[Keifer's POV]
The world outside the ambulance window was a blur of distorted lights, but inside, the only sound was the haunting, rhythmic beep of a heart monitor that was skipping beats. I was holding Jay's hand so hard I feared I would break her bones, but she was cold. So cold.
"Increase the oxygen! Now!" I roared at the paramedics. My voice didn't sound like mine anymore. It was the sound of a machine breaking apart.
When we screeched to a halt at Peralta Hospital, the doors burst open. Ci N was already there, his face stripped of its usual brotherly smirk. He looked at Jay's pale face, then at the way I was clutching her, and his eyes turned dead serious.
"Trauma Room One! Get the fetal monitor! Move!" Ci N barked.
The Sterile Hell
They tried to push me out. They tried to tell me "policy" didn't allow me in the trauma bay. I didn't even speak; I just looked at the head of security, and he backed away. No one was taking me away from my Constant.
I stood in the corner, my tailored suit covered in Jay's blood and the dust from the marble floor. I watched as they hooked her up to a dozen wires. My eyes were fixed on the ultrasound screen—the screen that usually showed me my Powerhouse.
Ci N moved the wand over Jay's stomach. His hands, usually as steady as a surgeon's must be, were trembling just a fraction.
"Ci N," I rasped, my throat feeling like it was full of glass. "Analysis. Give me the data."
The Critical Alert
Ci N didn't look at me. He was staring at the monitor, his brow furrowed in deep, medical focus. The silence in the room was louder than the sirens had been.
Then, the sound started. The heartbeat. But it wasn't the strong, rhythmic drum of the "Powerhouse." It was slow. Faint. Thump... pause... thump...
"Keifer," Ci N's voice was tight. "Jay has internal hemorrhaging from the impact. Her system is redirecting all resources to her own heart to keep her alive. She's stable for now, but she's in deep shock."
"And the baby?" I stepped forward, my shadow looming over the bed. "The Legacy. The software. Tell me."
Ci N looked at me then, and for the first time in our lives, he looked afraid to speak to me.
"The fetal heart rate is dropping, Keif. The placenta has partially detached from the impact. The baby is in extreme distress. Both of them are in critical condition."
The Falling Empire
I felt a coldness wash over me that I had never known. I've survived board takeovers, assassination attempts, and market crashes—but this? This was the only thing I couldn't buy my way out of.
I walked over to the head of Jay's bed and leaned down, whispering into her ear while the doctors swarmed around her.
"Jay," I whispered, my voice a jagged edge. "Wiefy, listen to my frequency. You are the Empress. You don't fail. You fight for that baby. You fight for us. If you leave me, there is nothing left to rule. 100%, Jay. Fight."
I looked up at Ci N, my blue eyes glowing with a terrifying, desperate light. "Save them both, Ci N. If you have to burn this entire hospital to the ground to find a way, do it. Use every resource. But do not tell me the system is failing."
Ci N nodded, his jaw set. "We're going into emergency surgery to stop her bleeding and stabilize the womb. Stay outside, Keifer. Pray to whatever god you believe in."
The Predator in the Hallway
They wheeled her away, the red doors swinging shut behind them. I was left standing in the white hallway, alone. My hands were stained red. My heart was a shattered engine.
I pulled out my phone. My thumb hovered over the contact for my lead security detail.
"Find Bridget," I said, my voice so low it was a ghost of a sound. "Bring her to the sub-basement of the estate. Do not let her speak. Do not let her sleep. I am coming for her once I know my wife is alive."
I slumped against the wall, sliding down until I hit the floor, my head in my hands. The CEO of the Watson Empire was gone. There was only a broken Hubby, waiting for a signal in the wifey.