Chapter 6 - The Emergency Dash
The sterile, blinding lights of the hospital emergency room buzzed overhead as the paramedics wheeled my stretcher through the automatic double doors. Jacob ran alongside the gurney, his hand gripping mine tightly, though my fingers remained completely limp and ice-cold.
"Stay with me, Clara, please," Jacob sobbed, his voice trembling uncontrollably. He looked terrified, the reality of his sister's cruel prank crashing down on him with devastating weight.
Behind us, Brenda and her mother had followed in a separate car, though they were forced to wait in the main lobby while medical staff rushed me through the secure trauma doors.
Within minutes, an obstetrical surgical team and an emergency physician surrounded my bed. The lead doctor, a stern woman with sharp eyes behind wire-rimmed glasses, quickly assessed my vitals as nurses cut away my frozen clothing and wrapped me in active-rewarming blankets.
"Her core body temperature has dropped to dangerous levels—severe hypothermia," the doctor announced, her voice clipped and professional. "Furthermore, the extreme thermal shock has triggered violent uterine contractions and placental abruption. We need to get her into emergency surgery immediately. If we don't deliver this baby right now, we risk losing both mother and child."
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Jacob let out a choked cry, burying his face in his hands. "Do whatever it takes. Please save them."
As orderlies began wheeling my bed toward the operating suite, a nurse gently pulled Jacob back, closing the heavy doors. He stood alone in the hallway, the sterile walls closing in around him as the magnitude of what had happened—and who was responsible—settled heavily upon his shoulders.
