1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:03,120 Speaker 1: Hi, everyone, it's Andrea. If you found us through the 2 00:00:03,160 --> 00:00:07,400 Speaker 1: Hulu documentary, welcome to the Betrayal Podcast. On this feed, 3 00:00:07,520 --> 00:00:09,920 Speaker 1: you can listen back to all four seasons of the show, 4 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:14,000 Speaker 1: including season three Stacy and Tyler's Story. Right now, our 5 00:00:14,040 --> 00:00:16,680 Speaker 1: team is busy working on season five, which launches in 6 00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:19,799 Speaker 1: January of twenty twenty six, but in the meantime, we 7 00:00:19,840 --> 00:00:23,280 Speaker 1: are bringing you new stories every Thursday on Betrayal Weekly. 8 00:00:23,840 --> 00:00:26,600 Speaker 1: Each episode is told directly by the person who lived 9 00:00:26,600 --> 00:00:30,520 Speaker 1: through it, and these stories are powerful. Today, we wanted 10 00:00:30,520 --> 00:00:33,320 Speaker 1: to share one of our recent weekly episodes. If you 11 00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:36,000 Speaker 1: like what you hear, just search for Betrayal Weekly in 12 00:00:36,040 --> 00:00:40,160 Speaker 1: your podcast app and hit subscribe. This is brookstory. 13 00:00:45,280 --> 00:00:49,160 Speaker 2: I went down to DC thinking that I was making 14 00:00:49,240 --> 00:00:55,120 Speaker 2: a parenting plan, and I came back with business cards 15 00:00:55,120 --> 00:01:03,120 Speaker 2: for investigators and Victim's assistance in my luggage, doubting who 16 00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:05,199 Speaker 2: I knew for the last five years. 17 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:23,759 Speaker 1: I'm Andrea Gunning, and this is Betrayal, a show about 18 00:01:23,760 --> 00:01:26,920 Speaker 1: the people we trust the most and the deceptions that 19 00:01:27,080 --> 00:01:33,680 Speaker 1: change everything. Betrayal Weekly is officially back for season two. 20 00:01:33,840 --> 00:01:36,160 Speaker 1: Whether you've been with us from the beginning or you're 21 00:01:36,280 --> 00:01:40,360 Speaker 1: just tuning in welcome this season. We're bringing you some 22 00:01:40,440 --> 00:01:45,920 Speaker 1: of our most riveting, emotional, and unforgettable stories yet, starting 23 00:01:46,080 --> 00:01:46,680 Speaker 1: with this one. 24 00:01:49,720 --> 00:01:57,360 Speaker 2: So I had been married for eleven years. It was 25 00:01:57,480 --> 00:02:01,000 Speaker 2: very shocking to me what little independence I had so 26 00:02:01,560 --> 00:02:06,320 Speaker 2: easily fallen into. And I didn't want to be like that. 27 00:02:06,320 --> 00:02:10,200 Speaker 1: That's Brook Fisk. She's an ICU nurse from upstate New York. 28 00:02:10,840 --> 00:02:14,280 Speaker 1: When she was thirty two, she divorced her first husband 29 00:02:14,760 --> 00:02:15,560 Speaker 1: and started over. 30 00:02:16,120 --> 00:02:20,160 Speaker 2: The first couple of months were scary and lonely. You know. 31 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:22,400 Speaker 2: I would come home from work and the house would 32 00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:24,400 Speaker 2: be empty because the kids would be at their dads, 33 00:02:25,160 --> 00:02:28,359 Speaker 2: and it would be quiet, and I would sit down 34 00:02:28,360 --> 00:02:30,320 Speaker 2: in the kitchen and look around and not know what 35 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:31,360 Speaker 2: to do with myself. 36 00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:35,919 Speaker 1: Brooke was a newly single mother of two, sharing custody 37 00:02:35,960 --> 00:02:40,480 Speaker 1: with her ex. This transition made her painfully aware of 38 00:02:40,560 --> 00:02:44,160 Speaker 1: how much she sacrificed in her marriage. She wanted to 39 00:02:44,160 --> 00:02:46,200 Speaker 1: rebuild a life where she was in control. 40 00:02:47,400 --> 00:02:52,600 Speaker 2: So when I got divorced, really my focus for that 41 00:02:52,680 --> 00:02:57,560 Speaker 2: first year was to become independent and maintain my independence, 42 00:02:58,720 --> 00:02:59,880 Speaker 2: and I really thrived at that. 43 00:03:01,919 --> 00:03:04,280 Speaker 1: She bought a small house and fixed it up on 44 00:03:04,320 --> 00:03:04,680 Speaker 1: her own. 45 00:03:05,880 --> 00:03:09,120 Speaker 2: I would watch YouTube videos on how to fix things 46 00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:13,160 Speaker 2: and how to maintain things, and it was very empowering 47 00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:14,960 Speaker 2: figuring out how to do that stuff. 48 00:03:15,919 --> 00:03:19,760 Speaker 1: When she started dating again, she was careful her kids 49 00:03:19,840 --> 00:03:21,680 Speaker 1: had already been through enough change. 50 00:03:22,680 --> 00:03:25,760 Speaker 2: I was on dating apps and I would meet people 51 00:03:25,800 --> 00:03:28,560 Speaker 2: and go on dates and have a lot of fun 52 00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:32,079 Speaker 2: with that. But whenever it got to the point of 53 00:03:32,160 --> 00:03:36,960 Speaker 2: somebody wanting to get serious, I think that it would 54 00:03:36,960 --> 00:03:39,360 Speaker 2: scare me and I would back right off. 55 00:03:40,760 --> 00:03:44,040 Speaker 1: She didn't want a boyfriend, and she definitely didn't want 56 00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:47,120 Speaker 1: to get married again. If she was looking for anything, 57 00:03:47,520 --> 00:03:50,120 Speaker 1: it was just someone to go on dates with. Her 58 00:03:50,160 --> 00:03:52,960 Speaker 1: life was busy enough with her two kids and a 59 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:54,520 Speaker 1: demanding job in the ICU. 60 00:03:56,120 --> 00:04:02,640 Speaker 2: I worked nights and it was an incredible experience. I 61 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:07,600 Speaker 2: loved working in the ICO. I loved being able to 62 00:04:07,960 --> 00:04:09,920 Speaker 2: really impact people's lives. 63 00:04:10,960 --> 00:04:13,040 Speaker 1: That's where she met a medical resident. 64 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:18,320 Speaker 2: So his full name was secunder Amron, but I called 65 00:04:18,360 --> 00:04:20,559 Speaker 2: him Sick. A lot of his friends called him sick. 66 00:04:21,360 --> 00:04:23,919 Speaker 1: One day, she was called into a room with Sick 67 00:04:24,120 --> 00:04:25,240 Speaker 1: and another doctor. 68 00:04:26,080 --> 00:04:30,040 Speaker 2: They were talking about the patient's heart rate and he said, well, 69 00:04:31,600 --> 00:04:34,440 Speaker 2: his heart rates up now. It must be because this 70 00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:36,040 Speaker 2: nurse is in his room. 71 00:04:36,839 --> 00:04:40,600 Speaker 1: He was talking about Brooke. He shot Brooke a smile. 72 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:45,960 Speaker 2: Which was funny and flirtatious and maybe a little inappropriate 73 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:49,599 Speaker 2: at the time, but yeah, that was the first time 74 00:04:49,640 --> 00:04:52,599 Speaker 2: I remember meeting him. 75 00:04:52,800 --> 00:04:55,080 Speaker 1: A few weeks later, Brooke was working the night shift 76 00:04:55,080 --> 00:04:57,640 Speaker 1: with Sick when he asked her to help with the patient, 77 00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:01,560 Speaker 1: and once the patient fell asleep, Brooke in Sick got 78 00:05:01,600 --> 00:05:02,120 Speaker 1: to chatting. 79 00:05:03,560 --> 00:05:08,200 Speaker 2: At the end of our conversation, he asked me if 80 00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:11,040 Speaker 2: I would like to go out with him, and I 81 00:05:11,200 --> 00:05:17,080 Speaker 2: said that I don't date doctors. He said ever, and 82 00:05:17,120 --> 00:05:19,800 Speaker 2: I said no, I don't date doctors. I have a 83 00:05:19,880 --> 00:05:24,159 Speaker 2: rule against it. And he said, well, let me know 84 00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:27,680 Speaker 2: if you change your mind. And after he left the room, 85 00:05:28,240 --> 00:05:32,960 Speaker 2: the patient, who I thought was sleeping, opened her eyes 86 00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:35,160 Speaker 2: and she pointed at me. She had a trake so 87 00:05:35,200 --> 00:05:38,520 Speaker 2: she couldn't talk, but she mouthed the words that man 88 00:05:38,600 --> 00:05:41,560 Speaker 2: is for you, and I laughed and I said, no, 89 00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:44,680 Speaker 2: he's not, and she said, yes he is. 90 00:05:46,800 --> 00:05:50,400 Speaker 1: Brooke didn't like the stereotype about doctors and nurses hooking. 91 00:05:50,240 --> 00:05:52,720 Speaker 2: Up, you know, the nurse and the doctors sneak off 92 00:05:52,760 --> 00:05:57,599 Speaker 2: into a supply closet, because that's what's depicted on Gray's Anatomy. 93 00:05:58,600 --> 00:06:02,400 Speaker 1: That's why she had the rule no dating doctors. But 94 00:06:02,480 --> 00:06:05,680 Speaker 1: after a few weeks of flirtation, he won her over. 95 00:06:06,440 --> 00:06:09,440 Speaker 1: She took his number and decided that just this once, 96 00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:14,240 Speaker 1: she could break her rule. They started with an ice 97 00:06:14,240 --> 00:06:17,839 Speaker 1: cream date, then long walks and dinners at his apartment. 98 00:06:18,640 --> 00:06:23,160 Speaker 2: We really developed kind of a friendship first kind of relationships. 