Chapter 18 - The Hospital Lights
|
"You’re safe now," my father whispered, his voice thick with emotion.
Those four simple words broke something completely open inside my chest. The walls I had built to protect myself shattered, and I cried against his shoulder like a little girl, holding onto his jacket as if it were a life raft.
"I'm so sorry," I sobbed into his chest. "I should have left him so much sooner. I was just so scared."
Dad shook his head firmly, kissing the top of my hair.
"You left exactly when you were ready," he told me, his voice steady and fiercely protective. "And you don’t owe anyone on this earth an explanation for how you managed to survive."
A few moments later, the heavy door opened, and the lead obstetrician entered the room. My heart instantly stopped beating in my chest. I stared at her, terrified of the words she was about to speak.
She looked at my medical chart, then up at me, and smiled gently.
"We’ve successfully stabilized you," the doctor announced.
I swallowed the massive lump in my throat. "And my baby?"
She paused for a second, allowing the tension to hang in the air, before her smile widened.
"Your baby is a fighter. He is still fighting, and his heartbeat is remarkably strong."
I immediately covered my mouth with both hands. For several long seconds, nobody in the room spoke. Then, I began crying all over again. But this time, they were not tears of pain or terror. They were tears of absolute, unadulterated relief.
May you like
The doctors explained that my son was premature and would require extensive time in the neonatal intensive care unit. The road ahead would be incredibly difficult.
But there was a road ahead. And that was enough.
