Samantha felt exhaustion crash over her like a wave. "When does it end?"
"Never," Callum said quietly, honestly. "Recovery isn't linear. Healing isn't neat. We're going to be dealing with the aftermath of this for years."
Linda's expression softened fractionally. "Get cleaned up. All of you look like extras from a horror movie. Dr. Yates will be here in forty minutes—she's the trauma specialist I mentioned. And Dr. Park is waiting upstairs to do a full physical examination of all seven children."
"They're sleeping," Samantha protested. "Can't this wait?"
"No," Linda said firmly. "Because I need documentation of every injury, every mark, every sign of what Victoria did to them. For the legal case. For CPS. For your protection and theirs."
She was right. Samantha knew she was right. But the thought of waking the children, making them endure more poking and prodding after everything they'd been through...