99 00:06:23,240 --> 00:06:26,719 Speaker 2: So we would spend a lot of time watching movies, 100 00:06:26,839 --> 00:06:31,679 Speaker 2: going to movies. I taught him how to cook rice 101 00:06:31,880 --> 00:06:36,440 Speaker 2: American style. I don't think either of us realized at 102 00:06:36,480 --> 00:06:39,400 Speaker 2: the time how much closer we were getting while we 103 00:06:39,400 --> 00:06:47,120 Speaker 2: were doing those casual things. So that fall, we went 104 00:06:47,160 --> 00:06:52,280 Speaker 2: out a couple of times and we started talking about, 105 00:06:52,400 --> 00:06:56,279 Speaker 2: you know, where he came from, what my background was, 106 00:06:57,440 --> 00:07:02,120 Speaker 2: and I knew that he had come for residency from Pakistan. 107 00:07:03,040 --> 00:07:05,880 Speaker 1: He came from a family of doctors. In fact, his 108 00:07:05,960 --> 00:07:09,720 Speaker 1: dad had owned a hospital in Pakistan. Like his older brother, 109 00:07:09,960 --> 00:07:13,200 Speaker 1: Sick wanted to stay in the US and practice medicine here. 110 00:07:14,000 --> 00:07:18,800 Speaker 2: Where he grew up. Men and women didn't do public 111 00:07:18,800 --> 00:07:23,040 Speaker 2: displays of affection, and I remember the first time that 112 00:07:23,080 --> 00:07:26,360 Speaker 2: he held my hand in public. He was so awkward 113 00:07:26,440 --> 00:07:31,400 Speaker 2: about it, and I was like, what are you doing? 114 00:07:31,720 --> 00:07:34,840 Speaker 2: Are you holding my hand in public? You know, kind 115 00:07:34,880 --> 00:07:37,760 Speaker 2: of joking with him, and he was like, yeah, I am, 116 00:07:38,160 --> 00:07:39,840 Speaker 2: but he was so nervous about it. 117 00:07:40,640 --> 00:07:43,960 Speaker 1: There was a real connection between them, but that didn't 118 00:07:44,040 --> 00:07:46,240 Speaker 1: change Brooks feelings about commitment. 119 00:07:47,320 --> 00:07:50,000 Speaker 2: I was honest with him that I really wasn't looking 120 00:07:50,120 --> 00:07:53,760 Speaker 2: for any kind of a relationship that you know, I 121 00:07:53,800 --> 00:07:57,240 Speaker 2: have kids at home and they're my first priority. He 122 00:07:57,320 --> 00:07:59,680 Speaker 2: knew that I would only go out with him when 123 00:07:59,720 --> 00:08:04,040 Speaker 2: my were with their dad, and he was accepting of that. 124 00:08:04,920 --> 00:08:08,240 Speaker 2: He also said that he wasn't looking to get into 125 00:08:08,280 --> 00:08:10,200 Speaker 2: a relationship or get married either. 126 00:08:11,320 --> 00:08:15,200 Speaker 1: Regardless of what he said, Brooke could tell he was trying. 127 00:08:16,520 --> 00:08:21,320 Speaker 2: He would always pay attention and notice details. He would 128 00:08:21,400 --> 00:08:25,480 Speaker 2: notice how I took my coffee and make an effort 129 00:08:25,560 --> 00:08:29,480 Speaker 2: to prepare it for me. That way. He knew which 130 00:08:29,720 --> 00:08:35,040 Speaker 2: ice cream flavors I liked, at which dessert restaurants. He 131 00:08:35,160 --> 00:08:39,199 Speaker 2: was logical and thoughtful and funny and caring. 132 00:08:40,480 --> 00:08:43,560 Speaker 1: After six months of dating, they realized that what was 133 00:08:43,600 --> 00:08:46,280 Speaker 1: happening here was more than just a casual fling. 134 00:08:47,520 --> 00:08:53,800 Speaker 2: It was probably late the next spring that he looked 135 00:08:53,800 --> 00:08:58,120 Speaker 2: at me and he said, do you consider me your boyfriend, 136 00:09:00,080 --> 00:09:06,320 Speaker 2: and I hadn't even thought about it, and I said, well, yeah, 137 00:09:06,360 --> 00:09:08,640 Speaker 2: I guess I do. Is that okay? 138 00:09:09,920 --> 00:09:15,319 Speaker 1: It was definitely okay with him once they became official. 139 00:09:15,480 --> 00:09:17,000 Speaker 1: They kept things quiet at work. 140 00:09:18,040 --> 00:09:23,320 Speaker 2: A lot of our coworkers knew that we were together, 141 00:09:23,880 --> 00:09:25,920 Speaker 2: but it was just kind of a thing that nobody 142 00:09:25,960 --> 00:09:29,600 Speaker 2: really talked about. Occasionally someone would say, oh, I saw 143 00:09:29,679 --> 00:09:33,880 Speaker 2: your boyfriend, but I would say, oh, do you mean 144 00:09:33,960 --> 00:09:35,360 Speaker 2: doctor Imron. 145 00:09:35,280 --> 00:09:41,080 Speaker 1: You know, outside the hospital. They built a rhythm. When 146 00:09:41,080 --> 00:09:43,839 Speaker 1: Brooks kids were with their dad, she and Sick planned 147 00:09:43,920 --> 00:09:46,520 Speaker 1: romantic dinners and weekend getaways. 148 00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:51,079 Speaker 2: We loved to go on trips. What we really liked 149 00:09:51,080 --> 00:09:56,000 Speaker 2: to do is go to vacation spots and find the 150 00:09:56,040 --> 00:09:57,720 Speaker 2: foods that they were famous for. 151 00:09:59,000 --> 00:10:02,559 Speaker 1: It started with an promto road trip to Chicago. Sick 152 00:10:02,640 --> 00:10:05,400 Speaker 1: drove with Brooke asleep in the passenger seat. 153 00:10:06,160 --> 00:10:08,400 Speaker 2: And I remember him waking me up as we were 154 00:10:08,520 --> 00:10:13,599 Speaker 2: kind of driving into Chicago. It was nighttime and Chicago 155 00:10:13,920 --> 00:10:17,680 Speaker 2: was let up. A lot of the buildings had purple 156 00:10:17,760 --> 00:10:21,080 Speaker 2: lights on them for some reason, and he woke me 157 00:10:21,160 --> 00:10:24,120 Speaker 2: up and he said, look, I called Chicago and had 158 00:10:24,120 --> 00:10:27,480 Speaker 2: them light the buildings up purple for you. Because he 159 00:10:27,520 --> 00:10:28,679 Speaker 2: knew that I liked purple. 160 00:10:29,679 --> 00:10:33,160 Speaker 1: That weekend, they didn't have a plan. They just explored 161 00:10:33,200 --> 00:10:34,280 Speaker 1: their way through the city. 162 00:10:35,360 --> 00:10:40,920 Speaker 2: We found this really awesome restaurant that had Pakistani food 163 00:10:41,120 --> 00:10:43,920 Speaker 2: and they were open all night. We went there at 164 00:10:43,960 --> 00:10:47,000 Speaker 2: like one o'clock in the morning, this hole in the 165 00:10:47,040 --> 00:10:51,240 Speaker 2: wall restaurant, and it was the most amazing food. 166 00:10:52,760 --> 00:10:54,600 Speaker 1: Next they went to New Orleans. 167 00:10:55,960 --> 00:11:02,160 Speaker 2: Even though I don'ate me, we ate alligator, it was 168 00:11:02,200 --> 00:11:02,720 Speaker 2: pretty good. 169 00:11:05,920 --> 00:11:08,760 Speaker 1: Back home in New York, they weren't living together, but 170 00:11:08,800 --> 00:11:12,359 Speaker 1: they were in each other's lives in real, tangible ways. 171 00:11:12,840 --> 00:11:15,800 Speaker 1: About two years into dating, Sick came to her with 172 00:11:15,840 --> 00:11:16,600 Speaker 1: a proposition. 173 00:11:17,480 --> 00:11:20,760 Speaker 2: He moved out of his apartment and into a townhouse. 174 00:11:21,880 --> 00:11:24,760 Speaker 2: And he had said at one point that he thought 175 00:11:24,760 --> 00:11:27,120 Speaker 2: that I would come and live with him, and I said, 176 00:11:27,800 --> 00:11:30,880 Speaker 2: I can't come live with you. I have kids. And 177 00:11:30,920 --> 00:11:32,760 Speaker 2: he said, well, you can just stay here when your 178 00:11:32,800 --> 00:11:36,400 Speaker 2: kids aren't home, and I said that's fine. And at 179 00:11:36,400 --> 00:11:39,760 Speaker 2: that point we had a conversation about how we really 180 00:11:41,040 --> 00:11:44,720 Speaker 2: liked the life we had together, and we liked being 181 00:11:44,800 --> 00:11:49,120 Speaker 2: together when we could be together, but that neither of 182 00:11:49,200 --> 00:11:54,079 Speaker 2: us were really passionate about wanting to get married. 183 00:11:54,200 --> 00:11:58,400 Speaker 1: Still Brooke had been careful about boundaries from the very beginning, 184 00:11:58,960 --> 00:12:00,840 Speaker 1: especially when it came to her kids. 185 00:12:01,520 --> 00:12:05,640 Speaker 2: For me, there was a lot of hesitancy about introducing 186 00:12:05,679 --> 00:12:08,880 Speaker 2: someone to my kids, so there was a little bit 187 00:12:08,880 --> 00:12:12,320 Speaker 2: of integration, but not a lot. We all went to 188 00:12:13,559 --> 00:12:16,839 Speaker 2: the movies together a couple of times, and he came 189 00:12:16,920 --> 00:12:19,400 Speaker 2: over for dinner a couple of times. 190 00:12:20,040 --> 00:12:23,200 Speaker 1: Her kids really took to Sick and enjoyed having him around. 191 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:26,880 Speaker 1: After that, he wanted Broke to meet his family. 192 00:12:27,640 --> 00:12:30,360 Speaker 2: His mom came to town and he asked me if 193 00:12:30,400 --> 00:12:36,000 Speaker 2: I would meet her, and she invited me for lunch 194 00:12:36,120 --> 00:12:38,760 Speaker 2: and tea. So I went over and we had a 195 00:12:38,800 --> 00:12:45,720 Speaker 2: really nice afternoon together and we ended up talking about love. 196 00:12:47,120 --> 00:12:49,600 Speaker 1: Sick was at work, so it was just broken his mom, 197 00:12:50,200 --> 00:12:52,280 Speaker 1: and there was clearly a wink and a nod to 198 00:12:52,320 --> 00:12:56,280 Speaker 1: the conversation because Sick had n't been completely honest with 199 00:12:56,320 --> 00:12:56,720 Speaker 1: his mom. 200 00:12:57,679 --> 00:13:01,360 Speaker 2: Sick k had told her that I was his friend. But 201 00:13:01,920 --> 00:13:06,760 Speaker 2: she's a mom and she's not dumb, so I think 202 00:13:06,840 --> 00:13:11,960 Speaker 2: she knew what was going on. She asked me what 203 00:13:12,040 --> 00:13:14,440 Speaker 2: I thought about arranged marriage and if I thought it 204 00:13:14,559 --> 00:13:19,240 Speaker 2: was good or if I thought love marriages were better, 205 00:13:20,280 --> 00:13:23,200 Speaker 2: and we had a nice conversation about love, and she 206 00:13:23,480 --> 00:13:29,520 Speaker 2: told me about meeting six Dad and their marriage. I 207 00:13:29,760 --> 00:13:34,040 Speaker 2: didn't get any sense of disapproval from her at all. 208 00:13:34,760 --> 00:13:36,240 Speaker 2: She was very kind to me. 209 00:13:37,240 --> 00:13:40,319 Speaker 1: The meeting went so well. Broke and six Mom started 210 00:13:40,360 --> 00:13:44,120 Speaker 1: sending letters and care packages back and forth, which made 211 00:13:44,160 --> 00:13:45,479 Speaker 1: Sick a little nervous. 