Chapter 2: The Paralytic
The emergency department exploded with movement.
Paramedics rushed Sarah's gurney through the automatic doors while Caleb ran beside them until two nurses stopped him at the restricted area.
"Thirty-six weeks pregnant!" one paramedic called out. "Weak pulse, profound bradycardia. She appears comatose, but she's responding to painful stimuli."
The medical team disappeared into the trauma room.
Caleb paced the waiting area, dragging a hand through his disheveled hair.
None of it made sense.
How could someone pronounce a living woman dead?
How could a physician sign a death certificate without realizing she was still breathing?
The elevator doors opened.
Dr. Vance—the family's longtime private physician—hurried down the hallway. His suit was wrinkled, sweat covered his forehead, and the moment he spotted Caleb, his face turned pale.
"Caleb..." he said nervously. "Eleanor called me. I came as fast as I could. This... this shouldn't be possible. I examined Sarah yesterday morning. There were no signs of life."
Caleb stopped pacing.
He stepped so close their faces were only inches apart.
Only then did he notice the doctor's trembling hands.
"You examined her?" Caleb asked quietly.
His calm voice was far more frightening than shouting.
"Did you order a toxicology screen? Did you perform any real tests? Or did you simply declare her dead and have her sealed inside a coffin?"
Before Dr. Vance could answer, the operating room doors burst open.
A surgeon in blue scrubs strode into the hallway.
"We have to perform an emergency C-section immediately," he said. "The baby's still alive, but the mother's bloodstream contains a synthetic paralytic."
The hallway fell silent.
"The drug mimics death by slowing every vital function to nearly undetectable levels. If we don't administer the antidote immediately, her heart won't recover."
Caleb slowly turned toward Dr. Vance.
May you like
The doctor's face drained of every trace of color.
He instinctively took a step backward.
