Chapter 18 - Too Early

Our daughter was not supposed to arrive for seven more weeks.

She did not care.

Claire’s contractions were three minutes apart by the time we reached the hospital.

I drove faster than I ever had in my life while trying to sound calm.

“Breathe.”

“I am breathing.”

“You’re yelling.”

“That is still breathing.”

Despite everything, I laughed.

Claire glared at me.

Then another contraction hit and she crushed my hand.

At the hospital, doctors moved quickly. Because of the earlier trauma and stress, they were concerned about placental complications.

The words blurred together.

Emergency.

Monitoring.

Possible surgery.

Consent.

I signed whatever they put in front of me.

Claire grabbed my sleeve as they wheeled her away.

“Don’t let your mother near her.”

“She’s in custody.”

“Promise me anyway.”

“I promise.”

Then the doors closed.

I sat alone in a waiting room with a vending machine humming across from me.

Daniel arrived twenty minutes later.

“How is she?”

“I don’t know.”

He sat beside me.

For once, neither of us tried to make a joke.

An hour passed.

Then another.

Finally, Dr. Sato came through the doors.

I stood so fast I nearly fell.

“Claire?”

“She’s stable.”

“And the baby?”

The doctor smiled.

“She’s small. She needs the neonatal unit for now. But she is breathing.”

My knees nearly gave out.

A daughter.

Alive.

Breathing.

When I saw Claire, she looked exhausted and beautiful and furious that I was crying.

“Don’t you start,” she whispered.

“I’m not.”

“You are absolutely crying.”

I kissed her forehead.

“What do we name her?”

Claire looked toward the glass nursery window.

“Hope seems too obvious.”

“Very.”

“Grace?”

I smiled.

“Grace Mercer.”

She nodded.

Hours later, while we watched our tiny daughter sleep beneath warm lights, Ruiz called.

“I hate to bother you today.”

“What happened?”

“We finished the first medical review on your father.”

My chest tightened.

“And?”

“The dosage he received was not medically justified.”

I closed my eyes.

Ruiz continued.

“We’re adding charges.”

Against my mother.

And against Dr. Cross.

But then she said, “There’s one more person.”

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“Who?”

“Someone you trusted completely.”