212 00:13:46,080 --> 00:13:49,120 Speaker 2: I remember him being a little bit like, she's going 213 00:13:49,200 --> 00:13:50,680 Speaker 2: to know, She's going to know, and I was like, 214 00:13:51,240 --> 00:13:52,760 Speaker 2: I think she already knows. 215 00:13:54,600 --> 00:13:57,800 Speaker 1: Brooke didn't see the big deal, but for Sick, his 216 00:13:57,960 --> 00:14:02,559 Speaker 1: family expectations mattered, especially when it came to marriage. 217 00:14:03,320 --> 00:14:08,120 Speaker 2: He talked about feeling like there was an expectation on 218 00:14:08,200 --> 00:14:13,560 Speaker 2: him to marry a Pakistani girl and his family wouldn't 219 00:14:13,559 --> 00:14:18,960 Speaker 2: accept him marrying a white girl. And I asked him, well, 220 00:14:18,960 --> 00:14:22,120 Speaker 2: what if you just don't get married, would that be okay? 221 00:14:23,280 --> 00:14:25,840 Speaker 2: Would your family accept that? And he said I think so, 222 00:14:26,640 --> 00:14:30,800 Speaker 2: And I said, well, okay, let's do that. Then let's 223 00:14:30,880 --> 00:14:31,840 Speaker 2: just not get married. 224 00:14:33,960 --> 00:14:38,000 Speaker 1: Their agreement worked for almost four years, but when six 225 00:14:38,160 --> 00:14:43,800 Speaker 1: residentcy ended, their relationship hit across roads. He started applying 226 00:14:43,840 --> 00:14:46,080 Speaker 1: to fellowship programs across the country. 227 00:14:46,680 --> 00:14:50,200 Speaker 2: We actually went to a couple of different places. We 228 00:14:50,280 --> 00:14:53,880 Speaker 2: took a little road trip around for him to look 229 00:14:53,920 --> 00:14:55,040 Speaker 2: at them and interview. 230 00:14:55,760 --> 00:14:58,880 Speaker 1: The program he really wanted to go to was in DC, 231 00:14:59,560 --> 00:15:03,080 Speaker 1: a sick hour drive from upstate New York. Brooke made 232 00:15:03,120 --> 00:15:06,600 Speaker 1: it clear that relocating wasn't an option for her family. 233 00:15:07,560 --> 00:15:11,920 Speaker 2: I don't think that trying to have a long distance 234 00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:16,240 Speaker 2: relationship is a good idea, especially given that I have 235 00:15:16,360 --> 00:15:21,240 Speaker 2: kids and he's going to be living states away. And 236 00:15:21,280 --> 00:15:24,600 Speaker 2: he acknowledged that, and we had a couple of conversations 237 00:15:24,640 --> 00:15:30,280 Speaker 2: about it, while ultimately he decided that it was important 238 00:15:30,280 --> 00:15:33,040 Speaker 2: for him to go to this program. It was a 239 00:15:33,080 --> 00:15:35,560 Speaker 2: program that his brother had done, so it was kind 240 00:15:35,600 --> 00:15:36,760 Speaker 2: of a family legacy. 241 00:15:37,800 --> 00:15:42,760 Speaker 1: It was bittersweet, but Brooke supported Sick if he wanted 242 00:15:42,760 --> 00:15:46,040 Speaker 1: to start his career in America. This really was for 243 00:15:46,080 --> 00:15:47,080 Speaker 1: the best. 244 00:15:49,640 --> 00:15:53,040 Speaker 2: I was very happy for him, congratulated him. I bought 245 00:15:53,080 --> 00:15:58,960 Speaker 2: him a cake and helped him start looking for places 246 00:15:59,000 --> 00:16:02,920 Speaker 2: to buy down there, and helped him paint it, and 247 00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:07,120 Speaker 2: helped him pick out furniture and decorate it. And then 248 00:16:07,320 --> 00:16:10,360 Speaker 2: you know, we kind of said goodbye after that, but 249 00:16:10,480 --> 00:16:15,520 Speaker 2: of course goodbye wasn't really goodbye, as often happens in 250 00:16:15,520 --> 00:16:17,040 Speaker 2: these relationships. 251 00:16:17,840 --> 00:16:21,120 Speaker 1: They knew they had an expiration date, but they were 252 00:16:21,160 --> 00:16:22,760 Speaker 1: having a hard time letting go. 253 00:16:23,680 --> 00:16:29,080 Speaker 2: I remember walking into the airport with tears streaming down 254 00:16:29,120 --> 00:16:34,400 Speaker 2: my face, bawling after saying goodbye to him, and tsagent 255 00:16:34,560 --> 00:16:36,560 Speaker 2: came up to me and she said, are you okay? 256 00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:40,720 Speaker 2: And I said, yeah, I just said goodbye to my boyfriend. 257 00:16:41,080 --> 00:16:43,520 Speaker 2: But I'm sure she thought something was horribly wrong, just 258 00:16:43,520 --> 00:16:46,640 Speaker 2: from the amount that I was crying. We said a 259 00:16:46,640 --> 00:16:47,840 Speaker 2: lot of goodbyes that year. 260 00:16:49,320 --> 00:16:52,880 Speaker 1: This began a new era of their relationship, one where 261 00:16:52,920 --> 00:16:56,080 Speaker 1: they kept finding their way back to each other weekend 262 00:16:56,120 --> 00:16:56,720 Speaker 1: by weekend. 263 00:16:57,560 --> 00:17:02,360 Speaker 2: We weren't in a relationship, we were not together, but 264 00:17:02,520 --> 00:17:05,240 Speaker 2: what we would end up doing is anytime either one 265 00:17:05,240 --> 00:17:10,960 Speaker 2: of us had like a long weekend free, or if 266 00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:13,359 Speaker 2: it was one of our birthdays, we would take a 267 00:17:13,359 --> 00:17:14,360 Speaker 2: little trip together. 268 00:17:15,520 --> 00:17:18,560 Speaker 1: For her thirty seventh birthday, Sick planned a trip to 269 00:17:18,600 --> 00:17:19,280 Speaker 1: the Poconots. 270 00:17:20,040 --> 00:17:25,240 Speaker 2: We stayed at a bed and breakfast up in the mountains, fireplace, 271 00:17:26,480 --> 00:17:35,280 Speaker 2: woody romantic get away, candle at dinners and fireside chit 272 00:17:35,359 --> 00:17:36,200 Speaker 2: chat every night. 273 00:17:36,840 --> 00:17:40,560 Speaker 1: You know, Brooke didn't know it at the time, but 274 00:17:40,640 --> 00:17:46,560 Speaker 1: what happened that weekend would affect the rest of her life. 275 00:17:46,840 --> 00:17:49,959 Speaker 1: At the end of their trip, they said another tearful goodbye. 276 00:17:50,560 --> 00:17:53,760 Speaker 1: It was a great time, But that whole weekend, Sick 277 00:17:53,840 --> 00:17:56,680 Speaker 1: had been keeping a secret. He just couldn't bring himself 278 00:17:56,720 --> 00:17:57,840 Speaker 1: to tell her in person. 279 00:17:59,000 --> 00:18:02,960 Speaker 2: He called me a couple of days later, and he 280 00:18:03,080 --> 00:18:07,040 Speaker 2: said that he wanted to talk to me, and he 281 00:18:07,119 --> 00:18:08,960 Speaker 2: wanted to let me know that he had talked to 282 00:18:09,000 --> 00:18:14,480 Speaker 2: his mom and that he had agreed to let his 283 00:18:14,560 --> 00:18:43,360 Speaker 2: mom arrange him a marriage. 284 00:18:44,080 --> 00:18:47,800 Speaker 1: After a romantic getaway for Brooks birthday, Sick called her 285 00:18:47,840 --> 00:18:52,560 Speaker 1: with surprising news he was moving forward with an arranged marriage. 286 00:18:53,400 --> 00:18:57,879 Speaker 2: I was surprised because he had not been interested in 287 00:18:57,920 --> 00:19:02,080 Speaker 2: an arranged marriage and hadn't expressed any interest in it. 288 00:19:03,080 --> 00:19:06,280 Speaker 1: She always thought Sick wanted a love marriage, and when 289 00:19:06,280 --> 00:19:09,399 Speaker 1: he broke the news, he didn't even seem excited about 290 00:19:09,400 --> 00:19:10,320 Speaker 1: the idea. 291 00:19:10,840 --> 00:19:15,080 Speaker 2: He seemed resigned to it. He seemed sad about it. 292 00:19:16,240 --> 00:19:20,360 Speaker 2: He talked about it like he was going to get 293 00:19:20,359 --> 00:19:22,320 Speaker 2: a girl who wanted to marry a doctor. 294 00:19:23,359 --> 00:19:26,199 Speaker 1: Brooke tried to hide it, but she was hurt. 295 00:19:26,920 --> 00:19:31,159 Speaker 2: I felt sad, but I think that part of me 296 00:19:31,240 --> 00:19:34,040 Speaker 2: had been expecting it, because we'd basically been trying to 297 00:19:34,040 --> 00:19:37,960 Speaker 2: say goodbye for a year. So even though part of 298 00:19:38,000 --> 00:19:41,800 Speaker 2: me felt like he was still mine, he really wasn't 299 00:19:41,880 --> 00:19:42,720 Speaker 2: mine anymore. 300 00:19:44,680 --> 00:19:48,160 Speaker 1: If he was serious about pursuing this, that meant their 301 00:19:48,160 --> 00:19:49,720 Speaker 1: relationship had to be over. 302 00:19:50,600 --> 00:19:54,800 Speaker 2: I told him that if that was happening, then we 303 00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:58,560 Speaker 2: really needed to stop talking to each other, because it 304 00:19:58,640 --> 00:20:04,359 Speaker 2: wasn't fair to another woman to think that she was 305 00:20:04,359 --> 00:20:07,760 Speaker 2: getting a husband and have her husband over here in 306 00:20:07,800 --> 00:20:10,879 Speaker 2: the United States talking to me and going on trips 307 00:20:10,920 --> 00:20:16,359 Speaker 2: with me. That's just not fair. And he agreed, And 308 00:20:17,080 --> 00:20:19,480 Speaker 2: for all the times we had tried to say goodbye 309 00:20:19,600 --> 00:20:25,480 Speaker 2: over the past year, I think that finally seemed to 310 00:20:25,480 --> 00:20:27,600 Speaker 2: be the thing that let us stop talking to each other. 311 00:20:31,359 --> 00:20:36,480 Speaker 2: After that conversation, I think we went the longest period 312 00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:42,000 Speaker 2: we had ever gone without talking. It was over two weeks. 