"I'm losing them both."
Dr. Chen's words hung in the air like a death sentence.
Marcus kept pumping. Chest compressions on me. Hard. Rhythmic. Desperate.
"Come on, Kade. Come on."
Across the room, Dr. Chen worked on Sera. Hands moving frantically. Trying to stem the bleeding while keeping her heart going.
The baby was crying. Weak little wails that cut through everything.
"Someone take the infant!" Dr. Chen shouted. "Get her warm. Safe. She can't help her parents if she's…"
A warrior scooped up our daughter. Wrapped her tighter. Moved to the corner.
My daughter.
I couldn't see her. Couldn't reach for her.
Couldn't do anything except float in the darkness while my body died.
But somewhere, distantly, I felt something.
The bond.
It was still there. Thin. Frayed. Barely a whisper
