“I pushed him first,” Emily whispered, yanking her sleeves down even tighter until the fabric stretched across her knuckles.

“He was under so much pressure from the accounting audit this week.”

“The X-rays show old fractures,” Richard said quietly.

“This didn’t just start today.”

“You don’t understand how hard he was trying,” Emily murmured, her soft voice fading into silence as she stared at the white wall.

“I wrecked the whole holiday for his family.”

The heavy latch clicked, and Dr.

Sarah came into the room with a dark plastic chart folder tucked under her arm.