313 00:20:42,720 --> 00:20:50,320 Speaker 2: Neither of us reached out, and then I realized my 314 00:20:50,440 --> 00:20:55,800 Speaker 2: period was late, so I took a pregnancy test and 315 00:20:55,920 --> 00:20:56,720 Speaker 2: it was positive. 316 00:20:57,600 --> 00:21:00,679 Speaker 1: Brooke knew it happened during their Poke Knows trip. 317 00:21:01,600 --> 00:21:05,639 Speaker 2: The moment I realized I was pregnant, I started thinking 318 00:21:05,680 --> 00:21:09,919 Speaker 2: about the baby and who he was going to be. 319 00:21:11,080 --> 00:21:14,800 Speaker 2: I really just felt like that was my baby. From 320 00:21:14,840 --> 00:21:17,120 Speaker 2: the minute I knew I was pregnant. 321 00:21:17,440 --> 00:21:20,240 Speaker 1: It felt like a gift from the universe. She knew 322 00:21:20,240 --> 00:21:23,440 Speaker 1: this would be her last baby, and it just felt right. 323 00:21:24,160 --> 00:21:26,920 Speaker 1: But now she faced another decision. 324 00:21:28,080 --> 00:21:33,080 Speaker 2: I wasn't sure if I should even tell him. Part 325 00:21:33,080 --> 00:21:37,479 Speaker 2: of me thought, if I don't tell him, he'll never know, 326 00:21:38,640 --> 00:21:42,159 Speaker 2: and I just have the baby and go on with 327 00:21:42,240 --> 00:21:45,399 Speaker 2: my life and he can go on with his life. 328 00:21:46,359 --> 00:21:49,040 Speaker 1: On the other hand, it felt wrong to keep this 329 00:21:49,080 --> 00:21:49,800 Speaker 1: from him. 330 00:21:50,320 --> 00:21:53,800 Speaker 2: Is it fair of me to not give him that 331 00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:57,280 Speaker 2: choice and that opportunity to take part in his child's life. 332 00:21:58,680 --> 00:22:01,840 Speaker 2: I knew how much I liked being a parent, and 333 00:22:02,440 --> 00:22:05,199 Speaker 2: I wouldn't want to miss the opportunity to be in 334 00:22:05,320 --> 00:22:10,119 Speaker 2: my child's life. So I decided to tell him because 335 00:22:10,119 --> 00:22:11,960 Speaker 2: I thought that it was the right thing to do. 336 00:22:13,280 --> 00:22:16,320 Speaker 1: She told him over the phone. He was quiet for 337 00:22:16,359 --> 00:22:18,800 Speaker 1: a few seconds, and then. 338 00:22:19,160 --> 00:22:22,359 Speaker 2: His immediate reaction was to ask me to have an abortion. 339 00:22:24,320 --> 00:22:28,480 Speaker 2: I told him I couldn't, and he didn't have to 340 00:22:28,480 --> 00:22:33,040 Speaker 2: be involved. He didn't have to financially support the baby, 341 00:22:33,160 --> 00:22:35,560 Speaker 2: he didn't have to have anything to do with the baby. 342 00:22:36,960 --> 00:22:40,280 Speaker 2: I was already a single mom. I loved having kids. 343 00:22:40,359 --> 00:22:44,199 Speaker 2: I'm good at raising kids. If he doesn't want to 344 00:22:44,200 --> 00:22:46,000 Speaker 2: have the baby, that's fine. 345 00:22:46,280 --> 00:22:48,639 Speaker 1: She went to the doctor and learned the baby was 346 00:22:48,720 --> 00:22:51,240 Speaker 1: perfectly healthy. It was a little boy. 347 00:22:52,640 --> 00:22:56,840 Speaker 2: I was already picking out names before I was even 348 00:22:57,040 --> 00:23:01,920 Speaker 2: showing because I already knew who he was. I decided 349 00:23:01,920 --> 00:23:06,320 Speaker 2: to name him Makai and call him Kai for short. 350 00:23:09,920 --> 00:23:13,359 Speaker 1: But Sick wasn't on the same page. After she told him, 351 00:23:13,720 --> 00:23:14,879 Speaker 1: he started spiraling. 352 00:23:17,320 --> 00:23:24,280 Speaker 2: That started months of phone calls and text messages, begging 353 00:23:24,320 --> 00:23:27,159 Speaker 2: and pleading with me to have an abortion, and telling 354 00:23:27,240 --> 00:23:31,520 Speaker 2: me that I was ruining his life, that this was 355 00:23:31,600 --> 00:23:35,720 Speaker 2: going to cast shame on his family in Pakistan, that 356 00:23:36,359 --> 00:23:39,840 Speaker 2: his mother was going to be ridiculed and he was 357 00:23:39,880 --> 00:23:44,160 Speaker 2: going to be an outcast, and that I was causing 358 00:23:44,240 --> 00:23:46,919 Speaker 2: him mental anguish. 359 00:23:48,080 --> 00:23:51,480 Speaker 1: She understood that having a baby outside of marriage wasn't 360 00:23:51,520 --> 00:23:56,160 Speaker 1: part of his plan, but plan or not, this was happening. 361 00:23:58,119 --> 00:24:01,440 Speaker 2: All of that text message and the phone calls about 362 00:24:01,480 --> 00:24:03,800 Speaker 2: your ruining my life, You're ruining my mom's life. That 363 00:24:03,880 --> 00:24:04,920 Speaker 2: all made me pretty mad. 364 00:24:06,000 --> 00:24:09,399 Speaker 1: She kept waiting for Sick to come around every time 365 00:24:09,480 --> 00:24:12,120 Speaker 1: she talked to him. He tried a new tactic. 366 00:24:13,000 --> 00:24:15,719 Speaker 2: One day, I was sitting on my bed and I 367 00:24:15,760 --> 00:24:18,920 Speaker 2: was on the phone with Sick, and he said that 368 00:24:20,040 --> 00:24:22,840 Speaker 2: he had talked to a friend of his who was 369 00:24:22,880 --> 00:24:26,760 Speaker 2: an opigi N and that his friend had told him 370 00:24:27,400 --> 00:24:35,320 Speaker 2: that I could take mesaprostal and that it would abort 371 00:24:35,359 --> 00:24:37,880 Speaker 2: the baby, and that I could do it right there 372 00:24:37,880 --> 00:24:41,639 Speaker 2: at six house and it would all happen very easily, 373 00:24:42,440 --> 00:24:44,480 Speaker 2: and I wouldn't even need to go to the hospital 374 00:24:44,560 --> 00:24:47,080 Speaker 2: or anything, and Sick could be there with me the 375 00:24:47,119 --> 00:24:51,320 Speaker 2: whole time. And Sick asked if I would be willing 376 00:24:51,359 --> 00:24:56,600 Speaker 2: to do that, and I said absolutely not. No. He 377 00:24:56,720 --> 00:24:59,600 Speaker 2: said that he wasn't trying to pressure me, but that 378 00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:02,160 Speaker 2: we were running out of time because we could only 379 00:25:02,240 --> 00:25:06,600 Speaker 2: do this in the first trimester, and my first trimester 380 00:25:06,680 --> 00:25:10,399 Speaker 2: had been coming to an end. So he wanted me 381 00:25:10,560 --> 00:25:14,040 Speaker 2: to do this, and I said now. 382 00:25:16,400 --> 00:25:20,200 Speaker 1: When she started the second trimester, the conversation was over. 383 00:25:20,960 --> 00:25:25,320 Speaker 1: She'd made her choice. The window for second guessing had closed. 384 00:25:26,200 --> 00:25:29,119 Speaker 1: Now that it was official, Brooke shared the news with 385 00:25:29,160 --> 00:25:30,159 Speaker 1: her two kids. 386 00:25:31,040 --> 00:25:34,680 Speaker 2: We had a little gender reveal cake for the baby. 387 00:25:35,800 --> 00:25:39,720 Speaker 2: We went shopping and bottom a bunch of clothes and 388 00:25:39,840 --> 00:25:41,159 Speaker 2: some stuff for his crip. 389 00:25:41,880 --> 00:25:44,359 Speaker 1: She didn't hear from Sick for a few weeks, but 390 00:25:44,400 --> 00:25:47,200 Speaker 1: when he did reach out again, he'd had a change 391 00:25:47,200 --> 00:25:47,520 Speaker 1: of heart. 392 00:25:48,400 --> 00:25:52,640 Speaker 2: Eventually he starts talking about setting up a bank account 393 00:25:52,800 --> 00:25:57,520 Speaker 2: for me and the baby, and then he asks me 394 00:25:57,920 --> 00:26:03,280 Speaker 2: if I'll come down to see him so that we 395 00:26:03,359 --> 00:26:06,240 Speaker 2: could figure out a parenting plan and figure out a 396 00:26:06,240 --> 00:26:10,000 Speaker 2: way that we could have this baby together and him 397 00:26:10,680 --> 00:26:13,399 Speaker 2: still be in d C and maybe in New York, 398 00:26:14,000 --> 00:26:15,560 Speaker 2: but still have this baby together. 399 00:26:16,560 --> 00:26:20,080 Speaker 1: Finally, the Sick she knew was back. She made plans 400 00:26:20,119 --> 00:26:22,560 Speaker 1: to drive down to d C right after her four 401 00:26:22,600 --> 00:26:23,920 Speaker 1: month ulder sound appointment. 402 00:26:24,920 --> 00:26:27,000 Speaker 2: The morning that I left, I went to the doctor, 403 00:26:27,600 --> 00:26:32,439 Speaker 2: we did a fetal heart rate. Everything looked good, and 404 00:26:32,720 --> 00:26:36,080 Speaker 2: I left and set off to go down to d 405 00:26:36,280 --> 00:26:39,680 Speaker 2: C to see him. I drove the whole way down there. 406 00:26:39,760 --> 00:26:43,959 Speaker 2: He's texting me reminders to get up and walk so 407 00:26:44,000 --> 00:26:46,320 Speaker 2: I don't get a blood clot and reminding me to 408 00:26:46,400 --> 00:26:49,360 Speaker 2: drink water, asking me how my drive is going. 409 00:26:50,200 --> 00:26:52,879 Speaker 1: When she got to Sick's house, he gave her a 410 00:26:52,960 --> 00:26:53,560 Speaker 1: long hug. 411 00:26:54,640 --> 00:27:01,359 Speaker 2: Everything seemed back to normal, except for one thing. He 412 00:27:01,400 --> 00:27:05,120 Speaker 2: didn't say anything about my belly. He didn't try to 413 00:27:05,119 --> 00:27:06,680 Speaker 2: touch it or anything like that. 414 00:27:07,600 --> 00:27:10,399 Speaker 1: When he came to the baby, he still seemed to 415 00:27:10,400 --> 00:27:11,240 Speaker 1: have a wall up. 416 00:27:12,080 --> 00:27:14,399 Speaker 2: He hadn't even wanted me to tell him the gender 417 00:27:14,440 --> 00:27:17,639 Speaker 2: of the baby, so I knew it was a boy, 418 00:27:18,560 --> 00:27:23,560 Speaker 2: but he didn't. At one point that evening, I did 419 00:27:24,680 --> 00:27:28,600 Speaker 2: start to bring up the baby, the pregnancy, and he said, 420 00:27:30,000 --> 00:27:33,800 Speaker 2: let's wait and talk about this tomorrow, and I said okay. 421 00:27:36,560 --> 00:27:41,160 Speaker 2: And the next morning we got up and we start 422 00:27:41,200 --> 00:27:45,280 Speaker 2: making breakfast together, which we've done hundreds of times before. 