Wren put her hands together, as if trying to reel everyone back in. “Let’s return to the matter at hand. Some women have hormonal fluctuations that make it quite difficult to care for their baby and for themselves.”
“Maybe for the Englisch,” Elizabeth said, “but not for us.”
Wren sighed. “Maybe not formostAmish women, but some do suffer from postpartum depression.” She lifted the files. “These three women suffered greatly and they suffered alone.That’s why they went to Dr. Finegold and why he gave them the drug.”
“Did it help?” Everyone turned to Clara Zook, pushing her stroller back and forth. Her eyes were on Wren. “Did the medicine fix them?”
“No,” Wren said. “It didn’t. It only caused more problems.”
Clara’s chin dropped. Just then, one of the babies began to stir, letting out a few squeaks, then a full cry, and soon enough, the other joined in, wailing in unison. Clara quickly pushed the stroller out of the store. David considered chasing her, thinking he might offer to take the stroller for a spin around the parking lot so she could stay in the meeting, but with both babies now crying at full volume, he knew she wouldn’t accept his help. Besides, he recognized that his place was right here in this meeting.
He needed to stop putting it off and go have that talk with Jacob Zook.Soon.
When the door closed behind Clara, Wren—looking a bit relieved that the noisy babies were gone—picked up where she left off. “It seems my grandmother’s depression only worsened after she’d taken Serofem. Some reports suggest that infertility was one result. Can any of you remember if there might have been side effects for your loved one?”
“Now that you mention it,” Pete said, “my father was youngest of two children. My grandmother was Laura Zook. Does seem kind of rare to have such a small family, at least among the Plain people.”
“See?” Wren lit up. “That’s exactly the kind of information I’m looking for. It’s entirely possible that your grandmother was affected by the drug. What about Carolyn Fisher?”
Sally Fisher’s arm shot right up in the air. “My husband’s father was her only child.”
Wren turned to her. “So Carolyn had no other children?”
Sally shook her head.
“Don’t you see?” Wren said, her arms flying in the air. “Thesewere such young women! It’s entirely possible that they were unable to have more children after they took this drug. It’s no wonder their depression deepened.”
Ada and Alice, whose hearing wasn’t stellar, had been quiet throughout the meeting. But now Ada lifted a finger in the air. “Cousin Carolyn was always a bit...”
“Down in the dumps,” Alice finished. “Even as a child.”
David could see Wren grow increasingly baffled. She wanted people to get excited, to feel indignant, but they remained calm. Other than Sally Fisher. She looked quite distressed.
“These young women,” Wren said, her voice earnest, “didn’t know the risks they were taking. They weren’t told about the potential side effects. Dr. Finegold didn’t tell them. That was wrong. The drug company didn’t ensure that every trial participant had given consent. That was wrong. The pharmaceutical company should be held accountable for what happened.” She clapped her hands together. “We have powerful evidence to proceed.”
“PROCEED?” Hank said. “Proceed in WHAT?”
“In a lawsuit against Pharmogen.”
David watched as the mood in the room subtly shifted the moment Wren mentioned the lawsuit. Their expressions would be tough for anyone to read, especially for someone unfamiliar with the Plain way of masking emotions, but even Wren seemed to sense the sudden drop in temperature.
She ramped up her pitch, hands waving like she was trying to flag down a passing buggy. “It’s already underway! You won’t have to do a thing, just submit your relative’s file. I’ll represent you. You’ll never have to step foot in court. I’ve got it all covered.”
Still nothing. The families remained stone-faced. Wren’s gaze darted from one expressionless face to another, searching for a flicker of interest. Nothing. Not a spark. Not even from Sally Fisher.
Finally, Pete Zook rose to his feet, his voice gentle but firm. “We thank you for caring about our relatives, and for wanting us to understand the ... uh ... situation they were in. We’re awfully sorry about Baseball Joe’s Mary. That’s a real shame, not being able to have any more little ones. But we think it’s best to let God be the judge here.”
Quietly, he helped Elizabeth to her feet and they made their way to the door. Ada and Alice followed behind. Then Sally and Hank. Sarah made herself scarce and went to the storeroom to look for supplies.
As the store emptied, Wren, bewildered, sank into a rocker, lost in thought. After a long moment, she turned to David, her eyes wide with disbelief. “I don’t understand. How could they not want vindication?”
“The Amish believe that revenge is up to God. They trust in his justice and mercy, knowing that retribution isn’t their job.”
Wren shook her head, still trying to process it. “But they were wronged. Doesn’t it matter that their relatives were wronged?”
David nodded. “Of course it matters. But peace doesn’t come from trying to fix the wrong. It comes from trusting that God will handle it, in his time.”
It was clear Wren wasn’t convinced. “True peace can only come with justice.”
