Chapter 9 - Resuscitation and Ruin
""Clear!""
The defibrillator fired a second time. Elena’s body arched, the monitor jumping briefly before collapsing back into a jagged, chaotic rhythm.
""We have a rhythm!"" the anesthesiologist called out. ""Sinus tachycardia, but it's faint! Administer one milligram of epinephrine now!""
Across the room, Dr. Chen was performing two-finger chest compressions on the tiny infant. The boy was impossibly small, his skin translucent under the bright overhead lights. Marcus stood paralyzed, torn between two souls slipping into the dark.
""Come on, little guy,"" Chen muttered under his breath, squeezing a miniature oxygen mask over the baby's nose and mouth. ""Breathe.""
One second. Two seconds. Five agonizing seconds.
Then, a weak, sputtering cough broke the silence, followed by a sharp, fragile cry that echoed against the stainless steel walls.
Marcus dropped to his knees, burying his face in his hands as a single sob tore through his throat. The baby was alive.
""He's stabilized for now, Marcus,"" Chen said, his voice thick with exhaustion. ""He needs the neonatal ICU immediately. And Elena... she’s hanging on by a thread. We’ve stopped the internal bleeding, but she needs an emergency transfusion and a medically induced coma.""
The heavy doors at the back of the suite suddenly gave way with a violent crash.
Arthur Vance stepped inside, flanked by two private security contractors wearing tactical earpieces. Arthur looked pristine in his bespoke charcoal suit, yet his eyes were wild, completely unhinged.
""What a touching family reunion,"" Arthur said softly, stepping over the scattered surgical instruments.
Marcus rose slowly from the floor, wiping the tears from his face, his posture hardening into stone.
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""You brought mercenaries into a hospital, Arthur,"" Marcus said, his voice terrifyingly quiet. ""You’ve officially lost your mind.""
""No, Marcus,"" Arthur replied, pulling a silenced pistol from inside his coat. ""I'm merely protecting what I built. And you are going to give me that mahogany box before I paint this room red.""
