Chapter 6 - The DepositionAt 10:00 a.m., a tense emergency meeting convened in Hospital Conference Room B.
Present in the room were Dr. Adrian Cole, Daniel Mercer, their defense attorneys, Hospital Administrator Victoria Vance, Chief of Medicine Dr. Lin, Claire Mercer (seated in a wheelchair, holding baby Noah), Rachel, and two officers from the Police Financial Crimes Division.
Daniel sat smugly, his hands folded. “This is ridiculous. A clerical clock adjustment by an attending physician is standard practice. My client is being harassed during a period of immense grief over his late mother.”
Dr. Cole sat beside him, sweat glistening on his forehead. “I simply adjusted the time based on my manual watch,” Cole insisted nervously. “The delivery room clock was fast.”
“Is that so, Dr. Cole?” Dr. Lin asked, pressing a button on the conference table speaker system.
The room fell silent as an audio recording filled the space:
[Audio Timestamp: August 3, 12:07:14 a.m.] (Sound of monitor beeping, followed by the distinct, loud cry of a newborn baby) Dr. Cole’s voice on recording: "There he is! Healthy baby boy. Time of birth... 12:07 a.m. Happy New Day, Claire." Daniel’s voice on recording: "Dammit, Adrian! Check the clock! It’s past midnight!" Dr. Cole’s voice: "Shut the door, Daniel. We’ll fix the paperwork later."
The room went dead silent.
Dr. Cole’s face drained of all color. He sank back into his chair, unable to speak.
The telemetry system had captured not just vitals, but the ambient room audio during the delivery.
Daniel’s attorney slowly closed his briefcase, looked at his client, and whispered, “Daniel, don't say another word.”
Detective Miller of the Police Department stepped forward, pulling a pair of handcuffs from his belt.
“Daniel Mercer, Dr. Adrian Cole,” the detective announced, “you are under arrest for conspiracy to commit grand theft, falsification of medical records, and healthcare fraud.”
Daniel stood up, panicking. “Claire! Tell them! Tell them this is a mistake!”
Claire looked at Daniel with absolute composure. “The only mistake I made was letting you make my daughter feel worthless. Goodbye, Daniel.”
As the officers cuffed Daniel and led him out of the room, he passed Rachel. He glared at her with pure hatred, but Rachel simply stood tall, her arm gently draped over Emma, who was standing beside her mother’s wheelchair.
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Nurse Marcus, who had confessed to enabling Cole's system access in exchange for a promised payoff, was stripped of his duties and led away for questioning by hospital security.
The truth was finally sealed.
