Chapter 4 - The Cold Ride
In the freezing parking garage, Jude didn’t ask questions. He opened the back door of a sleek, dark gray sedan.
Hadley climbed in, holding Mae tightly against her chest. There was no car seat, but she knew waiting for an ambulance would take too long. Mae’s chest was pulling inward violently, struggling for every single ounce of oxygen.
Jude started the engine. Then, to Hadley’s complete shock, he rolled down every single window in the luxury car.
The freezing, thirty-degree night air slammed into the cabin like a physical blow.
"What are you doing?!" Hadley cried out, wrapping her cheap coat completely around her baby.
"The nurse line," Jude said calmly, his hands gripping the steering wheel as he accelerated out of the garage. "I heard you call them in the elevator. Cold air shrinks the swollen airways in a croup attack. Keep her face near the window."
Hadley realized he had been listening to everything. She pressed Mae’s hot cheek against her neck, holding her near the rushing wind. "Breathe, baby. Just breathe."
Jude drove with intense, terrifying precision. He wasn't reckless, but he was incredibly fast, weaving through the empty holiday streets of Knoxville. The wind roared through the car, drowning out the sound of the engine.
Somewhere on the Henley Street Bridge, high over the black, freezing water of the river, the terrifying sound of Mae's wheezing began to change.
It softened. The sharp, seal-like bark turned into a normal, exhausted cough. The baby’s chest stopped pulling inward.
Hadley closed her eyes, tears of absolute relief pouring down her freezing face. "She's breathing... she's breathing normally."
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In the front seat, Jude didn’t say a word, but his white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel finally relaxed.
👉 What happens when they reach the emergency room, and what secret is Jude hiding?
