The scent of antiseptic filled Valentina’s nose as she stepped into the labor room, the bright overhead lights almost too harsh for her sleep-deprived eyes. But none of that mattered because Elizabeth was on the hospital bed, sweaty, breathless, and looking seconds away from either bursting into tears or launching herself at the doctor.
"Took you long enough," Elizabeth gritted out between heavy breaths. "I could’ve died."
She barely had time to process the dramatic accusation before the nurses pushed her toward the bed. Elizabeth grabbed her hand without hesitation, and the next thing she knew, her fingers were being crushed in an iron grip.
"You—holy s**t, Elizabeth!" she yelped, trying to pry her hand free, but the woman was too far gone. "I need my fingers, you know!"
"Shut up plea
