—Grandpa said I shouldn't tell you yet.
My whole body froze.
—What is it that you shouldn't tell me?
She remained silent. At that moment, Robert entered the room. When he saw the bag in my hands, his face paled.
"You weren't supposed to find that," he said.
I picked Emily up and immediately left the room.
I barely slept that night. Daniel insisted we should talk to his father before drawing any conclusions, but I no longer trusted any explanation Robert could give me.
The next morning I installed a small hidden camera in the living room. It was pointed towards the hallway and the closed bathroom door. I needed to know what was happening while I was out.
At work, I watched the camera feed on my phone all day. At 3:40 p.m., Robert drove Emily home from school. She wasn't running like she usually did. She was walking slowly, one hand resting on her side.
Robert knelt in front of her and asked anxiously:
—Has it started again?
Emily nodded.
—Should we tell Mom?
"No," Robert replied. "First I have to make sure."
I couldn't stand it anymore. I ran out of work and got home twenty minutes later.
As soon as I opened the front door, I heard water running in the bathroom. I ran down the hall and flung the door open.
Read the continuation in the comments! ‼️👇‼️👇
Robert stood fully dressed by the bathtub. Emily was also fully clothed; only her feet were submerged in the warm water. The grandfather wore protective gloves and carefully examined the red spots that had appeared on the girl's legs.
On the sink there was a special soap from the pharmacy, clean towels, and a notebook.
In the notebook, Robert had recorded when each rash appeared, what clothes Emily had worn, and what she had eaten that day.
"What does all this mean?" I managed to ask.
Robert sat down and covered his face with his hands.
—I think Emily has the same illness her grandmother had.
