Briony froze for a moment, then said quickly, "I''ll call Dr. rke and have the driver take you to the hospital."
"Okay."
"Don''t forget your hospital bag. I''ll head straight there and meet you."
"Alright, we will!"
After hanging up, Briony swung her car around and sped toward rke Hospital.
Rain was pouring down, and traffic snarled at every intersection. As soon as she finished calling Cedric rke, Briony, still uneasy, dialed Marlene.
Marlene picked up almost immediately, saying they were already on their way to the hospital.
In the background, Briony could hear Mary''s cries of pain.
"Put me on speaker," Briony urged, trying to soothe Mary as she navigated the slick city streets.
By the time Briony reached the hospital, she parked in a rush and hurried straight to maternity.
Mary had already been wheeled into the delivery room. Cedric rke stood just outside, his face taut with worry. Marlene was nearby, a few flecks of blood still staining her sleeve.
"How is she?" Briony asked, breathless.
Cedric''s expression was grave. "She''s had some bleeding. Director Charles is in there with her now, checking everything over. We don''t know any more yet."
"She''s full term," Briony said, steadying her breathing as she looked at Cedric. "All the checkups have been fine. She should be okay, right?"
Cedric shook his head, about to reply, when the delivery room door swung open. A nurse stepped out. "It was a rapid delivery with a second-degree tear, but you got her here just in time. It''s a girl-six pounds, three ounces. The baby swallowed some fluid, so she''s been taken to the neonatal unit for observation. The mom''s being stitched up-if she''s stable after two hours, we''ll move her to her room."
Briony and Marlene both let out a sigh of relief.
Two hourster, Mary was moved from recovery to a private VIP suite Briony had arranged.
She woke not long after arriving in her room. As soon as she opened her eyes and saw Briony, she managed a faint smile. "Briony."
"Congrattions, Mary. You have a beautiful little princess." Briony gently brushed a strand of hair from Mary''s pale face. "You did great. The baby swallowed a bit of fluid and needs a few days in the NICU, but don''t worry-Dr. rke already checked in. She''s doing well."
"No wonder I didn''t hear her cry..." Mary''s eyes grew misty. "Briony, I think I just saw Ferdinand Ellsworth."
Briony squeezed her hand. "Mary, you''re exhausted. Why don''t you try to sleep?" Mary shook her head, insistent. "I''m not tired. I want to talk to you."
Briony understood-Mary''s emotions, held back for so long, had finally overflowed with her daughter''s birth.
"Ferdinand always said he wanted a daughter," Mary whispered, tears sliding down her cheeks. "Briony, if he were still alive... do you think he''d be happy?"
Briony couldn''t bear to disappoint her, not at a moment like this.
"He''d be
little girer the moon. And your
inherited all your best
Roveret
qualities. Dr. rke took a
to see?"
Mary nodded eagerly, eyes shining through her tears. "Let me see her."
Briony pulled up the photo on her phone. "Look-she''s so fair, with those big, beautiful eyes. Six pounds, three ounces. Honestly, I think she''s even cuter than little Nina was when she was born..."
Mary winced, her expression twisting with pain. Suddenly her vision blurred.
Briony heard her cough and grew rmed. "Mary? Are you feeling alright?"
"No... just " Mary tried to speak, but a crushing tightness in her chest left her gasping for breath.
As if sensing something was wrong, Mary clutched Briony''s hand, desperate to say what she needed before it was toote.
"Briony... I—I want to name her Florrie. And... for her nickname, just Lori...'' "Mary? Don''t scare me, Mary?"
99
Realizing something was terribly wrong, Briony mmed her hand against the nurse call button-
Within seconds, nurses and doctors rushed in.
"Amniotic fluid embolism! We need to get her to emergency-now, move!"
Briony and Marlene stood frozen, stunned.
Amniotic fluid embolism-it was one of the most dangerousplications imaginable.
Mary was rushed into the emergency room.
Everything happened so fast.
Briony and Marlene waited outside, hands clutched together.
Cedric rke arrived, breathless. "What''s happening?"
Briony''s voice shook as she exined, "They said it''s an amniotic fluid embolism. She just went in."
Cedric fell silent, the air heavy with dread.
Not even ten minutes passed before the emergency room doors swung open.
Director Charles stepped out, his face ashen.
Briony''s heart plummeted.
Cedric approached him at once. "Director Charles...?"
"I''m so sorry. She suffered a sudden
amniotic
d embolism. We d
everything we could, but...
couldn''t save her."
Briony''s knees buckled, and Marlene reached out to keep her from falling.
Just moments ago, she''d been talking andughing with her friend. Now, she was
gone.