I clear my throat at the sight of the three members of the family staring at me. “So, why don’t you start by telling me about your situation and what you need a lawyer for.”

Aaron automatically looks at his dad, then exchanges a look with his mom. She nods and pats his hand, giving him a warm smile.

Her expression falters as she swallows, then looks at me. “My husband was the victim of a medical error at the local hospital three months ago, and we would like to seek legal counsel regarding our options here.”

Sounds like what Selina had told me. Twirling the pen between my fingers, I say, “I understand. Can you tell me a bit more about what happened?”

Martina opens her mouth, but no word comes out, and somehow, I can feel her pain, deep and sharp, just by looking at her. It’s written all over her face.

“He had a stroke,” Aaron says after grabbing his mother’s hand. “It was apparently an atypical presentation, but instead of doing any investigation or whatever it is they’re supposed to do, the ER doctor sent my dad back home, saying he probably had the stomach flu and to just wait until it went away. We brought him to bed once we got home, and when we went to wake him up hours later, he was…” He drags a hand over the short bristles of his beard. “He was in a much worse state.”

Dennis’s eyes follow the conversation, but despite his seeming understanding of the situation, he doesn’t say a word.

I place my hands on the table and slowly lean forward. “I know this is difficult, and I’m so sorry about it, but I have to ask. What complications are we talking about here?”

Aaron turns to his father, grabbing his hand just like he did his mom’s minutes ago. “He lost the ability to speak. He lost control over some of the right side of his body. He, um… He understands everything, you know? But he can’t tell us what he needs. And the doctor we saw when we went to another hospital told us that some of these problems might’ve been avoided if he’d received treatment right away.”