Chapter 9 - The Corridor
The ambulance tore through red lights, the siren vibrating through the floorboards beneath my feet.
I sat rigidly in the front passenger seat, staring at my hands.
They were covered in dried sweat, dirt, and a faint smudge of gray basement dust from Leo's shirt.
The driver didn't speak to me. His face was set in grim concentration as he navigated the afternoon traffic.
We pulled into the trauma bay of Dell Children’s Medical Center seven minutes later.
The back doors opened, and the paramedics leaped out, wheeling the gurney into the building.
"Five-year-old male, severe asthma attack leading to cardiac arrest," the medic shouted to the waiting ER team.
"ROSC achieved in field after one round of epi. Intubated, unresponsive."
A team of doctors and nurses in blue scrubs absorbed the gurney, moving in a synchronized wave down the hallway.
I tried to follow them, but a gentle hand grabbed my shoulder.
"Ma'am, you need to stay in the waiting area," a hospital social worker said, her voice firm but kind.
"That's my son!" I yelled, pulling against her grip. "I have to be with him!"
"They need room to work," she explained, guiding me into a small, quiet family room off the main lobby.
The door closed, cutting off the noise of the emergency department.
The room was beige, lit by soft fluorescent lights, with two vinyl sofas and a box of tissues on the coffee table.
I stood in the center of the room, my arms hugging my waist, trembling violently.
I pulled my phone out of my pocket.
May you like
My hands shook so hard I could barely navigate the screen.
I dialed David's number.
