She explained that she needed to assess both babies and make sure I could hold them without aggravating the pain.

I let her do her work.

Luna had stopped crying.

She made a small searching movement with her mouth, unaware that the adults around her were trying to decide what could be trusted.

The clinician asked where I had been struck, whether I had pain elsewhere, and whether I had any new symptoms.

I answered.

She documented what she observed and what I reported.

A mark on my cheek could support my account; it could not identify every movement in the room by itself.