Chapter 10

Chapter 10:

“Hadley!”

Her neighbor reached out and yanked her to safety.

“Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine.” Hadley dismissed his concern with a shake of her head, even as coughs wracked her body, spurred by the engulfing smoke.

“Let’s go, now!”

Clutching her arm, her neighbor pleaded,

“You can’t return inside!”

“But…”

“Consider your child! The smoke alone could kill you both! If you go back, it might cost both your lives. Escape now!”

Led almost forcibly by her neighbor, Hadley managed to flee from the blaze.

At that moment, the flames had already seared Hadley’s back, and she had failed to retrieve her savings. Powerless, she watched as her modest home was consumed by fire, crumbling to mere ashes. What was she to do next?

A sudden, intense pain struck her, causing Hadley to grasp her abdomen tightly.

“What’s the matter? Are you okay?” A crowd formed around Hadley.

“She’s having her baby!”

“Someone call for an ambulance! We need to get her to a hospital now!”

“Ah!”

“Stay strong!”

In haste, Hadley was transported to the hospital and positioned on a delivery table. She withstood a harrowing and dangerous labor for more than ten hours.

Eventually, she delivered her child.

A nurse tenderly placed the newborn in her arms, and tears welled up in Hadley’s eyes as she beamed with joy.

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Here was her child…

Her own family…

She wasn’t alone in the world any longer.

Then, overwhelmed by the exhaustion of the moment, she let her eyes fall shut and lost consciousness.

One afternoon, Hadley held her infant close, her gaze fixed silently downward.

A nurse, empathetic in her demeanor, was nearby, observing Hadley. She had come to discuss the outstanding hospital bills. Hadley had managed to pay a fraction, yet it was far from sufficient.

Silently, Hadley lowered her head, at a loss for words.

She felt utterly defeated, with nothing left to offer.

The nurse, moved by compassion and noting Hadley’s youth, assumed she had been abandoned by an uncaring partner.

“Isn’t there someone in your family, or perhaps friends, who could assist you? Call them,” the nurse gently suggested, and then moved away, careful not to press too firmly.

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