Chapter 8 - Emergency Delivery|
The sterile hospital hallways blurred past my vision in a dizzying streak. The harsh, glaring fluorescent lights on the ceiling forced me to squeeze my eyes shut. The obstetrician was practically shouting at the nurses, barking urgent orders to prep the operating room.
"Fetal heart rate is dropping steadily! The patient is showing signs of acute fetal distress due to prolonged stress. Prep for general anesthesia, we need to perform an emergency C-section right now!"
I felt a heavy oxygen mask pressed tightly against my nose and mouth. The icy chill of the anesthetic flowed rapidly through my IV line, aggressively dragging my consciousness down into a deep, impenetrable darkness.
When I finally woke up, the only sound in the room was the steady, rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor. My mother was sitting by the edge of my bed, her eyes swollen and red from hours of crying.
"Mom..." I whispered weakly, my throat feeling as dry as sandpaper. "My baby..."
"Lily is safe, my sweet girl," my mother said, squeezing my hand tightly.
A relieved smile broke through her tears.
"She has to stay in the incubator for a few days because she was premature, but the doctors say she is incredibly strong. Just like her mother," she continued.
I let out a long, shuddering breath, warm tears rolling down my cheeks.
"Where is Ethan?" I asked.
My mother's expression immediately darkened.
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"He isn't here. Your father forbade him from setting foot in this hospital, but honestly... he didn't even try to find a way in to see you. Your father is currently dealing with the lawyers," she replied.
Ethan's absence didn't cause me any pain; instead, it only solidified my resolve. While I was fighting for our daughter's life on the operating table, he couldn't even be bothered to see if we had lived or died. I closed my eyes and silently promised my newborn daughter, Lily, that I would clean up this entire mess to secure and protect her future.