423 00:27:46,240 --> 00:27:51,399 Speaker 2: I'm making eggs and he's making coffee, and he's making 424 00:27:51,960 --> 00:27:55,040 Speaker 2: coffee that we had gotten when we went to New Orleans, 425 00:27:55,480 --> 00:27:59,840 Speaker 2: and it's this chickory root coffee, so it's a little 426 00:27:59,840 --> 00:28:05,879 Speaker 2: bit stronger. So when I started drinking it, I noticed 427 00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:11,040 Speaker 2: that it burned my stomach a little bit, and I 428 00:28:11,119 --> 00:28:14,960 Speaker 2: kind of just thought, you know, I'm pregnant. I probably 429 00:28:14,960 --> 00:28:19,840 Speaker 2: shouldn't be drinking so much coffee. I'm probably developing an ulcer. 430 00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:22,960 Speaker 2: Maybe I shouldn't drink this. So I didn't finish my 431 00:28:23,000 --> 00:28:27,960 Speaker 2: cup of coffee. I said it aside, finished breakfast and 432 00:28:28,560 --> 00:28:32,080 Speaker 2: went on about our day. Got ready went shopping. 433 00:28:32,680 --> 00:28:34,480 Speaker 1: But as soon as they got to the mall. 434 00:28:35,600 --> 00:28:39,360 Speaker 2: I was having a queasy feeling, so I ended up 435 00:28:39,360 --> 00:28:42,480 Speaker 2: going into the bathroom quite a few times. At some 436 00:28:42,600 --> 00:28:45,800 Speaker 2: point he asked me if I was feeling okay, and 437 00:28:46,160 --> 00:28:49,480 Speaker 2: I told him no, that I had an upset stomach. 438 00:28:50,840 --> 00:28:57,719 Speaker 2: His response was just, oh, okay, and that struck me 439 00:28:57,760 --> 00:29:02,680 Speaker 2: in that moment as being very odd because he normally 440 00:29:02,680 --> 00:29:07,080 Speaker 2: would have asked if I needed anything, or gotten me 441 00:29:07,080 --> 00:29:10,200 Speaker 2: a drink, or had some follow up to make sure 442 00:29:10,240 --> 00:29:13,440 Speaker 2: I was all right, And in that moment, I remember 443 00:29:13,520 --> 00:29:16,960 Speaker 2: thinking that I wondered if he was hoping that something 444 00:29:17,080 --> 00:29:25,120 Speaker 2: was wrong, And then, of course I convinced to myself 445 00:29:25,160 --> 00:29:26,200 Speaker 2: to put it out of my mind. 446 00:29:28,160 --> 00:29:30,880 Speaker 1: As the day went on, she started to feel better, 447 00:29:31,320 --> 00:29:33,680 Speaker 1: so they decided to get take out and go back 448 00:29:33,720 --> 00:29:34,000 Speaker 1: to his. 449 00:29:34,040 --> 00:29:39,040 Speaker 2: Place after dinner. He put on my favorite movie and 450 00:29:39,360 --> 00:29:41,240 Speaker 2: said that he was going to make me a cup 451 00:29:41,240 --> 00:29:44,640 Speaker 2: of tea for my stomach. So it was dark in 452 00:29:44,680 --> 00:29:48,320 Speaker 2: the room. He brought me the tea, and when I 453 00:29:48,400 --> 00:29:52,440 Speaker 2: tasted it, I noticed that it was unusually sweet, which 454 00:29:52,560 --> 00:29:56,440 Speaker 2: was not how I took my tea, and he said 455 00:29:57,200 --> 00:30:02,040 Speaker 2: that he had accidentally put in both sugar and honey, 456 00:30:02,160 --> 00:30:05,280 Speaker 2: which was odd because he always remembered how I took 457 00:30:05,320 --> 00:30:09,760 Speaker 2: my tea. But I drank it anyway, and when I 458 00:30:09,800 --> 00:30:12,840 Speaker 2: got toward the bottom of the cup of tea, I 459 00:30:12,880 --> 00:30:18,680 Speaker 2: took a sip of it and there was grit in 460 00:30:18,760 --> 00:30:24,360 Speaker 2: the bottom, and from being a nurse, I knew that 461 00:30:24,560 --> 00:30:32,920 Speaker 2: texture was ground up pill. So I spit it back 462 00:30:32,920 --> 00:30:35,520 Speaker 2: in the cup and I put the cup down, and 463 00:30:35,560 --> 00:30:37,240 Speaker 2: I said that I had to go to the bathroom. 464 00:30:39,160 --> 00:30:42,200 Speaker 2: I went into the bathroom and I put my finger 465 00:30:42,240 --> 00:30:44,560 Speaker 2: down my throat and then I put a toothbrush down 466 00:30:44,600 --> 00:30:47,440 Speaker 2: my throat to try to make myself throw up, and 467 00:30:47,480 --> 00:30:52,000 Speaker 2: I couldn't. And I sat there in the bathroom and 468 00:30:52,040 --> 00:30:54,920 Speaker 2: I wasn't sure what to do. 469 00:30:55,800 --> 00:30:59,320 Speaker 1: As the minutes passed, she started doubting what she'd seen 470 00:30:59,400 --> 00:31:00,400 Speaker 1: at the bottom. 471 00:31:00,120 --> 00:31:02,680 Speaker 2: Of her cop I've known him for years. I've been 472 00:31:02,760 --> 00:31:07,080 Speaker 2: dating him for years. This man loves me. The man 473 00:31:07,160 --> 00:31:10,880 Speaker 2: I know wouldn't do that. And then I remembered that 474 00:31:10,960 --> 00:31:17,000 Speaker 2: conversation where he told me that his friends suggested that 475 00:31:17,080 --> 00:31:20,840 Speaker 2: I take me as apostal and it would cause an abortion, 476 00:31:21,280 --> 00:31:26,440 Speaker 2: and I told him no, and I just I knew 477 00:31:26,440 --> 00:31:29,960 Speaker 2: that's what he did. But then I kept going back 478 00:31:30,000 --> 00:31:34,280 Speaker 2: to maybe I'm crazy. Maybe there weren't pills in my 479 00:31:34,360 --> 00:31:41,880 Speaker 2: cop He wouldn't poison me, so maybe I'm insane. But 480 00:31:41,920 --> 00:31:46,320 Speaker 2: then if he did that to me, what else would 481 00:31:46,320 --> 00:31:49,880 Speaker 2: he do? If I go out there and he knows 482 00:31:49,920 --> 00:31:54,800 Speaker 2: I know, and he actually did it. Will he kill 483 00:31:54,840 --> 00:31:58,480 Speaker 2: me if he wants to get rid of the baby 484 00:31:58,720 --> 00:32:00,640 Speaker 2: so bad that he'll poison me? Is he going to 485 00:32:00,760 --> 00:32:04,360 Speaker 2: kill me? So I can't let him know that I know? 486 00:32:08,720 --> 00:32:11,560 Speaker 1: In that moment, she came up with a plan. And 487 00:32:11,680 --> 00:32:14,400 Speaker 1: before we keep going, I want a flag that what 488 00:32:14,520 --> 00:32:17,440 Speaker 1: Brooke is about to describe could be emotionally triggering for 489 00:32:17,520 --> 00:32:21,760 Speaker 1: some listeners. If you've had experience with pregnancy loss, please 490 00:32:21,800 --> 00:32:25,760 Speaker 1: take care while listening. Now back to Brook, Here's what 491 00:32:25,840 --> 00:32:26,760 Speaker 1: she decided to do. 492 00:32:27,040 --> 00:32:29,920 Speaker 2: I'm going to wait until he goes to sleep, and 493 00:32:29,960 --> 00:32:31,640 Speaker 2: I'm going to sneak out of the house and I'm 494 00:32:31,680 --> 00:32:34,280 Speaker 2: going to go to the hospital. And so I sat 495 00:32:34,320 --> 00:32:36,680 Speaker 2: down on the couch with him, and the movie was 496 00:32:36,680 --> 00:32:39,880 Speaker 2: almost over, and I told him that I was tired 497 00:32:40,320 --> 00:32:43,160 Speaker 2: and I wanted to go to bed, And so the 498 00:32:43,200 --> 00:32:48,600 Speaker 2: movie ended and he got up to take my dishes 499 00:32:48,640 --> 00:32:51,920 Speaker 2: to the kitchen, and I said I'll take them, and 500 00:32:52,000 --> 00:32:55,320 Speaker 2: he said, no, I'll take them, and he pulled them 501 00:32:55,320 --> 00:32:58,840 Speaker 2: out of my hands, took the dishes to the sink, 502 00:32:58,920 --> 00:33:01,960 Speaker 2: and I saw him tip the cup into the sink, 503 00:33:02,840 --> 00:33:05,360 Speaker 2: and then he went into the bathroom, and when he 504 00:33:05,400 --> 00:33:08,440 Speaker 2: went into the bathroom, I thought, I have to know, 505 00:33:10,600 --> 00:33:13,040 Speaker 2: so I turned on the kitchen light and I looked 506 00:33:13,080 --> 00:33:15,520 Speaker 2: and there was pill fragments in the bottom of the cup. 507 00:33:16,480 --> 00:33:20,480 Speaker 2: So I got a plastic baggy out and I scooped 508 00:33:20,520 --> 00:33:22,640 Speaker 2: out the rest of the pill fragments that were in 509 00:33:22,680 --> 00:33:24,440 Speaker 2: the cup, and I zipped him up in the little 510 00:33:24,440 --> 00:33:27,080 Speaker 2: plastic baggie and I hit him in my purse. And 511 00:33:27,120 --> 00:33:29,320 Speaker 2: I thought, when he goes to sleep, I'll go to 512 00:33:29,320 --> 00:33:33,400 Speaker 2: the hospital, because now I don't so much think I'm insane. 513 00:33:33,440 --> 00:33:36,360 Speaker 2: I think he probably did poison me. But now I 514 00:33:36,400 --> 00:33:38,480 Speaker 2: really do need to wait until he's asleep. 515 00:33:40,040 --> 00:33:42,600 Speaker 1: Now that she had seen the proof, the panic came 516 00:33:42,680 --> 00:33:46,160 Speaker 1: flooding in what had he given her and how much 517 00:33:46,200 --> 00:33:49,080 Speaker 1: of it did she drink? But she had to stay 518 00:33:49,120 --> 00:33:52,040 Speaker 1: calm so she could get out and get help. 519 00:33:52,480 --> 00:33:55,120 Speaker 2: So I got ready for bed, and I laid down 520 00:33:55,160 --> 00:34:01,000 Speaker 2: next to him, and I just listened to him breathe 521 00:33:59,880 --> 00:34:06,320 Speaker 2: it and waited to hear his breathing change so I 522 00:34:06,320 --> 00:34:09,560 Speaker 2: could hear when I got deeper so I could sneak 523 00:34:09,600 --> 00:34:15,040 Speaker 2: out of bed. And while I was laying there, I 524 00:34:15,080 --> 00:34:22,200 Speaker 2: felt a pop, and I felt myself start bleeding. I 525 00:34:22,200 --> 00:34:24,799 Speaker 2: got up and ran into the bathroom and I was 526 00:34:24,840 --> 00:34:29,279 Speaker 2: bleeding and I started crying and laid down on the 527 00:34:29,280 --> 00:34:36,800 Speaker 2: bathroom floor. At this point, I was almost twenty weeks, 528 00:34:36,800 --> 00:34:41,400 Speaker 2: a long four months pregnant. The baby was fully formed, 529 00:34:42,320 --> 00:34:46,120 Speaker 2: so having this happen in his bathroom at his apartment 530 00:34:47,160 --> 00:34:53,799 Speaker 2: is certainly medically dangerous for me. And he came in 531 00:34:53,880 --> 00:34:56,960 Speaker 2: and he said what's wrong. And I said, the baby's dying. 