Maya's POV
"Six minutes no pulse. Continue compressions." The doctor's voice is calm. Too calm.
My baby is dying. Chen is dying. And they're talking like it's just another procedure.
"Please," I beg. "Please save him."
"We're trying, Mrs. Black. We're doing everything we can."
Seven minutes. Eight minutes. Nine minutes.
"His brain," I whisper. "Even if he survives, nine minutes without oxygen
"Don't think about that now," Ethan says. But his voice shakes.
Then a beep. Faint. Barely there.
"I've got a pulse!" the nurse shouts. "Weak but present!"
"Administering oxygen. Get me an intubation kit. Now!"
They work frantically. Tube down Chen's throat. Machine breathing for him. Heart rate climbing slowly.
"He's back," the doctor says. "But he's not stable. The next forty-eight hours are critical."
"Can I touch him?"
"Briefly. Very briefly."
I reach through the incubator opening. Touch Chen's tiny hand. It's so small. So fragile.
