Chapter 3 - The Woman Holding the Wrong Bouquet
Madison Vale had never liked hospitals.
The antiseptic smell bothered her.
The fluorescent lighting made everyone look tired.
And unlike the country club, nobody seemed particularly impressed by her expensive clothes.
She adjusted the sleeve of her ivory designer coat as Mark stood at the nurses' station.
"Mark," she whispered, "this is getting embarrassing."
He barely heard her.
His eyes remained fixed on Lauren.
"What exactly did Emily arrange?"
Lauren kept her voice professional.
"Mr. Carter, I can't discuss private decisions on behalf of your wife."
"I'm her husband."
"And she is our patient."
Madison stepped forward.
"Surely there's been some misunderstanding."
Lauren looked at her.
"And you are?"
"Madison Vale."
She smiled.
"I'm a close family friend."
Lauren's eyes moved to the bouquet in Mark's hand.
Then back to Madison.
"Are you listed as an approved visitor?"
Madison blinked.
"I don't think that should matter."
"It does here."
Mark exhaled sharply.
"Could you please just tell me where my wife is?"
Lauren checked the chart.
"Your wife has asked that visits be arranged through her designated support person."
"Who?"
"Rebecca Sullivan."
Mark nearly laughed.
"Her sister?"
"Yes."
"Rebecca doesn't make decisions about my marriage."
"No," Lauren answered calmly.
"She doesn't."
The simplicity of the answer silenced him.
Madison touched Mark's arm.
"Maybe Emily needs a little time to calm down."
Lauren looked at Madison's hand.
Then at Mark.
"Your wife has just undergone major surgery following a life-threatening emergency."
Madison withdrew her hand.
"I wasn't suggesting otherwise."
"Then I suggest you respect her need for recovery."
Mark's face hardened.
"Where are the babies?"
"They're receiving care in the NICU."
"Can I see them?"
Lauren explained that the NICU team would need to verify his identity and review the visitation arrangements.
Mark frowned.
"What arrangements?"
"The ones established for your daughters' care."
He gripped the bouquet tighter.
"Those are my children."
"Nobody has disputed that."
Madison turned toward him.
"Maybe we should leave."
Mark stared at her.
"Leave?"
"This is obviously not the right time."
He looked down at the roses.
A ridiculous detail suddenly occurred to him.
He had bought white roses because the florist said they were elegant.
Emily hated white roses.
She preferred sunflowers.
Every summer, she planted them beside the back fence even though Mark complained that they looked messy against the landscaping.
He couldn't remember the last time he'd noticed them.
"Go wait in the car," he told Madison.
Her smile disappeared.
"Excuse me?"
"I said I'll call you."
"Mark, you promised we'd have dinner."
He turned toward her.
For four days, he had been living inside a strange illusion.
Emily was recovering.
The babies were receiving medical care.
His company was operating normally.
Madison was happy.
Everything could still be managed.
But now he stood in a hospital where his wife had given another person authority to speak for her.
Where strangers knew more about his newborn daughters than he did.
Where his familiar charm seemed useless.
"Go home, Madison."
Her expression became dangerously still.
"Don't do this."
"Not here."
She leaned closer.
"You said she would understand."
Mark looked at her.
"Understand what?"
Madison glanced toward Lauren.
Then lowered her voice.
"That we've always mattered to each other."
Mark stepped away.
"Please leave."
For a moment, Madison seemed ready to argue.
Then she turned and walked toward the elevators, her heels striking the floor with clipped, furious sounds.
Mark watched until the elevator doors closed.
He turned back.
"Lauren."
"Yes?"
"Can you tell Rebecca I'm here?"
"I can let her know you've asked to speak with her."
"Thank you."
He hesitated.
"And please tell Emily I brought flowers."
Lauren looked at the bouquet.
"Would you like us to pass them along?"
Mark nodded.
"Yes."
She accepted them without comment.
Twenty minutes later, on another floor, Rebecca entered Emily's room carrying the roses.
Emily was sitting upright for the first time.
Her face was pale, and every movement looked painful.
Rebecca placed the bouquet near the window.
"Mark came back."
Emily looked at the flowers.
"White roses."
Rebecca nodded.
"He wants to see you."
Emily said nothing.
"Madison was with him."
Her fingers stopped moving against the blanket.
"Madison?"
"She came to the hospital with him."
Emily stared at the bouquet.
Four days.
Four days since her daughters had been pulled from her body while doctors struggled to keep her alive.
Four days of watching tiny monitors above their incubators.
Four days of pain medication, blood tests, exhausted nurses, and fear.
And Mark had finally arrived.
With Madison.
Emily let out a small, stunned laugh.
Rebecca's expression softened.
"Oh, Em."
"No."
Emily shook her head.
"It's almost funny."
She looked toward the window.
"He still doesn't understand."
Rebecca moved closer.
"Do you want me to tell him to leave?"
Emily considered the question.
"No."
Rebecca blinked.
"You want to see him?"
"Not yet."
"Then what?"
Emily reached toward the bedside drawer.
"Get me the envelope Lauren left."
Rebecca handed it to her.
Emily looked through the telephone records.
At 2:17 PM, she had signed the consent form.
At 2:19, another call had been placed.
At 2:21, the hospital sent an emergency message.
At 2:24, the system recorded another unsuccessful attempt.
Emily touched the timestamps.
At those exact moments, she'd been begging for someone to save her daughters.
And Mark had been cutting a cake.
She set down the pages.
"Tell him he can have the flowers back."
Rebecca nodded slowly.
"Anything else?"
Emily looked at the three names written on her notepad.
"Yes."
She inhaled carefully.
"Tell him that if he wants to become a father, he'll have to start by learning what happened to his children while he was gone."
Rebecca reached for the door.
Then Emily added something that made her sister stop.
"And Becca?"
May you like
"Yeah?"
"Tomorrow, I want to speak to a lawyer."
