The next few hours were a blur of paperwork and quiet conversations. By 7 a.m., a hospital social worker had reviewed the footage.
She was a no-nonsense woman who had seen the worst of people, and she wasn’t impressed with Jasper. She made an official incident note documenting an inconsistent parental statement, admission of absence during the injury, and coaching of a minor to maintain a false narrative.
“We’ll notify the social worker.”
When I walked back into Howard’s room at 8 a.m., Jasper was back in his chair.
“Hey, you get some sleep?”
“I know what really happened, Jasper,” I said. “And I know you coached Howard to lie about it.”
Howard looked between us, his eyes wide with fear. “Dad said—”
“It’s okay, baby,” I said, moving to the bed and taking Howard’s hand. “You don’t have to explain anything.” Then I looked at Jasper and pointed toward the door. “You, on the other hand. You’re going to step out into the hall so we can talk.”
“I know what really happened, Jasper.”
The second we were in the hallway, and the door clicked shut, Jasper rounded on me.
“I don’t know who’s been telling you lies—”
I cut him off with a sharp, bitter laugh. “You’re the liar here, Jasper. And the fact that you pulled our son into covering for you is just… It’s pathetic. How could you do that to him?”
Jasper licked his lips, his eyes darting around the hallway. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Let me spell it out for you. You were out when Howard broke his leg. You left him with your girlfriend, whom I didn’t even know about, and when she stepped inside momentarily, Howard tried a trick and got hurt. And you lied about it.”
“How could you do that to him?”
Some nurses and a doctor down the hall stared at us curiously.
“How did you… how…” Jasper’s face flushed a deep, angry red. “It was ten minutes! You’re acting like I abandoned him in the woods!”
“You told me you were watching him. You made him lie to me. That’s the part you don’t get to walk away from.”
The social worker appeared around the corner, holding a clipboard like a shield. “Sir? We need to speak with you.”
Some nurses and a doctor down the hall stared at us curiously.
