Chapter 938 You Are a Good Person
Lyra stepped out of her office, the cool air in the hallway soothing her flushed cheeks. She quickly raised a hand to gently pat her face, forcing herself to calm down. She couldn't let anyone see the turmoil she was feeling inside.
"Dr. Cole?"
A hesitant voice called from behind her. Lyra turned around to see the mother of a young patient she had treated before. Seeing the child clutched tightly in the woman's arms, Lyra immediately switched back into doctor mode, concern evident on her face.
"Is your child feeling unwell? What's wrong?"
The mother explained that it was a recurrence of an old illness. Without hesitation, Lyra led the mother and daughter back to her office to conduct a thorough examination.
However, five minutes later, as she reviewed the test results, Lyra's brow furrowed deeply. "According to the results, there's nothing wrong with her stomach. Can you tell me exactly where she's feeling discomfort?"
She assumed the mother might have misdescribed the symptoms in her worry.
To her surprise, the mother's eyes began to dart around, and she stammered, unable to form a coherent sentence.
Lyra immediately sensed that something more complicated was at play. She softened her voice, trying to reassure the woman. "It's okay, this is a hospital. Our job is to treat and help. Please, tell me exactly what's wrong with your daughter so I can help her."
This seemed to unlock something in the mother, and she burst into tears, her suppressed sobs echoing painfully in the quiet office.
Lyra was momentarily stunned. She quickly grabbed a few tissues and handed them over, speaking gently, "Please don't cry. Take your time and tell me what's happened."
The middle-aged woman cried for a long time, as if releasing all her pent-up grievances and fears. Finally, she began to speak in broken sentences, revealing a story that would make anyone call the police.
She was a typical housewife from a rural area, with little education, married off early by her parents to a man eight years her senior from their small town. After giving birth to her daughter, she was constantly belittled and mistreated by her husband and his family due to deep-rooted traditional beliefs.
Wiping her tears, her voice trembling, she said, "I could endure all that suffering. But! A few days ago, I discovered that beast; he violated my daughter! She's only eight years old! How could he, as her father, have such monstrous thoughts about his own child!"
The last few words were almost spat out through gritted teeth.
Lyra felt as if she had been struck by lightning, her mind going blank. The severity of the situation was beyond anything she had ever encountered. Forcing herself to stay calm, she immediately arranged for a second examination.
When the results came back, Lyra saw the words "vaginal tear, inflammation" on the report and felt a chill run from her feet to her head, her hands trembling uncontrollably as she held the report.
What kind of monster could do this?
Looking at the mother, still weeping and on the verge of a breakdown, Lyra knew she couldn't handle the aftermath calmly. She temporarily set aside the idea of calling the police and first contacted a female gynecologist to treat the girl's injuries. The tears were severe and already infected, requiring immediate attention.
After the girl was gently taken away, Lyra handed the mother another tissue, her voice hoarse with anger. "Wipe your tears. I understand that any mother would be devastated by this. But I still believe you need to go through the legal process to ensure he gets the punishment he deserves."
The middle-aged woman, wiping her tears, spoke with hatred, "I've always listened to them! They made me do all the housework, take care of the whole family, even help with their relatives' issues, and I did it all!"
"But why... why did they have to do this to my daughter!"
Seeing that her advice hadn't sunk in, Lyra patiently repeated herself.
This time, the woman cried even harder, her voice filled with despair. "I want to! Of course, I want to! I filed for divorce as soon as I found out!"
"But the court said there wasn't enough evidence to grant it! In our rural area, there's no surveillance. That bastard cleaned up all the evidence and claimed my daughter was assaulted by an outsider! Without evidence, what can I do?"
Lyra was stunned. Having never been married, she had no idea how difficult it was for a victim to escape such a nightmare.
"Dr. Cole, I really don't know what to do." The woman clutched Lyra's hand like a lifeline. "If I had known it would be like this, I would never have married him. What should I do now? If it were just me, I could leave, but my daughter is only eight. Her life is just beginning..."
Lyra's heart ached. "We must prioritize the child..."
Suddenly, a name flashed through her mind: Jeffery.
She didn't have any connections in the legal field, but Jeffery might.
However, she couldn't make any promises to this desperate mother without Jeffery's consent. She could only try to comfort the mother and daughter for now.
The eight-year-old girl was heartbreakingly mature.
She had just started elementary school and was still innocent about the differences between men and women, not fully understanding what her father had done to her. In her naive words, "Daddy just played a game with me. He said if I didn't scream, I'd get candy."
But she could see her mother's sadness. She gently patted her mother's back with her small hand, her childish voice soothing, "Mommy, don't cry. It doesn't hurt at all."
Seeing her daughter's innocent face, the mother's tears flowed even more.
Lyra couldn't bear to watch any longer. She felt as if an invisible hand was squeezing her heart, filled with both sorrow and anger. She glanced at them huddled together in her office and quietly stepped out, closing the door softly behind her.
The next moment, she walked briskly, fueled by a burning anger, straight to Jeffery's office.
She knocked on the door, but there was no response.
Just as she was about to knock again, Jeffery's cool voice came from behind her. "Looking for me?"
Lyra turned around in surprise to see him adjusting his white coat, a hint of fatigue in his eyes.
"Just finished an emergency surgery," he explained.
"I need your help with something," Lyra said, her urgency evident even to herself.
"Come in and tell me," Jeffery said, opening the door and stepping aside to let her in first.
Lyra didn't waste a second, getting straight to the point. "One of my patients' family members is in a very difficult situation. Do you know any lawyers?"
Jeffery's eyebrows raised slightly, and he looked at her, signaling her to continue.
Lyra quickly recounted the little girl's ordeal.
Throughout her story, Jeffery remained silent, but his frown deepened, and his usually calm eyes grew colder and more intense.
When she finished, Lyra felt parched but didn't even think to drink water, anxiously awaiting his response. "Can you help?"
Jeffery didn't answer immediately. Instead, he took out his phone and made a call right in front of her.
After a brief conversation, he hung up and spoke with a steady, decisive voice. "I contacted a friend. He no longer practices law but is highly respected in the field. He'll come by tomorrow to assess the situation. I've arranged a meeting place. You'll come with me to meet him."
The heavy weight in Lyra's heart lifted, and her tense nerves finally relaxed, a genuine smile spreading across her face. "Thank you, Jeffery."
With the immediate crisis addressed, Lyra hurried back to share the good news with the mother.
The woman was overwhelmed with gratitude, holding Lyra's hand and tearfully thanking her. "Thank you, Dr. Cole. Thank you so much! You're a wonderful person. Without you, I wouldn't know what to do..."
Lyra felt unworthy of such heavy thanks and quickly steadied her. "You don't need to thank me. I just did what I could. And we can't be sure everything will go smoothly yet. We need to wait until we meet the person tomorrow."
She paused, then added firmly, "I'll contact you tomorrow."
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