Chapter 9 - The Waking|
By five o'clock in the morning, the rain had finally stopped over Bell Haven.
Dominic sat in a leather armchair beside Mara’s bed in the ICU on the fourth floor of Saint Mercy's.
The room smelled of antiseptic and ozone. A heart monitor ticked in a steady, slow rhythm—beep... beep... beep.
Mara lay pale against the white sheets, an oxygen tube resting beneath her nose, her dark hair spread across the pillow.
Dominic held her right hand in both of his large palms. Her skin was cool, fragile, but her pulse was steady.
Her eyelashes fluttered.
Dominic sat up instantly, his chest tightening. "Mara?"
She opened her dark eyes slowly, squinting against the soft yellow lamp light. She looked around the room, confused, until her gaze settled on Dominic sitting beside her.
Instantly, her hand jerked inside his grip, her heart monitor spiking rapidly—beep-beep-beep-beep!
"My... my baby..." Mara gasped out, her voice raspy and dry. "Where is... my baby...?"
"Shh, Mara, don't move," Dominic begged softly, standing up and leaning over her, his hands gently holding her shoulders. "Our daughter is alive. She's in the NICU."
Mara froze, her dark eyes wide with utter shock and disbelief.
"She's... she's alive?" Mara wept, tears spilling over her pale cheeks.
"She's alive," Dominic confirmed, his own voice cracking with emotion. "She weighs three pounds. The doctors say she's strong, Mara. She has your heart."
Mara closed her eyes, letting out a long, ragged sob of pure relief.
May you like
Then, she looked back at Dominic, her expression turning into absolute, guarded ice.
"Get out," she whispered softly.
