Chapter 2 - The Poisoned Apple
The harsh fluorescent lights of the hospital emergency room buzzed loudly above Evelyn's stretcher.
Nurses shouted urgent medical codes as they rushed her through the swinging doors.
Evelyn fought to stay conscious, her hands gripping the white hospital sheets.
Eleanor jogged alongside the moving bed, holding Evelyn's hand tightly.
"You are going to be fine, my sweet girl," Eleanor promised with tears in her eyes.
Nathan had been strictly barred from entering the triage area by hospital security.
He was currently pacing the waiting room, arguing loudly with the front desk staff.
Inside the sterile trauma room, a seasoned doctor quickly reviewed Evelyn's blood work.
The fetal heart monitor beeped rapidly, echoing the terrifying stress of the unborn baby.
Evelyn felt a sharp needle pierce her arm to deliver medication to stop the contractions.
"Your blood pressure is dangerously high, Mrs. Carter," the doctor said grimly.
He pointed to a specific anomaly on the printed laboratory results.
"Have you consumed any unpasteurized herbs or unauthorized supplements today?" he asked.
Evelyn shook her head weakly, utterly confused by the strange medical question.
"I only ate the dinner my mother-in-law prepared," Evelyn whispered through the pain.
Eleanor's face drained of all color as she stared at the doctor.
"What exactly did you find in her bloodstream?" Eleanor demanded fiercely.
The doctor lowered his voice to a serious, confidential whisper.
"We found extremely high traces of a rare chemical abortifacient used to induce premature labor."
Someone had deliberately poisoned Evelyn to force her to lose the baby.
Evelyn's mind instantly flashed back to the Thanksgiving dinner table.
She remembered Brooke bringing a special bakery box from the city.
Brooke had personally poured Evelyn a specific glass of sparkling cider before the meal.
Evelyn tried to sit up, a fierce maternal rage burning through her medicated haze.
"It was Brooke," Evelyn gasped, pointing a shaking finger toward the hallway.
Before Eleanor could react, the hospital fire alarm suddenly began to blare throughout the building.
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The heavy emergency doors locked automatically, trapping Evelyn and the doctor inside the room.
Through the small glass window, Evelyn saw a dark figure shutting down the backup generator.
