Dr. Daniel Harris stared blankly at the DNA results, his mind a tumult of confusion and horror. The paper trembled in his hands, the stark black letters a sentence he couldn’t comprehend. How could this be? He had dedicated his life to healing others, to maintaining the sacred trust between doctor and patient. Yet, here it was—irrefutable evidence linking him to the unthinkable violation of Emily Foster.
His immediate response was denial. He retraced every interaction, every moment he’d spent in the ICU, searching desperately for an explanation, an alternative to the nightmare laid out before him. How could he have harmed someone he had cared for so deeply, albeit silently? How could he have betrayed the oath he held so dear?
The hospital halls, once a refuge of purpose and duty, now seemed to close in on him. His colleagues, though unaware of the results, sensed his distress. They offered concerned glances, but Daniel avoided eye contact, afraid that his guilt was as visible as a scarlet letter branded on his forehead. He couldn’t allow them to see the turmoil within.
