My mother stood on the driveway six feet away with her arms folded tight across her chest, watching me through the open back doors.

Dan took hold of the heavy steel handle on the left door and swung it in.

The ambulance doors banged shut while Patricia stood watching from the driveway with her arms folded.

The red vinyl curtain slid shut along its curved metal track with a sharp, echoing rattle.

Nurse Jennifer held a small clear plastic ruler against the dark red swelling just above Emma’s left eyebrow.

“Four centimeters long, three wide,” Jennifer said, entering the measurements on her handheld tablet.