I Went to the Hospital to Care for My Son After He Broke His Leg – Then the Nurse Slipped Me a Note, ‘He’s Lying. Check the Camera at 3 a.m.’

I don’t remember the drive. Just red lights I barely saw and the way my hands shook on the steering wheel.

Howard looked tiny in that hospital bed, swallowed by white sheets and fluorescent light. A bright blue cast ran from ankle to knee.

“Hey, buddy,” I whispered, kissing his forehead. “You scared me.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, eyes rimmed red.

“For what?”

“For falling.”

He wouldn’t meet my eyes.

“Were you trying tricks again?” I asked gently.

“I told you,” Jasper cut in. “He just slipped. No tricks. I was right there.”

Howard glanced at him. Then at the floor.

Something didn’t line up.

But I swallowed it. Not here. Not in front of our son.