Chapter 4 - The Newborn Cry
Sebastián did not issue a warning.
He swung the blunt end of the fire ax, striking Dr. Morales across the shoulder and sending the syringe flying into the wall.
Dr. Morales collapsed against the stainless steel tray, howling in pain as surgical instruments clattered across the floor.
The two tactical guards reached for their holstered sidearms, but Sebastián moved like a cornered beast.
He drove his boot into the chest of the nearest guard, sending him crashing into the anesthesia cart.
The second guard drew his weapon, aiming directly at Sebastián's forehead.
Before the guard could pull the trigger, Luciana emerged from the shadows of the supply closet with a metal oxygen tank.
She slammed the heavy cylinder into the back of the guard's skull with a sickening thud, dropping him instantly.
"I told you I wasn't running away this time!" Luciana shouted through the darkness.
On the operating table, Valeria was writhing in agonizing pain, her hands gripping the steel safety rails with white knuckles.
"Sebastián!" Valeria cried out, her eyes locking onto his in the dim beam of the emergency lights.
"The baby is coming now! I can't stop it!"
Sebastián dropped the ax and fell to his knees beside his wife, grabbing her cold, trembling hand.
"Push, Valeria! I am right here, I'm never leaving you again!" Sebastián choked out, tears burning his eyes.
Luciana grabbed sterile towels from the warmer cabinet, positioning herself at the foot of the table.
"Push, Val! You can do this!" Luciana urged, her voice steady and fierce.
Valeria let out a long, guttural scream that echoed off the tiled walls, pouring every remaining drop of her life into that final effort.
For three agonizing seconds, the room fell into a terrifying, breathless silence.
Then, a sharp, indignant wail pierced through the darkness.
A healthy baby boy took his first breath, kicking his tiny legs in the chilly air.
Sebastián began to weep openly, pressing his forehead against Valeria’s sweat-soaked temple.
"He's here, my love... our son is alive," Sebastián whispered, kissing her pale lips.
Luciana wrapped the infant in warm sterile blankets, placing him gently onto Valeria's chest.
Valeria cradled her son against her heartbeat, her tears wetting the baby's dark, downy hair.
"Mateo..." Valeria breathed with a radiant, exhausted smile.
Suddenly, the surgical suite doors were blown off their hinges with a concussive blast.
Octavio walked through the smoke holding a tactical shotgun, accompanied by six uniformed state police officers.
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Octavio pointed his finger at Sebastián with a victorious, sickening sneer.
"Arrest that fugitive for attempted murder and take the child into protective custody!" Octavio commanded the officers.
