Chapter 7 - The Final Stand
The surgeon cursed loudly, struggling to maintain his balance as the vehicle skidded to a halt.
He yelled that we could not wait for a detour because the baby was already suffocating.
He ordered the team to continue the emergency surgery right in the middle of the blocked highway.
My father stood guard by the rear doors, ensuring the medical team had the absolute peace they needed to work.
I closed my eyes, focusing entirely on the sound of my father's steady breathing to keep myself anchored to reality.
The surgeon worked with incredible precision, navigating the massive internal bleeding caused by the crash.
Minutes felt like hours as the storm raged violently against the armored walls of the transport vehicle.
Finally, I felt a massive, relieving release of pressure from my lower abdomen.
The surgeon pulled my tiny son from my womb, quickly clamping and cutting the umbilical cord.
He handed the infant to the neonatal nurse waiting eagerly with warm blankets.
The entire vehicle fell into a terrifying, suffocating silence.
My baby was not crying.
The nurse began aggressively rubbing his back, trying to stimulate his small, fragile lungs.
I begged them to tell me what was happening, my voice weak and raspy.
The nurse placed a tiny oxygen mask over his blue face and began performing infant chest compressions.
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The monitor attached to his tiny foot showed absolutely no cardiac activity.
My father dropped his weapon and fell to his knees, burying his face in his hands as the nurse continued the desperate compressions.
