Mark quickly explained the situation, his words tumbling over each other as he begged our father to come back. “Dad, Kerry’s in a bad way. A tran- sfer would be too rough on her. Please, just come to this hospital. We’ll get everything ready for you.”
Our father doted on Kerry, especially during her pregnancy. The slightest discomfort and he’d have her admitted for observation. Mark was certain he would drop everything and come.
He was wrong.
“Mark, who put you up to this? Was it Olivia?” Dad’s voice was cold steel. “I can’t believe you’d side with them in bullying Penny like this. I just exa- mined Kerry this morning. Her vitals were perfect. There wasn’t the slightest indication of premature labor. Do you two feel no guilt, pulling a stunt like this just to ruin our trip?”
He berated Mark for another thirty seconds before hanging up.
Stunned, Mark frantically redialed, again and again.
The phone was off. So was Penny’s.
The ER doctor reappeared. “Have you made a decision? We’ve stabilized her for now, but we need to move.”
With Dad’s phone off, our only option was the more distant State University Hospital.
Mark was about to get in the ambulance with Kerry when a nurse rushed out. The baby was in distress and needed to be moved to the NICU im-
mediately. A parent had to stay.
His wife and newborn son both in critical condition, Mark looked like he was about to shatter.
“Mark,” I said, putting a hand on his arm. “I’ll go with Kerry. You stay here with the baby.”
His eyes reddened. He gripped my hand tightly. “Thank you, Liv. Please… just make sure she makes it.”
I nodded, my own throat tight.
Kerry was five years older than me. Our mother had died giving birth to me, leaving us to navigate the world without her. With Dad always busy at
work, we had only ever had each other. She was the most important person in my life.
Even so, seeing her on the gurney, ashen and unconscious, a fresh wave of tears streamed down my face.
The entire way, I talked to her, a constant stream of prayers and memories, begging her to hold on. A police escort cleared the way, turning an
hour–long drive into forty minutes.
When we arrived, Dr. Vance was still in surgery. He’d told me to go to the ward and have the head nurse admit Kerry so she could be prepped. He
would operate the second he was free.
But when we got to the maternity ward, a nurse blocked our path.
