Chapter 17 - The Door Stayed Closed
Linda's voice carried down the hallway, sharp enough to cut through a contraction. My hands tightened around the bed rails.
"Look at me," Mara said. "You're here. The nurses know."
Daniel went to the door and spoke to a staff member. He didn't ask me to soothe his mother. He didn't bring her inside for one minute. Through the glass I saw Linda pointing toward my room, her face twisted with anger.
"My son is in there!" she shouted.
"And I'm staying," Daniel said, loud enough for me to hear. "Mom, you need to leave."
A security officer escorted Linda toward the elevator. She kept talking, but the door shut on her words. The relief hit so hard that I cried between contractions.
Then the monitor changed.
A nurse moved closer and adjusted the band around my belly. Another came in, followed by the doctor. Our daughter's heart rate was dropping during contractions and wasn't recovering as quickly as the team wanted. They tried repositioning me and explained what they were watching, but the pattern stayed concerning.
"Emily," the doctor said, calm and direct, "I recommend we move to a cesarean delivery now."
Everything became bright lights and clean, purposeful motion. I asked whether my daughter would be all right. The doctor said they were moving quickly to give her the best chance, not because anyone could promise an outcome.
Daniel stood beside my bed, helpless. "What do you need?"
"I need you to listen when I say I'm scared."
"I hear you."
May you like
They wheeled me toward the operating room. Above me, the ceiling lights passed one by one. For the first time all day, nobody asked me to make space for Linda's feelings.
When the doctor said, "Here she comes," I waited for the sound that mattered most. For one endless second, there was only the hum of the room.