532 00:34:57,480 --> 00:35:02,960 Speaker 2: You need to call nine one one, and he said, no, 533 00:35:03,120 --> 00:35:08,719 Speaker 2: you're fine. I'm a doctor. I can take care of you. 534 00:35:35,080 --> 00:35:37,440 Speaker 1: Brooke planned to get out of six house quietly and 535 00:35:37,520 --> 00:35:41,960 Speaker 1: drive herself to the hospital. Before she could, she started 536 00:35:42,000 --> 00:35:46,560 Speaker 1: bleeding four months into the pregnancy. She knew she needed 537 00:35:46,560 --> 00:35:49,440 Speaker 1: to get help quickly, but when Sick found her on 538 00:35:49,480 --> 00:35:52,279 Speaker 1: the floor of the bathroom, he didn't want to call 539 00:35:52,320 --> 00:35:53,040 Speaker 1: an ambulance. 540 00:35:53,280 --> 00:35:55,080 Speaker 2: And I said, you need to call nine one month 541 00:35:56,080 --> 00:36:00,279 Speaker 2: and he said, no, you're okay, I'm a doctor. You're 542 00:36:00,320 --> 00:36:04,520 Speaker 2: going to be fine. I didn't know if he was 543 00:36:04,560 --> 00:36:08,640 Speaker 2: refusing to call nine one one because he wanted to 544 00:36:08,760 --> 00:36:09,080 Speaker 2: kill me. 545 00:36:10,560 --> 00:36:13,840 Speaker 1: She was terrified for herself and for her baby. 546 00:36:14,160 --> 00:36:18,759 Speaker 2: Part of me was really hopeful that maybe if I 547 00:36:18,800 --> 00:36:21,880 Speaker 2: could just get to a hospital. Somehow the baby was 548 00:36:21,920 --> 00:36:27,040 Speaker 2: going to survive. So I was desperate for him to 549 00:36:27,080 --> 00:36:34,000 Speaker 2: call nine one one. I said, you don't understand your 550 00:36:34,200 --> 00:36:38,960 Speaker 2: son is dying, your son, and if you don't call 551 00:36:39,040 --> 00:36:43,080 Speaker 2: nine one one, then I will. 552 00:36:43,239 --> 00:36:45,600 Speaker 1: She hadn't told him the sex of the baby until 553 00:36:45,680 --> 00:36:50,400 Speaker 1: this moment. When she called the baby his son, something shifted. 554 00:36:50,000 --> 00:36:54,880 Speaker 2: For Sick, and then he said, okay, I'll call, and 555 00:36:54,960 --> 00:36:57,560 Speaker 2: he went and he called nine one one, and then 556 00:36:57,600 --> 00:37:03,920 Speaker 2: the ambulance came. And at this point I was bleeding 557 00:37:04,360 --> 00:37:05,000 Speaker 2: a lot more. 558 00:37:06,520 --> 00:37:09,239 Speaker 1: The paramedics picked her up from the floor and laid 559 00:37:09,239 --> 00:37:10,160 Speaker 1: her on the stretcher. 560 00:37:10,480 --> 00:37:13,879 Speaker 2: As they're pushing me out of the apartment, I see 561 00:37:13,960 --> 00:37:19,440 Speaker 2: my purse sitting on the counter and I remember that 562 00:37:19,560 --> 00:37:23,080 Speaker 2: the pill fragments are in a baggie in my purse. 563 00:37:25,600 --> 00:37:29,040 Speaker 2: So I ask the paramedic to hand me my purse 564 00:37:30,080 --> 00:37:34,160 Speaker 2: and he says, you don't need it, and I say, no, 565 00:37:34,280 --> 00:37:39,719 Speaker 2: I want my purse, and Sick picks it up and 566 00:37:39,840 --> 00:37:44,280 Speaker 2: he says, I'll take it. I have another moment of panic, 567 00:37:44,400 --> 00:37:48,920 Speaker 2: thinking if the paramedic asks me for my insurance card, 568 00:37:49,480 --> 00:37:52,160 Speaker 2: Sick is going to open my purse and he's going 569 00:37:52,200 --> 00:37:54,600 Speaker 2: to see that baggie in there with the pills in it, 570 00:37:54,680 --> 00:37:57,120 Speaker 2: and he's going to get rid of it. So they 571 00:37:57,239 --> 00:38:01,520 Speaker 2: loaded me into the ambulance, and gets into the ambulance 572 00:38:01,800 --> 00:38:05,960 Speaker 2: with us. I just keep thinking, if I can get 573 00:38:05,960 --> 00:38:09,919 Speaker 2: this paramedic to just make eye contact with me, he'll 574 00:38:09,960 --> 00:38:14,040 Speaker 2: see in my eyes that I'm afraid and I don't 575 00:38:14,080 --> 00:38:14,799 Speaker 2: want Sick here. 576 00:38:16,840 --> 00:38:20,440 Speaker 1: But the paramedic was too busy triaging Brooke to notice 577 00:38:20,960 --> 00:38:25,120 Speaker 1: all the while Six stayed right by her side, acting concerned. 578 00:38:26,320 --> 00:38:29,360 Speaker 2: So we get to the hospital and the whole time, 579 00:38:30,200 --> 00:38:33,560 Speaker 2: Sick is holding my purse. Finally we get up to 580 00:38:33,600 --> 00:38:36,960 Speaker 2: labor and delivery and he sets it down on the 581 00:38:37,000 --> 00:38:37,799 Speaker 2: counter in the room. 582 00:38:39,239 --> 00:38:42,600 Speaker 1: Sick wouldn't leave her, and he made it known that 583 00:38:42,680 --> 00:38:43,520 Speaker 1: he was a doctor. 584 00:38:44,000 --> 00:38:46,879 Speaker 2: She's right there the whole time, right next to my bed, 585 00:38:47,400 --> 00:38:51,280 Speaker 2: helping them move me from stretcher to bed and talking 586 00:38:51,280 --> 00:38:54,839 Speaker 2: to the doctor about their medical training and where they've 587 00:38:54,880 --> 00:39:00,600 Speaker 2: both worked, and he's that normal person that everybody likes 588 00:39:01,200 --> 00:39:08,719 Speaker 2: in that room. Finally he goes into the bathroom and 589 00:39:09,000 --> 00:39:13,160 Speaker 2: I whispered to the nurse to make him leave. I 590 00:39:13,160 --> 00:39:15,320 Speaker 2: could just see the colored drain out of her face. 591 00:39:16,400 --> 00:39:19,360 Speaker 2: She looked at me and she whispered back, are you okay? 592 00:39:19,840 --> 00:39:24,360 Speaker 2: And I said no. A couple of minutes later, the 593 00:39:24,480 --> 00:39:27,680 Speaker 2: charge nurse came in and got Sick and said that 594 00:39:27,800 --> 00:39:31,160 Speaker 2: she wanted to show him the father's lounge, and she 595 00:39:31,280 --> 00:39:34,840 Speaker 2: took him out. And then the nurse and the doctor 596 00:39:34,880 --> 00:39:40,000 Speaker 2: came and asked me what was going on, and I said, 597 00:39:40,200 --> 00:39:44,080 Speaker 2: I swear I'm not crazy, but I think he poisoned me. 598 00:39:46,840 --> 00:39:50,840 Speaker 2: I found pills in my tea and they're in a 599 00:39:50,880 --> 00:39:51,880 Speaker 2: baggy in my purse. 600 00:39:57,800 --> 00:40:00,719 Speaker 1: The nurse went into Brooks bag and grabbed ziploc with 601 00:40:00,760 --> 00:40:03,480 Speaker 1: the pill fragments. She wanted to send them to the 602 00:40:03,560 --> 00:40:04,440 Speaker 1: lab for testing. 603 00:40:05,560 --> 00:40:12,840 Speaker 2: Not long after that, my water broke and Kai was born. 604 00:40:15,560 --> 00:40:20,759 Speaker 2: He was not alive. Part of me still hoped he 605 00:40:20,800 --> 00:40:25,400 Speaker 2: would cry when he was born, but he didn't. But 606 00:40:25,440 --> 00:40:29,080 Speaker 2: they wrapped him up in a blanket and put a 607 00:40:29,080 --> 00:40:32,160 Speaker 2: little tiny hat on him and brought him to me. 608 00:40:33,400 --> 00:40:37,680 Speaker 2: They let me hold Kai for a couple of hours. 609 00:40:39,760 --> 00:40:45,200 Speaker 2: When I was holding Kai, I wasn't thinking at all 610 00:40:45,239 --> 00:40:49,680 Speaker 2: about what Sick had done. It was more thinking about 611 00:40:50,200 --> 00:40:58,239 Speaker 2: the loss. Even though Kai wasn't alive, still looking at him, 612 00:40:58,960 --> 00:41:03,160 Speaker 2: there was sort of this amazement about who he was 613 00:41:03,200 --> 00:41:08,520 Speaker 2: as a person, which is odd to say about somebody 614 00:41:08,560 --> 00:41:13,160 Speaker 2: who wasn't alive to recognize who they are as a person, 615 00:41:14,400 --> 00:41:16,840 Speaker 2: But he was. He was a little person with little 616 00:41:16,920 --> 00:41:20,319 Speaker 2: long fingers and long toes. And that's what I was 617 00:41:20,360 --> 00:41:23,600 Speaker 2: thinking about when I was looking at him, that he 618 00:41:23,719 --> 00:41:26,919 Speaker 2: probably would have played basketball, and he would have been tall, 619 00:41:27,760 --> 00:41:30,640 Speaker 2: and maybe he would have played piano because he would 620 00:41:30,640 --> 00:41:36,680 Speaker 2: have had long piano playing fingers. Probably sounds strange to 621 00:41:36,760 --> 00:41:41,920 Speaker 2: somebody who hasn't lost a baby, but that's what I 622 00:41:41,960 --> 00:41:43,240 Speaker 2: was thinking about in that moment. 623 00:41:45,120 --> 00:41:46,839 Speaker 1: Sick was in the room too. 624 00:41:48,120 --> 00:41:54,120 Speaker 2: When he saw what Kai actually looked like, Sick cried. 625 00:41:56,239 --> 00:42:00,600 Speaker 2: I almost think that that is the first time Sick 626 00:42:00,880 --> 00:42:06,080 Speaker 2: realized that it was a whole human. I think that 627 00:42:06,280 --> 00:42:10,040 Speaker 2: was really the first time that it was real in 628 00:42:10,120 --> 00:42:12,160 Speaker 2: his mind that that was his son. 629 00:42:14,080 --> 00:42:17,000 Speaker 1: After they took Kay's footprints and filled out the paperwork, 630 00:42:17,920 --> 00:42:20,000 Speaker 1: his body was taken for an autopsy. 631 00:42:20,600 --> 00:42:24,040 Speaker 2: Seven am rolls around and the day shift nurse comes 632 00:42:24,080 --> 00:42:28,840 Speaker 2: in and she takes me in the bathroom and she 633 00:42:29,640 --> 00:42:33,680 Speaker 2: very quietly asks me what happened. 634 00:42:35,360 --> 00:42:37,520 Speaker 1: Once again, Brooke told the story. 635 00:42:37,880 --> 00:42:40,920 Speaker 2: And she says, what are you going to do and 636 00:42:40,960 --> 00:42:43,600 Speaker 2: I said, I don't know. I don't know what to do. 637 00:42:44,960 --> 00:42:50,080 Speaker 2: And she said, if there's any part of you that 638 00:42:50,200 --> 00:42:53,000 Speaker 2: thinks that this man poisoned you and killed your baby, 639 00:42:53,760 --> 00:42:59,680 Speaker 2: you need to report him. Brooke agreed, and she said 640 00:43:00,120 --> 00:43:03,239 Speaker 2: have you asked him? Have you asked him if he 641 00:43:03,280 --> 00:43:08,520 Speaker 2: did this? And I said no, and she said I 642 00:43:08,520 --> 00:43:09,280 Speaker 2: think you should. 