Chapter 8 - Clean the House
General Vance didn't waste another second looking at the man on the floor. To him, Daniel was already a casualty of his own stupidity, no more significant than dirt beneath his boots.
He turned to the Navy Captain standing near the incubators. "Dr. Cole."
"Sir," the female surgeon replied promptly.
"Give me the status on my great-grandchildren."
Dr. Cole approached the monitors, examining the readouts with sharp, practiced eyes. "Noah was born at twenty-nine weeks, weighing two pounds four ounces. Chloe is at two pounds six. The primary concern is pulmonary surfactant deficiency and minor cardiac strain due to premature delivery. However, the Walter Reed Neonatal Specialist Transport is already parked on the helipad on the roof."
Dr. Martinez, the civilian hospital chief, blinked. "You’re transferring them?"
"Immediately," Dr. Cole said. "We have two ECMO-equipped neonatal transport pods and a dedicated pediatric team ready to fly them directly to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. They will have twenty-four-hour dedicated surgical coverage in private pressurized suites."
Tears finally welled up in my eyes, but this time they were tears of overwhelming relief. My babies weren't going to be left to the whims of hospital billing departments or Daniel’s spiteful financial maneuvers. They were safe.
"Audrey," Grandfather said gently, stepping toward me and wrapping one massive, protective arm around my shoulders. "You haven't slept in three days. Come. Let my aides handle this filth."
"Wait!" Rachel cried out from near the doors. "What about me? Daniel, how am I getting home? My Uber account is linked to your credit card!"
Daniel stared blankly at the floor, completely shattered, unable to utter a single syllable.
"Sergeant," General Vance commanded without looking back. "Escort these two civilians off the premises. If either of them attempts to contact my granddaughter or comes within one thousand yards of this medical wing, detain them under federal trespass statutes."
"Yes, General!"
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The MPs grabbed Daniel by his armpits, hauling him to his feet like a sack of wet laundry, and dragged him toward the exit while Rachel ran behind them, sobbing hysterically into her empty hands.
***
