Chapter 6 - The Sanctuary in the City
By four o'clock in the morning, the private medical transport arrived at St. Jude's Private Hospital in Manhattan—a high-security facility owned entirely by a subsidiary of Daniel’s medical tech firm.
Claire was wheeled directly into a private VIP suite on the top floor. A specialized team of toxicologists, selected personally by Daniel and vetted by federal authorities, immediately began the chelation therapy required to strip the thallium from her bloodstream.
Daniel sat in the waiting room outside the glass doors, watching the doctors work.
Nora walked over, carrying two paper cups of dark coffee. She handed one to him and sat down on the leather bench beside him.
"The head toxicologist says we caught it just in time," Nora said softly. "The nerve damage in her legs is reversible. With three months of intensive physical therapy and chelation, she will walk again without help."
Daniel took a sip of the hot coffee, letting the warmth spread through his exhausted chest. "Thank you, Nora."
"I was just doing my job, Daniel."
"No," Daniel said, turning his head to look at her. "You didn't just do your job. You fought for a stranger when everyone else around her was taking money to let her suffer. You saved her life."
Nora looked away, a faint blush warming her cheeks. "She isn't a stranger to me anymore."
"Nor are you to this family," Daniel said firmly.
His phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw a text message from Detective Miller:
VANCE HAS BEEN DETAINED AT HIS CLINIC. WE SEIZED THREE CONTAINERS OF INDUSTRIAL THALLIUM NITRATE FROM HIS PRIVATE SAFE. HE IS TALKING.
Daniel felt a profound weight lift off his chest, replaced instantly by a sharp, focused surge of energy.
He looked at the time on his phone screen. 6:30 AM.
"Vance broke," Daniel told Nora. "He admitted everything to the state troopers. He gave them Arthur's name."
Nora’s eyes lit up with quiet triumph. "Are they arresting Arthur now?"
"No," Daniel said, standing up and buttoning his suit jacket. "Arthur deserves a proper audience. He called a board meeting for ten o'clock. It would be rude of me not to attend."
He looked down at Nora. "Will you stay with Claire?"
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"I'm not leaving her side until you get back," Nora promised, her eyes clear and strong.
Daniel reached down, gently touching her shoulder. "I'll be back by noon."