643 00:43:10,160 --> 00:43:12,600 Speaker 1: So they went back in the room just as Sick 644 00:43:12,760 --> 00:43:13,719 Speaker 1: was walking back in. 645 00:43:14,840 --> 00:43:17,360 Speaker 2: And he said he was going to go back to 646 00:43:17,400 --> 00:43:22,239 Speaker 2: his apartment and take a shower, get changed, and bring 647 00:43:22,280 --> 00:43:26,200 Speaker 2: me some clothes. And I said that before he left, 648 00:43:26,200 --> 00:43:30,439 Speaker 2: I wanted to ask him a question, and I asked him, 649 00:43:32,400 --> 00:43:38,680 Speaker 2: did you poison me? And he said, do you honestly 650 00:43:38,760 --> 00:43:44,560 Speaker 2: think I would do that to you? I said, yes, 651 00:43:44,719 --> 00:43:50,239 Speaker 2: I do. And I told him I found ground up 652 00:43:50,320 --> 00:43:53,359 Speaker 2: pill in the bottom of my cup and I gave 653 00:43:53,400 --> 00:43:56,640 Speaker 2: it to the nurse and they're going to have it tested. 654 00:43:57,719 --> 00:44:01,120 Speaker 2: So if you did this, you need to come clean 655 00:44:01,160 --> 00:44:06,440 Speaker 2: with me right now. And he started crying and he 656 00:44:06,480 --> 00:44:08,680 Speaker 2: put his head down on the bed. He was sitting 657 00:44:08,719 --> 00:44:10,319 Speaker 2: in a chair next to the bed, and he put 658 00:44:10,320 --> 00:44:16,880 Speaker 2: his head down on the bed and just started bawling. 659 00:44:17,719 --> 00:44:21,640 Speaker 2: And he told me that he had put me sprostal 660 00:44:22,000 --> 00:44:25,920 Speaker 2: in my coffee that morning, and that's why I had 661 00:44:25,960 --> 00:44:32,400 Speaker 2: a stomach ache, and when it didn't work, he ground 662 00:44:32,480 --> 00:44:34,719 Speaker 2: up more and put it in my tea that night. 663 00:44:37,480 --> 00:44:41,480 Speaker 1: It was the final confirmation. She just stared at him 664 00:44:41,520 --> 00:44:47,760 Speaker 1: in silence, heartbroken. Sick continued talking and tried to rationalize 665 00:44:48,280 --> 00:44:49,440 Speaker 1: what he'd done. 666 00:44:49,840 --> 00:44:53,880 Speaker 2: And he said that the reason that he did it 667 00:44:53,920 --> 00:44:58,880 Speaker 2: is because he knew that I loved him and I 668 00:44:59,000 --> 00:45:03,759 Speaker 2: wanted to do what was best for him. But he 669 00:45:03,880 --> 00:45:06,760 Speaker 2: knew that if I made the decision to have an abortion, 670 00:45:08,000 --> 00:45:11,120 Speaker 2: I would be unhappy about it, so he was making 671 00:45:11,200 --> 00:45:14,840 Speaker 2: the decision for me so that I wouldn't have to 672 00:45:14,880 --> 00:45:19,680 Speaker 2: live with it. He said it like he thought that 673 00:45:19,880 --> 00:45:25,759 Speaker 2: he was doing something benevolent for me, but he wasn't. 674 00:45:26,400 --> 00:45:31,920 Speaker 2: He was taking from me somebody that I loved, somebody 675 00:45:31,960 --> 00:45:36,359 Speaker 2: that I wanted in my life, and he was justifying 676 00:45:36,400 --> 00:45:39,520 Speaker 2: it and acting like he was doing it for my benefit. 677 00:45:41,160 --> 00:45:44,000 Speaker 1: He really seemed to believe he had done the right thing. 678 00:45:44,600 --> 00:45:47,640 Speaker 2: I couldn't believe what he was saying to me. I 679 00:45:47,640 --> 00:45:55,160 Speaker 2: couldn't believe it. I felt betrayed. I felt like, that's 680 00:45:55,239 --> 00:46:01,200 Speaker 2: not your decision to make. And he was completely selfish. 681 00:46:01,880 --> 00:46:05,440 Speaker 2: Rather than taking on what he thought was going to 682 00:46:05,480 --> 00:46:10,839 Speaker 2: be ridicule, he was causing pain to other people. That's 683 00:46:10,880 --> 00:46:17,360 Speaker 2: a coward. And while he was saying it, there's a 684 00:46:17,440 --> 00:46:21,440 Speaker 2: knock on the door to my hospital room, and that 685 00:46:21,600 --> 00:46:23,760 Speaker 2: was the police. 686 00:46:24,000 --> 00:46:27,239 Speaker 1: The police took Sick into another room for questioning. 687 00:46:27,320 --> 00:46:34,120 Speaker 2: And he confessed that he had poisoned me, So they 688 00:46:34,200 --> 00:46:37,000 Speaker 2: arrested him and took him to jail. 689 00:46:37,440 --> 00:46:42,279 Speaker 1: Brooke wouldn't see him again until his sentencing hearing, but 690 00:46:42,400 --> 00:46:44,880 Speaker 1: Sick had left his phone with her, so she picked 691 00:46:44,880 --> 00:46:46,040 Speaker 1: it up and made a call. 692 00:46:47,160 --> 00:46:49,680 Speaker 2: I called his brother, who lives here in New York, 693 00:46:50,200 --> 00:46:55,040 Speaker 2: and I told his brother Sick had been arrested and 694 00:46:55,719 --> 00:46:58,080 Speaker 2: what he had been arrested for, that he had poisoned 695 00:46:58,080 --> 00:47:04,280 Speaker 2: me and killed our baby. And his brother said he 696 00:47:04,320 --> 00:47:10,440 Speaker 2: didn't know that I was pregnant. I said that I 697 00:47:10,480 --> 00:47:14,640 Speaker 2: couldn't take care of Sick anymore, that he was not 698 00:47:14,800 --> 00:47:18,279 Speaker 2: my responsibility and he needed to come down here and 699 00:47:18,320 --> 00:47:19,200 Speaker 2: take care of his brother. 700 00:47:22,640 --> 00:47:25,720 Speaker 1: Before they hung up, Six's brother had one more. 701 00:47:25,560 --> 00:47:30,920 Speaker 2: Thing to say, while he didn't know that I was pregnant, 702 00:47:31,480 --> 00:47:35,399 Speaker 2: they did know that Sick and I were seeing each other. 703 00:47:35,840 --> 00:47:40,640 Speaker 2: And his mom had known for years. She'd known since 704 00:47:40,680 --> 00:47:43,879 Speaker 2: the day she met me, and they had just been 705 00:47:43,920 --> 00:47:45,279 Speaker 2: waiting for him to tell them. 706 00:47:47,120 --> 00:47:50,840 Speaker 1: It was a tragic revelation. The pressure Sick put on 707 00:47:50,920 --> 00:47:55,400 Speaker 1: himself to live up to his family's expectations was self imposed. 708 00:47:56,200 --> 00:48:04,839 Speaker 1: His family would have accepted brook and There's Brooke called 709 00:48:04,880 --> 00:48:06,880 Speaker 1: a friend who flew down to DC to pick her 710 00:48:06,960 --> 00:48:10,160 Speaker 1: up at the hospital. Before they started to drive home, 711 00:48:10,360 --> 00:48:13,040 Speaker 1: they stopped by six apartment to get Brooks bags. 712 00:48:13,600 --> 00:48:19,880 Speaker 2: The police met us there. It was very strange to 713 00:48:19,960 --> 00:48:26,640 Speaker 2: go in. There's crime scene tape in his apartment and 714 00:48:26,880 --> 00:48:31,000 Speaker 2: it's been ransacked by the police. Just an odd feeling 715 00:48:31,440 --> 00:48:34,560 Speaker 2: knowing that that's now the scene of a crime and 716 00:48:34,600 --> 00:48:37,120 Speaker 2: it's a place that you painted and decorated. 717 00:48:38,560 --> 00:48:41,040 Speaker 1: The police had turned the apartment upside down to find 718 00:48:41,040 --> 00:48:44,840 Speaker 1: more evidence, and they did. They found white powder in 719 00:48:44,920 --> 00:48:49,080 Speaker 1: a pack of one hundred missoprystal tablets with ten doses missing. 720 00:48:49,719 --> 00:48:53,279 Speaker 1: He had given her all ten in one day. It 721 00:48:53,320 --> 00:48:54,719 Speaker 1: was a massive overdose. 722 00:48:55,280 --> 00:48:59,800 Speaker 2: So he had given me two hundred milligrams in the morning, 723 00:49:00,560 --> 00:49:02,560 Speaker 2: and then when that didn't work, he gave me an 724 00:49:02,600 --> 00:49:11,920 Speaker 2: additional six hundred milligrams in the evening. He probably needed 725 00:49:11,960 --> 00:49:15,480 Speaker 2: to give me that dose because I was way further 726 00:49:15,520 --> 00:49:16,680 Speaker 2: along in pregnancy. 727 00:49:18,239 --> 00:49:21,160 Speaker 1: The police told Brooke they'd be in touch, and that 728 00:49:21,320 --> 00:49:21,640 Speaker 1: was it. 729 00:49:22,440 --> 00:49:28,040 Speaker 2: The drive back to New York was awful. There's no 730 00:49:28,640 --> 00:49:31,040 Speaker 2: eloquent way to say that. It was just awful. I 731 00:49:31,120 --> 00:49:35,280 Speaker 2: cried most of the way back. I missed my baby. 732 00:49:37,120 --> 00:49:41,439 Speaker 2: I went down to DC thinking that I was making 733 00:49:41,520 --> 00:49:46,560 Speaker 2: a parenting plan, and I came back missing my baby, 734 00:49:47,600 --> 00:49:53,720 Speaker 2: with business cards for investigators and victims assistance phone numbers 735 00:49:53,840 --> 00:49:57,640 Speaker 2: in my luggage, doubting who I knew for the last 736 00:49:57,680 --> 00:49:59,880 Speaker 2: five years. My whole world had changed. 737 00:50:02,120 --> 00:50:05,239 Speaker 1: And then came the regrets. Even though she knew it 738 00:50:05,320 --> 00:50:08,839 Speaker 1: wasn't her fault, all she wanted was to go back 739 00:50:08,840 --> 00:50:09,560 Speaker 1: in time. 740 00:50:09,960 --> 00:50:14,440 Speaker 2: You know, blaming yourself. I wish I had never driven 741 00:50:14,480 --> 00:50:18,080 Speaker 2: down there. I shouldn't have done that. I should have 742 00:50:18,160 --> 00:50:22,719 Speaker 2: known better. I've worked through that. I don't still blame myself, 743 00:50:22,960 --> 00:50:26,719 Speaker 2: but at that time I did. I kept thinking that, 744 00:50:27,440 --> 00:50:30,120 Speaker 2: how stupid was I to drive down there. 