“Get out of my way,” I said, my voice low and dangerous. I moved toward the bed, intending to lift Eleanor. She was barely any weight at all.
Brandon stepped in front of me, blocking my path. He wasn’t a large man, but his stance was rigid, unmoving.
“You’re not taking her anywhere,” he stated, his jaw set. “She’s too weak to be moved.”
“She’s too weak because of whatever you’re doing to her!” I shouted, the words tearing from my throat.
Sierra moved to Brandon’s side, placing a hand on his arm. “Dad, if you don’t calm down, we’ll have to call the police. This is our house. You’re harassing us.”
“Harassing you?” I laughed, a bitter, hollow sound. “I’m trying to save your mother! My wife!”
“She’s under our exclusive care,” Brandon said, his eyes narrowed. “We’re making all her medical decisions. If you interfere, we’ll get a restraining order. You’ll never be allowed near her again.”
The threat was a physical blow. A restraining order would cut me off completely. It would legitimize their lies, paint me as the unstable aggressor.
I froze, my hands clenched into fists at my sides. The thought of being legally barred from Eleanor, leaving her in this horror, was unbearable.
Defeated, I backed away from the bed. My chest felt tight, my breath shallow. I couldn’t fight them physically without making myself look exactly like the “unstable” man they were painting me as.
I pulled out my phone, my fingers fumbling. I needed an ally. A rational voice.
I scrolled to Claire’s number and hit call. The phone rang three times before she answered, her voice sounding distant, almost annoyed.
“Dad? What’s going on now? You sound frantic.”
“Claire, it’s Mom,” I gasped, trying to keep my voice steady. “They’ve got her. She’s dying. Brandon and Sierra are… they’re doing something terrible.”
There was a long pause on the other end, then a sigh. “Dad, look. I know things have been hard for you. But you really need to step back. Brandon just called me. He said you’re making a scene, saying crazy things.”
My daughter’s skepticism was like another lock snapping into place.
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