Chapter 6 - The Doctor’s Verdict “Is he going to be okay? Please tell me he’s waking up.”
“His temperature has stabilized, Mrs. Vance, but it’s too soon.”
“Too soon for what? What are you trying to hide from us?”
“There was prolonged heat exposure. We need to monitor his brain.”
“Brain damage? No, he was only in there for a little while!”
“According to the paramedics, core temp was dangerously high.”
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The medical jargon hung in the chilled air of the waiting room like a falling guillotine blade. Adrian felt his knees grow weak, forcing him to lean heavily against the pale green wall for support as the full magnitude of his mistake crashed down upon him. Helen let out a sharp, choked sob, her hands flying to her mouth to stifle the rising tide of grief. Dr. Harrison stepped closer, placing a sympathetic hand on Helen’s shoulder while keeping a guarded, professional distance from Adrian. The doctor explained that while Leo’s organs were currently functioning within acceptable limits, the next twenty-four hours would be critical in determining whether the severe hyperthermia had caused any lasting neurological deficits. Lily stirred from her makeshift bed on the chairs, rubbing her eyes sleepily as she looked around the room, sensing the heavy sorrow that had settled over the adults. Adrian closed his eyes, the memory of the silent, limp baby in the car seat flashing behind his eyelids with nauseating clarity. He had spent the last decade building a formidable reputation as a ruthless corporate negotiator, a man who always maintained absolute control over every situation. Yet, in his pursuit of professional dominance, he had lost control of the one thing that truly mattered. Helen slowly turned her head away from the doctor, fixing Adrian with a look of such profound disappointment and cold detachment that it hurt worse than any physical blow. She walked past him without a word, heading toward the pediatric intensive care unit to sit by her son’s bedside, effectively locking Adrian out of his own family's trauma.
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