745 00:50:33,040 --> 00:50:36,400 Speaker 1: When she got home, the loss became even more real 746 00:50:37,320 --> 00:50:39,720 Speaker 1: because she had to find a way to tell her kids. 747 00:50:40,680 --> 00:50:43,120 Speaker 2: Not only was I dealing with my own emotions, but 748 00:50:43,200 --> 00:50:46,320 Speaker 2: I had to tell my kids that I wasn't pregnant anymore, 749 00:50:46,400 --> 00:50:49,959 Speaker 2: and they weren't getting a baby brother. And not only 750 00:50:50,000 --> 00:50:53,480 Speaker 2: were they not getting a baby brother, but their baby 751 00:50:53,520 --> 00:50:58,759 Speaker 2: brother was murdered. And not only was he murdered, he 752 00:50:58,880 --> 00:51:02,359 Speaker 2: was murdered by somebody that they knew and trusted. And 753 00:51:02,400 --> 00:51:06,400 Speaker 2: I have to help them through that. While I'm trying 754 00:51:06,440 --> 00:51:12,640 Speaker 2: to manage my own emotional fallout from this and also 755 00:51:13,280 --> 00:51:17,440 Speaker 2: figure out what to do about this criminal case, I 756 00:51:17,480 --> 00:51:22,000 Speaker 2: can hardly function to get dinner on the table. 757 00:51:23,760 --> 00:51:26,680 Speaker 1: Her kids weren't just mourning a baby brother. They were 758 00:51:26,760 --> 00:51:29,920 Speaker 1: mourning a sense of safety, and Brooke had to carry 759 00:51:29,960 --> 00:51:33,080 Speaker 1: all of it. She took leave from work, leaned on 760 00:51:33,120 --> 00:51:37,960 Speaker 1: her friends, and found a therapist. Even with all the support, 761 00:51:38,239 --> 00:51:40,759 Speaker 1: she stayed awake at night trying to make sense of 762 00:51:40,800 --> 00:51:41,360 Speaker 1: what happened. 763 00:51:42,280 --> 00:51:46,640 Speaker 2: I really went through this period of wondering if I 764 00:51:46,719 --> 00:51:50,080 Speaker 2: ever knew him at all, and did I ever see 765 00:51:50,160 --> 00:51:56,720 Speaker 2: him or was I fooling myself? Was he a monster 766 00:51:56,920 --> 00:52:00,000 Speaker 2: this entire time? And I just didn't want to see it. 767 00:52:03,239 --> 00:52:06,160 Speaker 2: And I really did have to think about that because 768 00:52:07,480 --> 00:52:11,560 Speaker 2: either I loved a monster and never knew he was 769 00:52:11,600 --> 00:52:18,319 Speaker 2: a monster, or I loved a man. And then he 770 00:52:18,400 --> 00:52:25,839 Speaker 2: became a monster. One of those is true, her heart 771 00:52:25,920 --> 00:52:30,320 Speaker 2: tells her it was the latter. I had to objectively 772 00:52:31,200 --> 00:52:33,960 Speaker 2: look at the person that he was, and look at 773 00:52:34,000 --> 00:52:38,520 Speaker 2: his actions leading up to that time, and look at 774 00:52:38,560 --> 00:52:42,759 Speaker 2: the way he treated people. I really think that I 775 00:52:42,800 --> 00:52:45,760 Speaker 2: loved a man who became a monster. 776 00:52:48,320 --> 00:52:53,520 Speaker 1: Sick was charged with premeditated fetal homicide. He initially pled 777 00:52:53,840 --> 00:52:55,880 Speaker 1: not guilty. 778 00:52:56,000 --> 00:52:58,040 Speaker 2: I didn't want to go to a trial. I really 779 00:52:58,120 --> 00:53:01,840 Speaker 2: just wanted him to plead guilty and take responsibility for 780 00:53:01,920 --> 00:53:06,279 Speaker 2: what he did. That's when I decided to speak out 781 00:53:06,480 --> 00:53:07,840 Speaker 2: about what had happened. 782 00:53:09,200 --> 00:53:11,960 Speaker 1: Brooke went the local news to tell her story. 783 00:53:12,680 --> 00:53:16,720 Speaker 2: After I talked to the media, he changed his mind 784 00:53:16,760 --> 00:53:18,360 Speaker 2: and decided to plead guilty. 785 00:53:19,840 --> 00:53:23,040 Speaker 1: After that, the only thing left was the sentencing hearing. 786 00:53:23,600 --> 00:53:27,360 Speaker 2: He was facing twenty years to life in prison. He's 787 00:53:27,560 --> 00:53:32,360 Speaker 2: not an American citizen, so whenever he completed his sentence, 788 00:53:32,480 --> 00:53:36,200 Speaker 2: he was going to be deported back to Pakistan. So 789 00:53:36,920 --> 00:53:40,759 Speaker 2: when he decided to plead guilty, what I decided to 790 00:53:40,800 --> 00:53:45,440 Speaker 2: do was to ask for leniency for him. So I 791 00:53:45,480 --> 00:53:50,200 Speaker 2: wrote a letter to the judge and asked for leniency, 792 00:53:51,600 --> 00:53:56,520 Speaker 2: and I explained to the judge that my son is gone. 793 00:53:56,920 --> 00:54:02,000 Speaker 2: My son is dead. Kai's life is over. He will 794 00:54:02,040 --> 00:54:06,960 Speaker 2: never do anything with his life. He's gone. He won't 795 00:54:06,960 --> 00:54:11,239 Speaker 2: have a chance. But six still does. He still has 796 00:54:11,280 --> 00:54:17,080 Speaker 2: a chance. And I would hate to see two lives 797 00:54:17,120 --> 00:54:22,799 Speaker 2: be gone because of this. And I really think that 798 00:54:23,320 --> 00:54:28,440 Speaker 2: rather than wasting the rest of his life sitting in prison, 799 00:54:30,160 --> 00:54:38,360 Speaker 2: Sick owes it to Kai to do something with his life. 800 00:54:38,600 --> 00:54:43,520 Speaker 2: The judge wrote my letter and granted him leniency and 801 00:54:43,960 --> 00:54:50,759 Speaker 2: sentenced him to four years in prison. Otherwise he would 802 00:54:50,800 --> 00:54:55,920 Speaker 2: have given him twenty years to life. 803 00:54:56,200 --> 00:54:58,600 Speaker 1: Sick was released from prison in twenty twenty one and 804 00:54:58,600 --> 00:55:02,480 Speaker 1: deported to Pakistan. Today, it's been eight years since the crime, 805 00:55:03,000 --> 00:55:06,879 Speaker 1: and despite everything she's gone through, she manages to live 806 00:55:07,000 --> 00:55:12,920 Speaker 1: a joyful and fulfilling life today. 807 00:55:13,719 --> 00:55:20,279 Speaker 2: I have finished my master's degree in nursing and I'm 808 00:55:20,360 --> 00:55:24,920 Speaker 2: teaching nursing. I do Brazilian jiu jitsu a couple of 809 00:55:24,960 --> 00:55:29,640 Speaker 2: times a week as a fun hobby and exercise. It's 810 00:55:29,760 --> 00:55:31,799 Speaker 2: very empowering. I love doing that. 811 00:55:33,400 --> 00:55:36,080 Speaker 1: She and her kids chose to memorialize Kai. 812 00:55:36,680 --> 00:55:41,759 Speaker 2: His brother got a burial plot and said a prayer 813 00:55:41,840 --> 00:55:46,280 Speaker 2: over him, and we buried him in a cemetery here. 814 00:55:47,360 --> 00:55:50,880 Speaker 2: So He's got a little gravestone and a cemetery up 815 00:55:50,920 --> 00:55:55,840 Speaker 2: here in Upstate New York with his little superhero on it, 816 00:55:57,239 --> 00:55:59,840 Speaker 2: and it says superheroes never sleep. 817 00:56:05,080 --> 00:56:07,960 Speaker 1: We end all of our weekly episodes with the same question, 818 00:56:08,880 --> 00:56:10,480 Speaker 1: why do you want to share your story? 819 00:56:11,560 --> 00:56:15,200 Speaker 2: When people hear my story, it is a little bit shocking, 820 00:56:15,880 --> 00:56:20,040 Speaker 2: and people often say, oh my god, I can't believe 821 00:56:20,080 --> 00:56:24,680 Speaker 2: that happened to you. But what I like people to 822 00:56:24,760 --> 00:56:30,040 Speaker 2: take from it is, no matter what happens, no matter 823 00:56:30,080 --> 00:56:33,480 Speaker 2: what you go through, you'll get stronger and you learn 824 00:56:33,560 --> 00:56:37,840 Speaker 2: to carry it. I was surprised that I made it through. 825 00:56:39,640 --> 00:56:43,200 Speaker 2: I was surprised by the amount of strength that I 826 00:56:43,280 --> 00:56:47,880 Speaker 2: came up with, and looking at it from the other side, 827 00:56:48,120 --> 00:56:52,520 Speaker 2: I look back and I think, wow, I made it through. That. 828 00:56:53,520 --> 00:56:56,160 Speaker 2: If I could make it through, that people can make 829 00:56:56,160 --> 00:57:06,360 Speaker 2: it through anything. They really can't. 830 00:57:07,560 --> 00:57:10,799 Speaker 1: Next week on Betrayal Weekly, I go. 831 00:57:11,280 --> 00:57:15,080 Speaker 3: What are you involved in? Are you being investigated by 832 00:57:15,080 --> 00:57:22,480 Speaker 3: the FBI? And he looked at me so coldly like 833 00:57:22,560 --> 00:57:26,000 Speaker 3: he never knew me, and he said, if I go down, 834 00:57:26,320 --> 00:57:27,280 Speaker 3: I'm taking you with me. 835 00:57:30,560 --> 00:57:32,360 Speaker 4: If you would like to reach out to the Betrayal 836 00:57:32,400 --> 00:57:35,280 Speaker 4: team or want to tell us your Betrayal story. Email 837 00:57:35,360 --> 00:57:39,640 Speaker 4: us at betrayalpod at gmail dot com. That's Betrayal pod 838 00:57:40,000 --> 00:57:41,360 Speaker 4: at gmail dot com. 839 00:57:41,960 --> 00:57:43,480 Speaker 1: We're grateful for your support. 840 00:57:44,000 --> 00:57:46,200 Speaker 4: One way to show support is by subscribing to our 841 00:57:46,240 --> 00:57:48,960 Speaker 4: show on Apple Podcasts, and don't forget to rate and 842 00:57:48,960 --> 00:57:49,640 Speaker 4: review Betrayal. 843 00:57:50,040 --> 00:57:53,040 Speaker 1: Five star reviews go a long way. A big thank 844 00:57:53,080 --> 00:57:54,600 Speaker 1: you to all of our listeners. 845 00:57:55,400 --> 00:57:58,200 Speaker 4: Betrayal is a production of Glass Podcasts, a division of 846 00:57:58,240 --> 00:58:02,040 Speaker 4: Glass Entertainment Group and partnership the iHeart Podcasts. The show 847 00:58:02,120 --> 00:58:05,760 Speaker 4: is executive produced by Nancy Glass and Jennifer Fason, hosted 848 00:58:05,800 --> 00:58:09,440 Speaker 4: and produced by me Andrea Gunning, written and produced by 849 00:58:09,440 --> 00:58:14,360 Speaker 4: Monique Leboard, also produced by Ben Fetterman. Associate producers are 850 00:58:14,440 --> 00:58:18,200 Speaker 4: Kristin Mercury and Caitlyn Golden. Our iHeart team is Ali 851 00:58:18,320 --> 00:58:19,760 Speaker 4: Perry and Jessica Krincheck. 852 00:58:20,720 --> 00:58:24,800 Speaker 1: Audio editing and mixing by Matt Delvecchio, additional editing support 853 00:58:24,800 --> 00:58:30,160 Speaker 1: from Tanner Robbins. Betrayal's theme composed by Oliver Bains. Music 854 00:58:30,200 --> 00:58:32,360 Speaker 1: library provided by my Music 855 00:58:33,080 --> 00:58:36,200 Speaker 4: And For more podcasts from iHeart, visit the iHeartRadio app, 856 00:58:36,320 --> 00:58:40,240 Speaker 4: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.