Chapter 6 - The Hospital Scare
We had barely recovered from the CPS visit when the real nightmare began.
It was 2:00 AM. Sarah’s panicked voice echoed through the hallway. “Julian! Julian, wake up!”
I sprinted to the nursery. Sarah was holding Mia. The baby’s face was flushed dark red, and she was gasping for air, her tiny chest heaving violently.
“She’s burning up,” Sarah cried. “She won’t wake up fully.”
“Get in the car,” I ordered.
I broke every speed limit getting to the emergency room. The doctors swarmed Mia the moment we rushed through the doors, hooking her up to monitors and an oxygen mask. RSV—Respiratory Syncytial Virus. For premature twins whose immune systems were compromised from weeks living in the cold, it was life-threatening.
We sat in the ICU waiting room for three agonizing days.
During that time, the walls between Sarah and me completely disintegrated. We slept on uncomfortable vinyl chairs, leaning against each other. I brought her coffee, held her hand when the doctors gave us updates, and wiped her tears when she blamed herself.
“This is because we were outside,” she sobbed one night. “If I had just swallowed my pride and found you sooner—”
“No,” I stopped her, holding her face in my hands. “This is a virus. Babies get sick. You kept them alive, Sarah. You are the strongest person I know. We are going to get through this together.”
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On the fourth morning, the doctor walked in with a smile. Mia’s fever had broken. She was breathing on her own.
When I looked through the glass and saw my little girl smiling weakly, I broke down. Sarah wrapped her arms around me from behind, burying her face in my shoulder. We weren't just two exes bound by biology anymore. We were parents. We were a team.
