Chapter 2 - The Miracle in Room 404Twenty-four hours later, the sterile walls of the VIP maternity ward at St. Jude Medical Center hummed with quiet efficiency. Dr. Eleanor Vance—no relation to the rescue worker—stood over the hospital bed, staring at the chart in absolute amazement.
"It's a biological anomaly," Dr. Vance whispered to the attending nurse. "Extreme hypothermia induced a state of metabolic stasis. Her body shut down just enough to protect vital organ function and preserve the fetus. If she had stayed down there ten more minutes... well, it’s a miracle she’s breathing."
On the bed, the woman stirred. Her eyelids fluttered open, adjusting to the fluorescent lights. The immediate wave of phantom pain hit her abdomen, but she immediately pressed her hands to her stomach.
A soft, faint cry broke the silence of the room.
"Your baby is safe," Dr. Vance said gently, stepping forward with a warm smile. "A strong, healthy baby boy. Delivered via emergency C-section just hours after you were brought in. He's in the neonatal unit under observation, but he's going to be fine."
Tears streamed down the woman’s hollow cheeks. She closed her eyes, letting out a breath she felt like she had been holding for an eternity. My son. My little boy.
"Do you know your name?" the doctor asked softly, clicking her pen. "The police have been trying to identify you. A man reported his pregnant wife missing from a hiking trail yesterday afternoon. A Mr. Brandon Prescott."
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At the sound of that name, the temperature in the room seemed to drop by twenty degrees. The woman’s gaze hardened into pure obsidian. The sorrow vanished, replaced by an absolute, freezing resolve.
"My name," she whispered, her voice steady and chillingly calm, "is Victoria Prescott. And my husband is about to learn that you can't kill what refuses to die."
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