Chapter 11 - The Rush to Life
Panic, sharper and more immediate than any courtroom drama, surged through my veins. "I'm on my way," I practically shouted into the phone, breaking into a dead sprint before the nurse could even finish her sentence. I blew past Marcus, abandoning the legal paperwork on the desk, and hit the elevator button with hammering fists.
The drive to Charleston Memorial Hospital was a blur of running red lights and blaring my horn. The adrenaline of destroying my mother’s empire had instantly evaporated, replaced by a cold, primal terror. Sarah was only thirty-two weeks and a few days along. It was too early. The stress of the last forty-eight hours had pushed her body past its breaking point.
I burst through the hospital doors, ignoring the security guard, and sprinted to the maternity ward. When I reached Sarah's room, it was a hive of chaotic, controlled urgency. Nurses were wheeling machines in and out, and Dr. Evans was barking orders.
Sarah was gripping the bedrails, her face glistening with sweat, her eyes wide with fear. When she saw me, a sob broke from her chest.
"David!" she cried, reaching out for me.
I rushed to her side, grabbing her hand and kissing her damp forehead. "I'm here, baby. I'm right here. You're going to be okay."
"It's too early," she wept, a vicious contraction causing her to bear down in agony. "He's not ready."
Dr. Evans looked at me over her mask, her eyes deadly serious. "The abruption is worsening, David. The baby’s heart rate is decelerating with every contraction. We can't wait for a natural delivery. We have to do an emergency C-section right now."
May you like
"Do whatever you have to do," I said, my voice cracking. "Just save them. Please."
Within seconds, Sarah was being rushed down the hall toward the surgical theater. I was thrown a pair of scrubs and told to change in a closet. My hands were shaking so violently I could barely tie the surgical mask. Everything I had fought for, everything I had just protected in that conference room, meant absolutely nothing if I lost the two of them.
