Chapter 8 - The Darkness
Panic exploded in my chest as the digital alarms faded into absolute, deadly silence.
I threw myself out of the wheelchair, ignoring the agonizing, burning pain tearing through my surgical incision.
I collapsed beside the incubator and frantically opened the plastic access portals.
I grabbed the manual resuscitation bag attached to her tiny breathing tube and began squeezing it rhythmically.
I had to manually pump the vital oxygen into my baby's fragile lungs to keep her alive in the dark.
Every single squeeze sent a shockwave of pain through my torn abdomen, but I refused to stop fighting.
The heavy double doors of the NICU slowly creaked open in the shadows.
A tall, menacing silhouette stepped into the room, illuminated only by the faint red glow of the emergency exit signs.
It was my father, holding a heavy, metallic object that glinted dangerously in the dim light.
"You really should have just stayed on that sofa, Sarah," his cold, heartless voice echoed through the dark room.
He walked slowly toward the incubator, completely unbothered by the fact that he was about to murder his own child.
I screamed at him to stay away, but I could not let go of the resuscitation bag to defend myself.
He raised the heavy metal object, preparing to smash the fragile plastic incubator into a million pieces.
Before he could bring the weapon down, a massive figure suddenly stepped out from the dark corner of the room.
My grandfather, who had secretly stayed behind in the hospital, placed himself directly between my father and the incubator.
"You are an absolute disgrace to this family, Evelyn, and I will not let you hurt them anymore," my grandfather roared.
My father laughed maniacally and swung the heavy metal object with all of his brutal strength.
My grandfather took the devastating blow directly to his shoulder, collapsing painfully onto the sterile floor.
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My father stepped over the old man's body and smiled wickedly as he reached for my throat.
Suddenly, the massive glass windows of the NICU were blindingly illuminated by incredibly powerful exterior spotlights.
