Chapter 6 - The Neurologist
I stood up. I didn't tremble. I didn't waver. I leaned on my cane, tapped a silver spoon against my water glass, and waited for the room to quiet down.
Harper looked at me, a flicker of panic crossing her features. "Aunt Evelyn, sit down, you're going to tire yourself out."
"I am quite perfectly rested, Harper, thank you," I said. My voice wasn't reedy or confused. It was the booming, authoritative voice of a senior fraud examiner who had terrified white-collar criminals for thirty years.
The room went dead silent. Harper froze, the champagne glass suddenly trembling in her hand.
"Before we cut the cake," I announced to the room, "I'd like to introduce a very special guest. Most of you know my niece, Harper, who has been so diligently managing my care."
Harper forced a rigid smile.
"But I'd also like to introduce the quiet woman standing by the dessert table," I said, gesturing to a woman in a sharp gray suit. "This is Dr. Aris. She is the Chief of Neurology at the state research hospital."
Dr. Aris stepped forward, offering a professional nod to the crowd.
"Dr. Aris," I asked loudly. "Could you share the results of the independent, court-ordered evaluation you conducted on me this morning?"
"Certainly, Mrs. Vance," Dr. Aris said, pulling a certified document from her briefcase. "After extensive cognitive and neurological testing, I have declared Evelyn Vance to be one hundred percent competent, lucid, and in full possession of her mental faculties. There is absolutely no evidence of dementia, confusion, or cognitive decline."
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Harper’s face drained of all color. She looked like she was going to be sick. "That... that's impossible. The doctors at the hospital—"
"The doctors at the hospital were following my instructions," Sarah, the ombudsman, stepped out from the crowd. "We've been building a file on you since the day of the surgery, Harper."
