A Failure

ARYA’S POV In the elevator, I held Dante close and tried not to think about how easily Marco lied. How convincing he was as the concerned husband and father. I tried very hard not to think about how trapped I was. We managed to find the pediatric wing and walked into the office. Dr. Lombardi was a kind-looking man in his fifties with gentle hands and a warm smile. "And who is this little one?" he asked, gesturing to Dante. "This is Dante," I said quietly. "He's been running a fever since this morning. He's crying more than usual, barely eating and… I don’t know what to do." He smiled softly, like he understood my struggle and my shoulders relaxed. "Let's take a look." He took Dante carefully, his hands checking his temperature, examining ears, throat, and listening to his chest. "How old is he?" I provided automatically. "Four weeks." "And has he had any other symptoms?” He asked, looking up to stare at me. “Difficulty breathing? Unusual discharge?" I answered his questions while Mar