Rather than face public disgrace, Edmund signed an agreement that concealed the accident.
Gideon read the document again.
His father had not simply failed to understand his condition.
He had protected his reputation at the expense of his son.
But there was another paper in the bundle.
It was a letter written by Edmund shortly before his death.
My son deserves to know what happened to him. I have been a coward. I allowed my fear of disgrace to become more important than his suffering.
The letter continued for several pages.
Edmund admitted that the original device had been intended to help restore hearing. He had believed the experiment would be harmless, and he had permitted the doctor to proceed without adequate safeguards.
When Gideon was injured, Edmund had panicked.
He had told himself that silence would protect his son from humiliation and further medical experimentation.
Instead, he had allowed Gideon to grow up believing that his disability was an unexplained burden he must endure alone.
