Chapter 5 - The Confrontation
Dr. Thorne’s surgical scrubs were splattered with rain. His grey hair was disheveled, and his eyes were wild with the frantic panic of a cornered predator.
"Stay where you are!" Thorne shouted, raising the heavy fire extinguisher like a weapon. "Nobody move!"
Officer Ramsey immediately drew his sidearm, aiming it directly at Thorne's chest. "Drop the weapon, Thorne! Get on the ground! The police are in the building!"
"Put the gun down, Ramsey!" Thorne sneered, tapping the electronic device strapped to his wrist. "Do you know what this is? This is a wireless detonator connected to the medical gas main in the basement! I trigger this signal, and the oxygen pressure lines on this entire floor will rupture!"
Celeste went rigid. "Thorne, you're insane! There are newborns here! You'll destroy the entire wing!"
"I spent twenty years building my reputation!" Thorne spat, stepping slowly toward the open nursery door. "I am not going to rot in a federal prison because a floor nurse couldn't mind her own damn business!"
He glared into the nursery, his eyes finding Vivian. "You ruined everything, Vivian! All you had to do was fill out the shift log and go home! Vance was going to pay off the hospital’s pediatric research debt! I was saving this unit!"
"You were selling children, Thorne," Vivian said coldly, stepping in front of the mothers and their babies, using her own body as a shield. "You weren't saving anything. You were a thief in a white coat."
Nora held Ruby tighter against her chest, stepping back behind Miles. Miles stood firm, grabbing an intravenous pole from the wall, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the stainless steel pipe.
"Give me the physical log binder, Vivian," Thorne demanded, taking another step forward. "Hand over the manual blood-type records and the local drive backup, or I trigger the valve."
"He's lying," Arthur Vance’s voice called out from the dark hallway behind Thorne.
Thorne turned his head slightly, caught off guard.
Arthur stepped out of the shadows near the consultation room, his face bruised, holding a heavy brass lamp he had ripped from a desk. "I worked with the hospital infrastructure team last year on the legal contracts, Thorne. The oxygen safety valves have mechanical pressure releases on every floor. A wireless signal can't trigger an explosion."
Thorne’s eyes widened as he realized his bluff had failed.
Before Thorne could react, Miles lunged forward with the IV pole, swinging it with all his strength. The heavy steel bar struck Thorne across the shoulder, sending the fire extinguisher clattering across the floor.
Officer Ramsey rushed in, tackling Thorne to the ground. The two men crashed onto the linoleum, wrestling in the dark red light until Ramsey managed to pin Thorne’s arms behind his back, snapping handcuffs tightly around his wrists.
Thorne cursed, his face pressed against the cold floor as heavy footsteps thundered up the stairwell.
A team of armed police officers and paramedics burst through the double doors, flashlights cutting through the darkness, illuminating the hallway.
"Area secure!" an officer yelled into his radio. "We need medical assistance on the third floor maternity ward! Get emergency power units up here immediately!"
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Nora sank back against the wall, holding Ruby close as the paramedics rushed past to assist the other babies. She looked up at Miles, who dropped the IV pole and collapsed beside her, pulling both her and Ruby into a fierce, tearful embrace.
Across the room, Vivian watched as the police led Thorne and Karen Vance away in restraints. She slowly lowered herself into a chair, letting out a long, shuddering breath.
