My fear became cold.
I ended the call only long enough to dial 911.
PART 3 — THE AMBULANCE
The first police cruiser arrived before the ambulance.
I stayed on the porch.
Charles came outside insisting this was a marital dispute.
Then the officer saw my knee.
He saw my wet clothing.
He heard me say Charles had grabbed my hair and shoved me.
Courtney stopped laughing.
Paramedics arrived and immediately focused on the pregnancy.
I was having contractions.
At the hospital, doctors confirmed that my membranes had ruptured.
My baby’s heart rate was reassuring, but because I was preterm, the
obstetric team explained the risks and began monitoring me closely.
A nurse photographed my visible injuries with my consent for the medical
record.
An officer took an initial statement when I was stable enough to speak.
I kept asking about my baby.
The doctor kept giving me the same answer.
“Right now, we monitor both of you.”
Samantha arrived carrying a laptop and a thick file.
She did not begin with the inheritance.
She sat beside my bed.
“Your mother would want me to say this first. The money can wait. You
and the baby come first.”
That was when I finally cried.
