They Wanted My Mom to Take the Blame, but the Animals Told Me Everything Chapter 02

They Wanted My Mom to Take the Blame, but the Animals Told Me Everything Chapter 02

Every eye in the room shifted to the nanny.

She was already terrified, knowing her negligence had allowed the boy to get bitten in the first place.

Hearing Callie cover for her, she could only nod frantically. “Yes… yes, Mrs. Ashford. Leo was definitely bitten by this snake.”

“It came out of nowhere and tried to slide away after biting him. Miss Hanish reacted so fast, throwing herself at it without a thought for her own safety.”

The Pomeranian bared its teeth in pure hatred.

Bull! That woman deserves an Oscar. She bribed the nanny months ago to learn Leo’s habits just so she could worm her way into the family.

Behind closed doors, she calls Leo a parasite and Mrs. Ashford a walking corpse!

But look at Mrs. Ashford’s face—she’s going soft. She’s falling for it again!

Sure enough, Mrs. Ashford hesitated for a few seconds before sighing. “Callie, I’m just getting old and paranoid. Don’t take it to heart. Doctor, please administer the cobra anti-venom first.”

My mother knew I wouldn’t speak up without a reason. She had been carefully examining Leo this entire time. “Mrs. Ashford, I still urge caution. The boy is already showing early signs of neurotoxicity…”

Before she could finish, Dr. Harrison, the chief of the ER, pushed through the crowd and pulled my mother aside. “Dr. Walsh, the family provided the exact specimen. What are you hesitating for?”

“This is the Ashford heir! Administer the anti-venom immediately. If you keep stalling and something goes wrong, who’s going to take responsibility?”

He glared at me, his face darkening. “Are you really letting your daughter run her mouth like this? She’s a vet student—what does she know about clinical medicine?”

My mother frowned, about to fire back, but Callie exploded first. “Dr. Harrison, is this how your hospital treats patients?”

She lifted her chin with the arrogance of someone who had never been told no. “I risked my life to catch that snake, and your staff would rather listen to a vet student than the evidence in front of them? It looks like I’ll have to ask my father to reconsider our medical funding for next year.”

Dr. Harrison’s face drained of color.

The Hanish family was the hospital’s largest private donor, pouring millions into medical equipment every year.

Without a second of hesitation, he turned and barked at my mother. “Dr. Walsh! Administer the cobra anti-venom right now! That is an order! If you refuse to comply, you can pack your bags and leave today!”

My mother looked down at the child.

The seven-year-old boy was crying in agony as the swelling crept up his arm along the lymphatic lines toward his shoulder.

My mother took a deep breath and turned to the nurse. “Ivy, go to the pharmacy and get the polyvalent antivenom immediately.”

Dr. Harrison’s eyes went wide. “Are you out of your mind? The boy was bitten by a standard cobra!”

My mother’s voice remained rock-solid. “The patient is under my care. As the attending physician, I have the authority to determine the protocol based on clinical presentation.”

Ivy froze for a fraction of a second, then turned to run for the pharmacy.

Panic flashed through Callie’s eyes.

She lunged forward, grabbing Ivy’s white coat, and shrieked. “Don’t you dare! Leo was bitten by a standard cobra. If you give him an extra antivenom and he has a toxic reaction, who’s going to answer for that?”

She whipped her head around to glare at Dr. Harrison.

Sweat beaded on Dr. Harrison’s forehead as he snapped at my mother. “Dr. Walsh, look at the facts. Miss Hanish and the boy were bitten by the same snake.”

“Miss Hanish shows absolutely no signs of neurotoxicity! Her hand only has localized swelling!”

But my mother’s confidence only grew. “Setting aside what kind of snake it was, how do you explain two completely different sets of symptoms from the exact same bite?”

Murmurs rippled through the room.

“Their symptoms don’t match.”

“What if the girl is right?”

“God. What if she really did switch the snakes?”