“Then we need the original file.”
She stood and reached for her keys again.
I followed her into the records room, where a clerk waited behind a counter with three printed forms stacked beside a scanner.
Caroline gave her the request.
“The sealed file for Hannah’s October 28 admission, please.”
The clerk looked at the form, then at Caroline.
“That file was placed under restricted access.”
“Yes,” Caroline said. “I have authorization.”
The clerk disappeared through a gray door.
I looked at the dates on the forms Caroline had brought. One was October 28. Another had been printed October 30.
The dates were close enough to touch and far enough apart to matter.
The clerk returned carrying a sealed folder.
She set it on the counter.
“One page is flagged.”
“Which page?”
The clerk opened the folder only as far as the marker.
“Signature line.”
Caroline took the page.
The form listed Hannah’s name, the date, and the attending office. Underneath, the line where a signature should have been was empty.
“Who completed this form?”
