This is a fictional story. All names, places, and viruses are used fictitiously. Resemblances to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events, past or present, are intentional.
If you haven’t read from the beginning, please start at Chapter 1 here.
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Due Date: 70 days away
“Where’s my baby?” she said. “When do I get to see my baby?”
I let out my breath, hearing her voice. After all the ticking on the phone, I wasn’t sure I’d hear her voice again. If I wasn’t still so full of adrenaline from waiting and waiting and wondering and praying and then watching them remove her ventilator, I might have broken down right there in front of everyone. If I wasn’t so relieved, I might have been more uneasy about her question.
“I’m afraid I don’t have good news for you.” The doctor put down her clipboard and folded her arms across her chest. She turned to me.
“We’ve been trying to get a hold of you. We didn’t have your number.” She switched back to Liz. “And we wanted you to be stable.”
She softened her eyes, clearly struggling with what she was trying to say.
I felt my throat tighten. What had Liz told me? The last thing she said? “Keep our baby safe”? And her first question when she could form a sentence?
“I’m sorry,” the doctor said. “She’s so small. Her lungs were so delicate when we tested her.”
Liz didn’t let her finish. “What are you saying?”
“She’s positive.”
“Positive? What do you mean?” Liz had to confirm it. She had to hear it.
The doctor nodded.
“She has the virus.”
And I was one of the ones who didn’t think it would get that bad.
THE END
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If you’ve been reading along for the past two months or just binge read this over the past two days, thank you. I will most likely post some followup content plus a Bonus “Afterward” Chapter, only for those who subscribe. Please subscribe here to get the latest updates.
