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“Eternity, let’s turn you to your other side.”
“Again?” Mama asked.
Daddy stared at the screen when lines started to spike, and so did the doctor. She turned toward one of the nurses quickly.
“Call the OR.”
Everything inside me dropped with the doctor’s words.
“What?” Mama asked.
“What did you just say?” Daddy asked right behind her.
The doctor turned to them.
“Your baby’s heart rate is not recovering the way I want it to. We need to do an emergency C-section.”
Mama started shaking her head.
“No. No, I don’t want—”
“Eternity,” Daddy said.
“I’m supposed to have him. I’m supposed to push him out. I don’t want them cutting me open, Malik.”
Mama was crying too hard to focus.
“Eternity, look at me.”
She finally did.
“If they are saying they gotta get him out, we letting them get him out.”
“But—”
“We ain’t taking no chances with you or him.”
“I don’t want anything to happen to my baby.”
Daddy brought her hand against his chest.
“Neither do I.”
The room started moving around us. Someone was explaining paperwork. Another nurse was preparing for Mama to be moved. Someone else disconnected equipment from the wall while keeping the monitors attached. Mama looked overwhelmed by all of it. Then a nurse told us that everybody except Daddy needed to leave. Tahari took my hand again as we started toward the door, but I stopped beside Daddy. He looked up at me, and for a second, all I could see was the worry in his eyes.
“Daddy…”
My voice almost broke before I got the words out. I crouched down to be at level with him.
“Bring my mama and my brother back.”
Daddy stared at me and then reached to cup the side of my face. His thumb moved across my cheek, wiping away a tear I hadn’t realized had fallen.
“I got you, baby.”
I nodded and stood. MJ said he loved Mama and Daddy, then headed toward the door. Tahari had followed behind him. I looked back one more time before walking out of the room myself. Daddy had already turned toward Mama. I could see that his hand was nervously shaking.
Chapter 20
