The results came back in stages. First the plants. The pediatrician returned with a thin folder, his expression careful but calmer than before. “The flowers are benign,” he said. “Chamomile. Lavender. Nothing toxic in isolation. Nothing that would explain this level of reaction.” Carrie let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.
“So it wasn’t the tea?” “Not directly,” the doctor said. “At least, not from the plants themselves.” Mike felt the floor shift beneath that word. Not directly. “Then what did it?” he asked. Mike broke first. It wasn’t loud. It wasn’t dramatic.