The infirmary doors burst open as Liam barreled through them, shouting for everyone to clear the way. He didn’t slow until Susan snapped at him to stop, to lower her carefully. Ruby barely registered any of it.
The lights were too bright. The room smelled sharp and sterile and wrong. Too many hands touched her, none of them Ethan’s, and she cried out as another contraction tore through her, stronger than the last, crushing the air from her lungs.
“Make...” Ruby sobbed, tears streaming freely now. “Make it stop, ple… please.”
“I will,” Susan said, her voice firm but urgent now. “Look at me, Luna. Don’t think, just breathe okay. Try to relax.”
But Ruby couldn’t. Her chest felt locked, as though something heavy sat on it. Every breath came short and panicked, her body convinced it was dro
