Chapter 2 - The First Twin
Everything inside me turned cold.
“No.”
Daniel immediately shook his head.
“Don’t panic.”
“I can fix this.”
“You need to listen to me.”
Maria held my hand so tightly our fingers hurt.
Daniel worked with frightening concentration.
Another contraction came.
I screamed until my throat burned.
“Don’t push yet.”
Daniel said.
“I know your body wants to.”
“Give me five seconds.”
Five seconds had never felt so long.
Then his shoulders loosened slightly.
“I got it.”
“The cord is free.”
“Now push.”
I pushed.
Pain exploded through my entire body.
Then suddenly there was movement.
Weight.
Release.
And silence.
Terrible silence.
“Why isn’t she crying?”
I gasped.
Daniel rubbed the tiny baby vigorously with a towel.
“Come on.”
Maria was crying openly now.
“Come on, little girl.”
Nothing happened.
My heart began hammering.
“Please.”
“Please do something.”
Daniel lowered his face and cleared the baby’s airway.
Then he stimulated her again.
One second.
Two.
Three.
And finally—
A tiny cry broke through the room.
I collapsed backward.
“Oh God.”
Daniel actually smiled.
“You have a daughter.”
Maria laughed through her tears.
“She’s beautiful.”
I reached toward her.
Daniel placed the impossibly small bundle against my chest for only a few seconds.
Her skin was pink.
Her fingers were curled.
Her eyes remained tightly closed.
“Hi.”
I whispered.
“Hi, baby.”
The ambulance siren became audible outside.
I thought the nightmare was ending.
I was wrong.
A sudden sharp pain stabbed deep into my abdomen.
Not like the contractions.
Different.
Violent.
Wrong.
I gasped.
Daniel saw my expression.
“What happened?”
“Something tore.”
I whispered.
Then warmth spread beneath me.
Daniel looked down.
His face drained.
Maria whispered his name.
“Daniel?”
He reached immediately for fresh towels.
“Natalie, I need you to stay awake.”
“The second baby is still inside.”
I could barely hear him anymore.
The room seemed to be moving farther away.
Daniel checked my pulse.
Then he shouted toward the open doorway.
“Where is that ambulance?”
Two EMTs rushed inside seconds later.
Daniel gave them information rapidly.
“Thirty-eight weeks.”
“Twin pregnancy.”
“Twin A delivered approximately three minutes ago.”
“Possible placental abruption.”
“Significant maternal bleeding.”
“Twin B not delivered.”
One EMT took my baby.
I panicked.
“No.”
“It’s okay.”
Daniel said.
“They’re helping her.”
Another contraction struck.
But this time I had almost no strength left.
They lifted me onto a stretcher.
As they rolled me toward the door, I stared at the living room behind me.
Blood stained the sofa.
Towels covered the floor.
Medical wrappers were everywhere.
My broken glass of water lay beneath the coffee table.
It looked less like my home than the aftermath of violence.
Daniel climbed into the ambulance beside me.
Maria remained with my daughter in the second emergency vehicle.
The doors slammed.
The siren screamed.
I reached weakly for Daniel’s wrist.
“My husband.”
I whispered.
“He doesn’t know.”
Daniel looked at me for a long second.
“Where is he?”
“The mall.”
Something unreadable crossed Daniel’s face.
“He left you like this?”
I closed my eyes.
“He told me not to move.”
Daniel said nothing.
But one of the EMTs slowly looked toward him.
That was the moment I realized this was no longer only a medical emergency.
Someone was going to ask questions.
May you like
And Travis was going to have to answer them.
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