Chapter 2 - CODE PINK
The maternity floor sealed in less than thirty seconds.
Every stairwell alarm activated. Elevators stopped. Security officers checked staff badges, patient rooms, storage closets, and service corridors.
Luke demanded to stay beside me.
Camille refused.
“You struck a child and attempted to interfere with a compromised infant band.”
“He is my son.”
“That does not authorize you to hit him.”
Luke looked toward me.
“Claire, tell them this is a misunderstanding.”
I could barely breathe through the pain.
“Tell me where June is.”
He said nothing.
Hospital security escorted him into the hallway.
A pediatric resident examined Eli. His cheek was swollen, but he had no fracture or concussion.
The other mother stood near the door gripping her empty bassinet.
“My name is Hannah Reed,” she said. “My daughter was born three hours ago.”
Her husband, Ben, had gone downstairs to meet Hannah’s mother. When he returned, the nursery claimed the baby was receiving a routine screening.
No screening had been ordered.
Hannah pointed toward the infant in my room.
“She has that mark behind her ear. I held her after delivery. I know her.”
Camille did not confirm identity from appearance.
“We will use records, bands, blood samples, and chain-of-custody procedures.”
“What about my baby?” I asked.
A contraction-like wave of pain crossed my abdomen.
“You need to remain in bed,” Camille said.
“I need my daughter.”
“I know.”
She scanned the opened ankle band again.
The tag displayed the number assigned to June Mercer, but its internal tamper log showed it had been removed from one infant and reset eleven minutes earlier.
Only certain staff terminals could reset it.
Camille checked the newborn’s other band.
The printed name read JUNE MERCER.
The plastic had been cut and resealed.
The baby in my bassinet had been deliberately relabeled.
Eli stood beside Camille.
“I saw Dad take one baby from the room with the blue fish picture.”
Hannah gripped the rail of the empty bassinet.
“That’s my room.”
“Then he brought another baby out of the little elevator.”
“What elevator?” Camille asked.
“The one behind the doors where nurses carry laundry.”
The service lift did not open to public corridors.
Luke knew the hospital layout because Mercer Neonatal Systems had installed security equipment throughout the building.
Camille called the command center.
“Search the service lift and every equipment staging room on floors three through seven.”
The infant beside me began crying.
My body responded instantly. Milk tightened painfully in my breasts even though I no longer knew whose child I was hearing.
Hannah moved toward the bassinet.
Security stopped her gently.
The baby cried harder.
Hannah covered her mouth.
Camille placed the bassinet where both of us could see it while preventing either mother from touching the compromised bands.
Ten minutes later, the overhead announcement changed.
“Possible infant located. Neonatal team to diagnostic room six.”
I tried to stand.
Pain tore through my incision.
Camille caught my shoulders.
“You will not help her by reopening your surgery.”
“Is it June?”
“We don’t know.”
A doctor entered carrying a sealed transport record.
They had found a newborn alone inside a dark phototherapy room on the fifth floor.
The baby wore Hannah Reed’s printed band.
But the electronic tag registered to no active patient.
Someone had deleted the assignment.
May you like
Luke had not merely exchanged two blankets.
He had tried to erase one infant from the hospital system.
