Chapter 4
The distant wail of approaching sirens sliced through the quiet afternoon air of the upscale suburban neighborhood, growing louder with every passing second. Inside the bright modern home, the red and blue flashing lights began to paint jagged, frantic patterns across the pristine white drywall of the foyer. Leo released a long, shaky breath, keeping his phone pressed tightly to his ear as the dispatcher confirmed that paramedics were less than a minute away from the front door. He knelt beside the sofa, his gaze fixed on Claire’s pale face, praying silently for any sign of awakening.
Eleanor, however, showed no visible reaction to the approaching emergency vehicles. The sound of sirens, which would normally induce panic or at least mild concern in any ordinary person, only caused her to narrow her eyes in irritation. She smoothed the fabric of her light beige dress once more and stepped away from the coffee table, deliberately walking toward the large floor-to-ceiling windows to peer outside. Her posture remained rigid, her short brown hair impeccably styled, as if she were simply waiting for a delivery driver rather than emergency medical personnel.
"The ambulance is pulling up outside now, sir. Unlatch the front door and make sure the paramedics have a clear path to the patient," the dispatcher instructed clearly.
"I'm on it," Leo muttered. He carefully shifted the newborn baby into a secure hold against his shoulder, whispering soothingly to the infant, who whimpered softly in response. Rising quickly to his feet, Leo hurried across the polished hardwood floor, bypassing the dining table where Eleanor’s half-eaten apple still sat on the porcelain plate. He threw the heavy oak front door wide open just as two uniformed paramedics rushed up the porch steps, carrying a heavy trauma kit and a portable monitor.
"In here! Hurry!" Leo urged, stepping back to let them pass into the sunlit living room.
The lead paramedic, a weathered man with sharp, observant eyes, scanned the room instantly. His gaze shifted from Leo, to the baby in the blue blanket, and finally to Claire, who still lay motionless on the sofa. Without wasting a single moment, the medical team moved with practiced efficiency, dropping their heavy cases beside the coffee table and immediately checking Claire’s vital signs. One paramedic attached a pulse oximeter to her finger while the other applied a blood pressure cuff, their movements swift and professional.
"What's her history? Any preexisting conditions? Medication?" the lead paramedic asked sharply, looking directly at Leo.
May you like
Before Leo could answer, Eleanor interjected smoothly from the background, stepping gracefully into the periphery of the conversation. "She’s just suffering from postpartum fatigue combined with a lack of mental fortitude," Eleanor stated, her tone dripping with unwarranted authority. "She refused to eat properly and spent all morning lying around instead of fulfilling her daily responsibilities."
Leo gripped the edge of the nearest chair, his knuckles turning white. "Don't listen to her!" Leo shouted, his voice cracking with righteous indignation. "She hasn't eaten a proper meal in days because this woman—my mother-in-law—locked her out of the pantry and forced her to cook elaborate meals for hours while she was recovering from childbirth. She collapsed from sheer exhaustion and malnutrition!"
