Sandra had barely caught her breath after the delivery when two nurses suddenly stiffened, exchanging sharp glances toward Jake. One murmured something to the doctor, and within seconds, he turned to Jake with a forced calm. “Sir, we need you to step outside for a moment.” Jake froze, bewildered.
Sandra watched in disbelief as Jake tried to ask why, but the doctor’s tone hardened. “Now, please.” The urgency felt out of place, almost wrong. Jake hesitated only a second before backing toward the door, his face unreadable. When it closed behind him, the room’s entire energy shifted.
The nurses immediately rechecked Sandra’s wristband, then the baby’s, moving strangely close to her as if forming a barrier. Their voices dropped to hushed whispers, eyes flicking repeatedly to the door Jake had just exited. Sandra felt her throat tighten. Something wasn’t right, and no one was telling her what was happening.