Dana moved between Maya and the doors. "Stay where you are."
"Then bring the doctor to me."
Dana's patience snapped. "You're interfering with an investigation."
Maya held her gaze. "Then tell me what is being investigated."
Instead of answering, Dana pulled the baton from her belt. She did not strike Maya, but she used the end of it to knock the medical file from the reception desk. The folder hit the floor and opened, scattering Isaiah's asthma records, medication information, insurance papers, and emergency documents across the polished tile.
The lobby went quiet.
Maya looked at the papers for a moment, then bent down to gather them. She did not raise her voice, threaten anyone, or reveal anything about herself beyond what they already knew. While she collected the pages, however, she continued observing everything around her: Officer Dana Mercer, Lieutenant Charles Harland, Officer Samuel Cole near the interior hallway, Officer Liam Foster close to the lobby doors, Dr. Ethan Caldwell listed on the board as the attending physician. Two dome cameras covered the reception area while another faced the treatment corridor. A keypad controlled the staff access door where Isaiah's backpack had been taken.
By the time Maya picked up the final page, she had memorized every detail. She placed the documents back into the folder, straightened them carefully, and rose to her feet. Then she looked directly at Dana.
"Make sure your report states that I asked about my son's legal status."
Dana gave a dismissive laugh. "You think I need you telling me how to write a report?"
"No," Maya replied calmly. "I just want to make sure nobody says later that I never asked."
Harland's expression changed. Until that moment, he had treated Maya like an inconvenience; now he seemed to be evaluating her.
The isolation doors opened again. The same senior nurse stepped out. "We need those restraints adjusted," she said. "Mr. Williams is having trouble taking full breaths."
Dana answered immediately. "He stays on police hold."
Maya turned toward her. "Police hold? Based on what arrest?"
Dana froze for a fraction of a second.
Harland stepped in before she could answer. "Nurse Reed, please return to your patient."
The nurse looked at Maya, then at Harland, clearly uncomfortable with what she had just heard. She eventually returned through the doors, but not before giving Maya a look that suggested she also knew something was wrong.
Maya faced Harland once more. "You're restricting my son's medical care while refusing to tell me whether he has actually been arrested."
Harland lowered his voice. "Miss Williams, you need to leave."
"I need his medical condition."
"You've been given a lawful instruction."
Dana placed one hand near the handcuffs on her belt. "This is your last warning."
Maya looked briefly at Dana's hand, then at Harland, and finally toward the staff-only door where Isaiah's backpack had disappeared. She understood exactly what would happen if she continued arguing: they would turn her questions into a disturbance and use that disturbance to justify removing her more forcefully.
After a moment, Maya nodded. "I'm leaving peacefully."
Officer Liam Foster stepped forward to escort her toward the automatic doors. Just before crossing outside, Maya turned slightly toward him. "Officer Foster, remember this correctly: I asked whether Isaiah was under arrest. No one answered."
Foster said nothing, but his discomfort was obvious.
Maya walked outside, and the automatic doors closed behind her.
Harland waited until she was completely out of sight. Then he turned toward Dana, and the calm expression he had worn in front of Maya disappeared.