Chapter 16 - The BirthThe drive to the hospital felt endless.
Ethan obeyed every speed limit.
Almost.
Olivia cursed him.
Good sign.
At the hospital, labor progressed faster than expected.
Thirty-four weeks and five days.
Dr. Patel was calm.
Ethan hated calm people.
They knew things.
“Baby may need NICU support,” the doctor explained.
Olivia nodded.
Then whispered:
“Will he be okay?”
“We’re going to do everything we can.”
Hours blurred.
Pain.
Breathing.
Monitors.
Ethan’s hand nearly crushed.
Then at 4:26 a.m., their son was born.
Samuel Carter.
Small.
Angry.
Beautiful.
He cried once.
Then a neonatal team moved in.
Olivia panicked.
“Why are they taking him?”
Dr. Patel explained.
Breathing support.
Precaution.
NICU.
Ethan kissed Olivia’s forehead.
“I’ll go with him.”
She grabbed his sleeve.
“Don’t leave me.”
He stopped.
Every instinct split in half.
Then a nurse said:
“Dad can stay two minutes, then we’ll take him up.”
So Ethan stayed.
He watched Olivia cry.
He watched Samuel’s tiny chest move.
He had never felt so helpless.
Later, in the NICU, Samuel lay beneath warm lights.
Tiny tubes.
Tiny fingers.
Ethan put one finger against his palm.
Samuel grabbed it.
Ethan broke.
Not loudly.
Just enough.
Then Rachel texted.
Diane had been informed of the birth through a relative.
She was requesting hospital access.
Ethan stared at the message.
Olivia’s answer came immediately.
“No.”
The hospital flagged Diane.
Security notified.
Two hours later, Diane appeared anyway.
Not at the front desk.
May you like
At the employee entrance.
Using a visitor badge that belonged to someone else.
