Chapter 3: Silent S.O.S.
Chapter 3: Silent S.O.S.
The house was dead silent except for the rhythmic pounding of rain against the windowpanes.
Pain rippled through my body in relentless two-minute cycles. I knew the signs—this wasn't Braxton Hicks. My body was going into active, premature labor brought on by physical trauma and extreme stress.
I can't stay on this couch, I told myself, biting my lower lip until I tasted copper. If I lay here, my babies will die.
Using every ounce of strength in my arms, I slid off the sofa and onto the cold hardwood floor. Crawling felt like dragging lead weights. Inches felt like miles. Tears tracked hot lines down my cheeks as I dragged myself toward the kitchen island.
I remembered that Daniel had installed a smart voice-assistant hub on the kitchen counter two months ago. It was connected to our home network and synced with his personal tablet.
"Call... call 911!" I rasped at the glowing screen on the counter, but my voice was too weak, drowned out by the thunder outside. The device's light ring didn't even pulse.
I choked back a sob, dragging myself up against the base of the kitchen cabinet. I reached my arm up, my fingers blindly feeling around the countertop until they brushed against the slick metal casing of the smart hub. I pulled it down. It hit the floor with a loud clatter.
I pressed my face against the speaker, my breathing ragged. "Emergency! Voice call Daniel!"
The device chimed. A soft blue light began to pulse.
Connecting to Daniel's Tablet...
Six thousand miles away, cruising over the Pacific Ocean, Daniel was sitting in business class, reviewing spreadsheets on his tablet using the plane's Wi-Fi. Suddenly, his screen flashed with an incoming home audio alert.
He answered immediately. "Sarah? Is everything okay?"
"Daniel..." I wept, clutching the speaker to my chest as another agonizing contraction tore through me. "Vanessa... she took my phone... she hit me... I'm locked in... the babies are coming..."
"What?!" Daniel's voice exploded with pure terror. "Sarah! What do you mean Vanessa hit you?!"
"She wanted the trust money... I'm in labor, Daniel! Thirty-four weeks! Please... call 911... I can't open the door..."
"Hold on, sweetheart! Stay on the line! I'm overriding the smart lock from my flight portal right now!"
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Through the tablet interface, Daniel remotely disarmed our security system and unlocked the front door. At the same time, he patched a call through to our local emergency services, giving them our address and explaining that his pregnant wife was trapped in severe premature labor.
"Help is on the way, Sarah," Daniel cried into the microphone, his own voice cracking with emotion. "I'm landing in two hours. Just breathe, my love. Protect our babies. I'm coming home."
