The receptionist, followed by a nurse, finally comes out from the treatment area and I pop up from my seat. “Ms. Crow,” the nurse says. “Come on back.”

“Can my son come, too?” I ask.

“Of course.” The nurse leads us back into the treatment area but instead of taking us to one of the examination rooms she opens the door to a small room, empty except for three chairs and a side table with an open box of tissues atop it.

This must be the spot where families get the bad news from the doctor. The news that their loved one hasn’t survived the car accident, the heart attack, the stroke. I don’t want to go in.

“Come on in and take a seat,” the nurse invites with a smile that I take as a good sign. “The doctor will be right in to talk to you.” Max and I sit down and wait and after a few minutes I see Officer Grady in the hallway talking to a tall, striking woman dressed in a skirt, heels and white doctor’s coat.

“What do you think is going on?” Max asks.

“I have no idea,” I say and we stand as Officer Grady and the woman approach.

“Beth, Max,” Officer Grady says. He’s got his cop face on.

“Ms. Crow? I’m Dr. Gideon.” She reaches out to shake my hand, then Max’s. Dr. Gideon appears to be in her midforties and is perfectly put together. Immediately I’m intimidated.

“What kind of doctor?” Max asks.

“Of psychiatry,” Dr. Gideon says.

I look up at Officer Grady lurking in the doorway. “What’s going on?” I ask eagerly. “Where’s Violet?”

“A nurse is with Violet right now. She’s calm,” Dr. Gideon says. “Please take a seat.”

“I don’t want to sit. Tell me what’s going on,” I snap, surprising even myself with my tone.

“Beth,” Officer Grady says mildly. “We’re all here to help Violet.”

“It doesn’t feel that way.” I sink back into my chair and Dr. Gideon sits across from me. Max stands in a corner, watching, biting his lip nervously.

“We are in the process of assessing Violet right now and I think it would be a good idea for her to stay with us overnight, so we can do a thorough evaluation.”

“For what?” I ask in disbelief. “I don’t understand. The EMTs thought she would be just fine.”

“I asked for the evaluation,” Officer Grady says from the doorway. “I’m concerned about Violet. She ran away from the house, she was hiding in a boxcar, Beth, and then she tried to run away again. She’s clearly afraid of something.”