Chapter 91: The Precarious Beginning
After the commotion on the rooftop, the NICU hallway was eerily quiet, Isaac's body moved on raw, instinctual impulses, his steps heavy and confused like those of a guy who had just barely avoided a firing squad, He was led to a corner incubator by a compassionate nurse,
"She is preterm, but she is stable, "Just a second, Mr, Blackwell," the nurse whispered,
With his heart thumping erratically with awe and terror, Isaac dashes into the NICU, The sight of his child briefly overcame the overwhelming sense of horror, Through the incubator's glass, he can see his newborn daughter in a world of plastic, light, and beeping machinery,
She breathed with the aid of monitors that recorded each vital, delicate breath, and she was so small, pink, and incredibly delicate,
"That's her, With a choking sob in his voice, Isaac murmured, "That's my little girl, " His strong physique trembled as he put his fingers against the clear, cool glass, "She's really little, Like her mother, she is already fighting for her life,
"Sir, she's a Blackwell, With a soft smile, the nurse said, "They are always fighters, "
Isaac was struck deeply and viscerally by his daughter's frail life, and he stood transfixed by the delicate curve of her fingers, A little tube next to the baby's nose was adjusted by the nurse,
"She is now quiet, The nurse says gently, "If you feel up to it, she needs skin, to, skin contact, "
"Me? With the sight of Evelyn's pallid face haunting him, Isaac looked down at his motionless, bloodstained hands and confessed, "I, I've never done this, " "I feel really awkward, I could shatter her,
"She won't be broken by you, "You're her dad," the nurse urged, her eyes glowing with support, "She must sense your safety and warmth, It's crucial for fostering bonds,
Isaac pauses, struggling with the enormous anxiety of his own unbridled power and the abrupt, crushing weight of paternity, "Will it, will it hurt her?"
Her response was, "It will only help her thrive," as she reached into the incubator, "This is it, Sit down, She placed her carefully on Isaac's bare chest, wrapped the infant in a cozy blanket, and held the frail infant in his arms, The strong, unyielding Isaac shattered the once the tiny, warm body touched his skin,
The man who had just planned a lethal confrontation was demolished by the stark, overwhelming truth of the tiny life that lay against his heart, The impossible sweet, milky smell of his child overcame the hospital's smell, the anguish, and the violence, She made a small, rooting motion on his shirt, stirring a little,
Isaac's eyes well up with tears, the first sincere ones he had shed since he was a young child, Along the deep scratches Vivienne had made on his face, they blazed hot trails,
"Aurora, His voice caught in his throat as he murmured, "Your name is Aurora, " "You’re safe now, little warrior, "
"She also needs your voice, "It's soothing," the nurse said,
The icy steel of Isaac's resolve finally melted as he closed his eyes and held the infant near to his heart, He made a secret, sacred vow while overcome with emotion as he held his daughter for the first time, "I promise never to allow anyone to harm you, Never, To get you here, your mother battled the devil herself, And I'll make sure you're protected for the rest of my life, " When he opened his eyes and saw the tiny face, the flawless representation of Evelyn, he knew that the war was at last, unquestionably over,
In the meantime, the Intensive Care Unit painfully revealed the true cost of their freedom, In the intensive care unit, Evelyn is still unconscious, with tubes extending from her pallid body and the intense lights mercilessly glaring at her face, Her body had experienced a near, fatal degree of shock and stress, but the significant internal bleeding from the bullet wound had been stopped,
Sitting next to her, Dr, Chen went over the unending data that was running over the displays at her bedside, Machines beep steadily, her frail life marked by an unyielding, artificial heartbeat,
"Is there any change, Doctor?" After finishing his testimonies to the police, Marcus requested softly from the doorway,
Dr, Chen's expression was solemn as she said, "The blood pressure is stable, but she hasn't responded to any stimuli," "Her system is shut down due to the severe blood loss and the amount of trauma, " Although we spared her life, she is now responsible for her own recovery,
"Will she wake up, Doctor?" Marcus asked, the inquiry laden with unsaid sorrow,
With a sigh, Dr, Chen combed through her hair, "It is uncertain to the physicians if she will awaken, All we can do is wait and keep an eye on her brain activity, Seeing her battle the shadow is frequently the most difficult part,
Isaac entered the quiet, chilly room after grudgingly returning Aurora to the incubator, In the face of her silence, he felt the tremendous force of his riches and influence fade away to nothing, A guy reduced to simple, desperate love, he was stripped bare,
Taking Evelyn's lifeless hand with care, he perched on the chair's edge, He raised it to his lips and kissed her injured knuckles, even though it was chilly,
"You are needed in Aurora, With unfathomable compassion, he whispered, "I need you, my dove, " "On that roof, you were amazing, You defied all evil by bringing her into this world,
He put his face against their clasped hands and lowered his head, "You stood up for us, He muttered, "You won the war," making a solemn vow to the motionless woman, In contrast to the high, tech medical reality all around her, he put a little, gold engagement ring back on her finger, "Now defend her, Evelyn, you must see her, She must be your mother,
Knowing that her survival was the final, most horrific cliffhanger of their existence together, he gazed up to face the serenity of her closed eyes,
The future of Evelyn's life is in jeopardy, Will Evelyn wake up to meet her daughter and start the protracted, precarious road to rehabilitation, or will the trauma be too severe?