Chapter 7 - The Desperate Measure
Complete and utter chaos erupted in the nursery as the infant's tiny body seized uncontrollably. Hunter dropped to her knees on the thick rug, cradling Leo's head to protect his fragile neck. "He is going into cardiac arrest!" Hunter screamed, her nursing training taking over her panic. She laid the baby flat on the changing table and began performing delicate, two-finger chest compressions. Lorenzo stood frozen in absolute horror, watching his only remaining family member slip away. "Keep him alive, Hunter, please keep him alive," Lorenzo begged, his voice cracking with desperation. Tears streamed down Hunter's face as she breathed tiny puffs of air into the baby's lungs. "Come on, Leo, you are a fighter, come back to me," she sobbed repeatedly. The mansion's loyal private medic rushed into the room carrying a heavy emergency trauma kit. The medic quickly administered a micro-dose of a broad-spectrum antidote to counteract the unknown toxin. Agonizing minutes ticked by like hours as they waited for the medicine to take effect. The heavy silence in the room was only broken by Hunter's frantic, pleading whispers. Suddenly, Leo let out a weak, rattling cough and opened his dark eyes. The heart monitor beeped rapidly before settling into a fast but steady rhythm. Lorenzo collapsed into a nearby chair, burying his face in his hands as he wept openly for the first time. Hunter picked up the crying baby and held him tightly against her chest, rocking him gently. She had saved his life twice in less than twenty-four hours. Lorenzo walked over and wrapped his massive arms around both Hunter and his son. He pressed a desperate, lingering kiss against her forehead, completely overwhelmed by gratitude. "I owe you my entire world," Lorenzo whispered against her skin. Hunter smiled weakly, feeling a profound sense of belonging she had never experienced before. Suddenly, Hunter's vision began to blur, and the room violently spun around her. She handed the baby safely to Lorenzo just before her knees buckled completely. During her struggle with Tommy in the panic room, a poisoned blade had deeply scratched her arm. Hunter collapsed onto the marble floor, her body shutting down as the lethal toxin invaded her bloodstream.
