Chapter 17 - Sudden Labor
The hydraulic jacks hissed loudly as the crew frantically pumped the heavy steel handles. Slowly, millimeter by agonizing millimeter, the crushing weight of the metal structure began to rise off Daniel’s trapped body. The shifting of the jagged iron sent a fresh wave of excruciating pain through him. Daniel let out a hoarse, ragged scream, his body arching off the floor before collapsing back down.
"We've got him!" a worker shouted, shoving a thick wooden block under the lifted beam to secure it.
The paramedics, having just rushed into the hall, immediately swarmed Daniel. They expertly slid a rigid backboard beneath him, strapping him down and hooking him up to a portable IV bag to replace the lost fluids. As they began to lift the stretcher, Valeria clutched the side rails, refusing to let go.
"I am going with you," she demanded, her voice fierce despite her exhaustion.
The guest doctor looked at her, noting her pale face and the intense stress she had just endured. "Ma'am, you need a full medical evaluation as well," he warned gently. "That fall and the emotional shock could easily trigger severe complications."
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As if his words had cast a spell, Valeria suddenly gasped, her eyes widening in profound shock. She hunched over violently, clutching her swollen belly as a sudden, paralyzing cramp ripped through her entire body. She gasped for air, trying to stand straight, but a second, far more intense contraction hit her, forcing her to her knees.
The doctor’s face turned completely pale as he caught her shoulders. "She’s going into premature labor," he announced urgently.
