Chapter 5
When Elena lost consciousness, the room stopped belonging to Preston.
Laura called the obstetric emergency.
An anesthesiologist arrived first.
Then the attending surgeon.
Then a neonatal team.
They moved with disciplined speed, covering Elena completely with sterile drapes and transferring her toward emergency surgery.
Preston tried to follow.
The attending surgeon blocked him.
“You are the spouse. Wait outside.”
“I am an obstetric surgeon.”
“You are compromised.”
“My wife is crashing.”
“She was crashing while you delayed intervention.”
Preston went silent.
Khloe stood against the wall, her theatrical tears gone.
She looked toward the door.
Laura noticed.
“Do not leave.”
Khloe froze.
The attending reviewed the monitor history while walking.
“Why was surgery not activated earlier?”
No one answered immediately.
Then Laura said, “Dr. Pierce refused.”
Preston’s face hardened.
“I made a clinical judgment.”
Elena’s broken rail still lay angled beside the bed.
The room looked like the aftermath of violence without anyone having struck her.
Laura removed her gloves and placed them into evidence containment with the medication log.
“What are you doing?” Preston demanded.
“Preserving the timeline.”
Khloe’s breathing became shallow.
May you like
Preston looked from the monitor record to the ceiling camera.
Only then did he remember everything had been captured.
