Chapter 15 - A Different Kind of Fear
A nurse silenced the alarm after assessing Willa and adjusting her support.
Her oxygen level had dipped, but it recovered with treatment.
The team ordered blood cultures, started antibiotics, and explained that premature babies could become sick quickly.
Khloe sat beside the incubator, holding herself still.
"Did I do something wrong?"
"No," the neonatologist said. "This is a complication we watch for in very premature infants. You didn't cause it."
Marcus stood close enough to hear, far enough not to crowd her.
"Can she recover?" he asked.
"We caught the changes early. We'll keep reassessing."
For forty-eight hours, neither parent cared about television interviews, foundation votes, or lawyers' letters.
They cared about every blood test, every change on the screen, and whether Willa seemed comfortable.
Khloe slept in a nearby family room when the nurses insisted she rest.
Marcus brought food and left it by the door.
He didn't ask her to thank him.
On the second evening, the cultures identified an infection the team was treating with an appropriate antibiotic.
Willa's oxygen needs began to decrease.
"She's responding," the doctor said. "That is encouraging, though we still have more treatment ahead."
Khloe cried quietly against her mother's shoulder.
A week later, the hospital called a family conference to discuss Willa's progress and the long road still ahead.
Khloe asked Marcus to attend.
The meeting was interrupted by Dana's call.
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Isabella's attorneys were discussing a possible guilty plea with prosecutors.
At the same time, the Rossi family had renewed its civil settlement offer, demanding Khloe's silence as a condition of payment.
