I looked at the dense medical wording on his screen.

“Her pain gets worse every morning,” I said.

“The stones are causing ongoing blockages in the bile ducts.”

“Can you schedule the surgery right now?” I asked.

“Hospital policy is strict about flagged accounts,” Dr.

Vance said.

“Even when it’s a minor?”

“Especially for minors when a parent has specifically signed a refusal of care.”