Chapter 2 – The Rookie's Doubt
Chicago Memorial Hospital exploded into organized chaos.
Doctors rushed Lucy directly into the operating suite while obstetricians fought to stabilize both mother and baby.
Mark stood outside the trauma room long after his captain ordered him back to the station.
Something refused to let him leave.
An older nurse approached him.
"Are you family?"
"No."
She smiled sadly.
"You carried her in like you were."
Before Mark could answer, voices echoed down the hallway.
Alex.
Valerie.
They were laughing.
Actually laughing.
Valerie wore a fresh blanket around her shoulders while Alex held a bottle of water for her.
"You saved my life," Valerie whispered.
"I wasn't going to lose you again."
The words stopped Mark cold.
Lose you again?
Alex finally noticed the rookie.
"How's the pregnant woman?"
Mark blinked.
"The pregnant woman?"
"Yeah... the one in the elevator."
Mark slowly opened his hand.
The platinum ring rested in his palm.
"Her name is Lucy."
Alex frowned.
"What?"
"Your wife."
Silence.
Mark watched every drop of color disappear from Alex's face.
He handed over the ring.
"She asked me to give you this."
Alex stared at it without touching it.
"What did she say?"
Mark repeated every word exactly.
"'Tell him my baby and I won't be waiting for him anymore.'"
Valerie reached for Alex's arm.
"She's emotional. She didn't mean—"
"Don't."
Mark's voice cut through the hallway.
"You didn't see what I saw."
May you like
He walked away before either of them could answer.
For the first time since joining the fire department, Mark questioned whether every hero deserved the uniform he wore.
