Chapter 9 - Awakening to Hope
|
On the morning of the fourth day, the quiet humming of medical equipment in Bellevue’s ICU was interrupted by a tiny, fragile sound.
A soft gasp.
Elena opened her eyes. The bright white lights of the hospital room scorched her vision. Her head felt as though it were clamped in a vice, and a dull, throbbing pain radiated down her right side from her cracked ribs.
She didn't cry out. She didn't call for help.
Her first instinct, powered by raw motherly love, was to reach down with her right arm. Her trembling hand pressed against the bandage covering her abdomen.
Please, she prayed silently. Please, my baby...
As if answering her desperate plea, a small, distinct flutter pushed against her palm from inside her womb. A kick. Strong, stubborn, and unmistakably alive.
Tears finally leaked from the corners of Elena’s eyes, soaking into her hair.
"Elena?"
Elena turned her head slowly. Her assistant, Maya, was sitting in the corner chair, her eyes wide with disbelief. Maya scrambled to her feet, dropping her coffee cup onto the floor, and smashed the nurse call button.
"She’s awake! Doctor, she’s awake!" Maya cried out.
Within seconds, a medical team flooded the room. Flashlights checked her pupils, a blood pressure cuff inflated around her arm, and the lead physician gently checked her reflexes.
"Mrs. Moretti, can you hear me? Do you know where you are?" the doctor asked.
"Bellevue," Elena whispered, her throat dry and raspy. "My son... is he...?"
May you like
"His fetal monitor has been steady the entire time," the doctor smiled softly. "He’s a fighter, Mrs. Moretti. You both are."
Elena swallowed hard, her eyes sharpening despite the pain. "My lawyer... I need Carol Hartwell. Now."
