Chapter 2 - The Hospital Corridor
The elevator ride to the obstetric emergency floor felt like an eternity.
Marcus stood beside Khloe's stretcher, his hand wrapped firmly around hers. Her fingers were cold, trembling, but she squeezed back with surprising strength.
"I'm here," he repeated. "I'm not going anywhere."
Dr. Caldwell worked quickly, checking her vitals and monitoring the fetal heart rate on a portable ultrasound device.
"Mrs. Thorne, I need you to stay as calm as possible. Can you tell me what happened?"
Khloe's eyes flickered toward Marcus, then away.
"She pushed me," she whispered. "Isabella pushed me."
Marcus felt something inside him shatter.
He had suspected.
He had hoped he was wrong.
But hearing the words from Khloe's own lips confirmed everything.
Dr. Caldwell exchanged a glance with the lead nurse, then nodded.
"Okay. We're going to take excellent care of you and your baby."
The elevator doors opened onto a brightly lit corridor lined with private rooms.
Medical staff rushed toward them.
Within moments, Khloe was transferred into a specialized examination room, surrounded by monitors and equipment.
A nurse gently guided Marcus toward the door.
"Sir, we need to examine her. Please wait outside."
Marcus hesitated.
"I'm her husband."
"I understand. But we need space to work. I promise we'll update you as soon as we can."
Marcus looked at Khloe, whose eyes had already closed in exhaustion.
"I'll be right here," he said. "I'm not leaving."
The door closed.
Marcus leaned against the wall, his legs suddenly unable to support him.
He sank into a plastic chair and pressed his palms against his face.
The past hour replayed in his mind like a nightmare he couldn't escape.
The gala.
The toast.
The confrontation.
The fall.
And now—
His wife and unborn child were in a hospital room, fighting for their lives.
A nurse approached with a clipboard.
"Mr. Thorne?"
He looked up.
"We need some information for the admission forms."
He nodded numbly and answered her questions.
Full name.
Date of birth.
Medical history.
Emergency contacts.
All of it felt surreal.
All of it felt like someone else's life.
When the nurse walked away, Marcus pulled out his phone.
His hands were still trembling.
He called the first person he thought of.
"Marcus?" His mother's voice was concerned. "What's wrong?"
"Mom, something happened. Khloe's in the hospital. She fell. I think... I think the baby might be in danger."
Silence.
Then his mother's voice, steady and strong.
"I'll be there in twenty minutes."
Marcus ended the call and stared at the closed door.
Somewhere in his mind, he was already planning.
Already strategizing.
Already preparing for the war he knew was coming.
But in that moment—
He was just a husband.
A father-to-be.
May you like
A man terrified of losing everything that mattered.
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