in the operating room had earned me the right to wear it. Now, under hundreds of flashing cameras, it looked like nothing more than a piece of plastic waiting…