Laura’s face drained of color.
“What did you do?” she whispered.
The little girl buried her face in her mother’s coat.
“I didn’t mean to hurt him.”
The room was completely silent.
Daniel slowly leaned against the wall.
Megan covered her mouth.
And I felt the cold realization settle in my chest.
The baby hadn’t been attacked.
He had simply been held too tightly…
by a child who didn’t understand how fragile life could be.
The room remained silent for several long seconds.
Emma’s quiet sobs were the only sound.
Laura stood frozen, staring at her daughter as if the ground had just shifted beneath her feet.
“Emma…” she whispered, her voice trembling. “What did you do?”
The little girl clung tighter to her mother’s coat.
“I just wanted to hug him,” she cried again. “He was crying and crying… and I squeezed him so he would stop.”
Megan’s knees buckled slightly. Daniel caught her arm before she fell.
Dr. Patel stepped forward calmly.
“Emma,” he said gently, kneeling down to her level, “did you mean to hurt the baby?”
Emma shook her head violently.
“No! I love babies!”
Her small face crumpled.
“I just hugged him hard.”
Laura covered her mouth, horror spreading across her face.
“Oh my God…”
