Chapter 10 - The Transfer
The doctor arrived within minutes.
Noah’s heart rate had changed during the hold.
Not dangerously.
Not yet.
But enough to make everyone cautious.
Claire sat completely still while the physician listened to Noah’s chest.
Ben stood beside her.
“Do I need to put him back?”
The doctor nodded.
“For now.”
Claire’s face fell.
The nurse gently lifted Noah and returned him to the incubator.
Claire immediately felt empty.
She hated how quickly that feeling came.
For thirty minutes, the medical team watched his numbers.
Then the doctor spoke.
“We’re going to run a few more tests.”
Claire’s stomach twisted.
“What are you looking for?”
“Several possibilities.”
“Could it be his heart?”
“We want to rule things out.”
Ben asked.
“Is he in danger?”
“Not at this moment.”
Claire stared.
“At this moment.”
The doctor nodded.
“I know that phrase is difficult to hear.”
“It’s impossible to hear.”
“I understand.”
“No.”
Claire’s voice sharpened.
“You understand medically.”
“I understand emotionally too.”
She looked at him.
The doctor’s expression softened.
“My daughter spent nine weeks in a NICU.”
Claire froze.
The doctor continued.
“She’s seventeen now.”
Claire’s eyes filled.
“You never told us.”
“You needed your son’s doctor.”
“Not someone else’s story.”
“But I do understand the clock.”
“The alarms.”
“The fear of getting good news because you’re afraid it will be taken away.”
Claire looked toward Noah.
“How did you survive it?”
“One hour at a time.”
The answer stayed with her.
That evening, the test results showed no major structural problem.
The change had likely been related to fatigue.
Noah needed rest.
Claire should have been relieved.
Instead she cried in the restroom for ten minutes.
Evelyn found her.
“I thought good news would feel better.”
“It will.”
“When?”
“When you believe it can stay.”
Claire leaned against the wall.
“I don’t trust anything anymore.”
Evelyn touched her face.
“Then trust the next hour.”
Claire looked at her.
“The doctor said the same thing.”
“Smart man.”
Outside, Ben was speaking on the phone.
Claire emerged.
He ended the call.
“Everything okay?”
He hesitated.
“Denver.”
Claire’s body tensed.
“What about it?”
“They need an answer.”
“When?”
“Tomorrow.”
Claire stared.
“You’re serious?”
“I told them I need more time.”
“They said the position can’t stay open.”
Claire crossed her arms.
“So what are you going to do?”
“I don’t know.”
“You said you were going to turn it down.”
“Before we talked about the money.”
Claire looked away.
Ben continued.
“It would solve a lot.”
“Nothing solves everything.”
“I know.”
“Would you have to start immediately?”
“Three weeks.”
Claire laughed in disbelief.
“Noah may still be here.”
“I know.”
“So you’d leave?”
“No.”
“Then why are we talking about it?”
“Because if I accept, I can ask for a delayed start.”
“And if they say no?”
“I turn it down.”
Claire studied him.
“You would?”
“Yes.”
“Without blaming me later?”
Ben flinched.
“That’s fair.”
“Answer.”
“Yes.”
Claire nodded slowly.
Evelyn watched from a distance.
Sophie sat nearby drawing another picture.
This one had a house.
Four windows.
A tree.
No hospital.
Ben noticed.
“What’s that?”
“Our house.”
He crouched.
“Looks nice.”
“It has Noah’s room.”
“Where?”
Sophie pointed.
“Next to mine.”
Ben smiled.
“What if we lived somewhere else?”
Sophie looked up immediately.
“Denver?”
Claire closed her eyes.
Ben sat beside her.
“Maybe.”
Sophie frowned.
“Is Noah going?”
“If we ever moved, yes.”
“Grandma?”
Ben looked at Evelyn.
“That would be up to Grandma.”
Sophie shook her head.
“Then no.”
Claire sat beside her.
“Sweetheart, sometimes families have to make hard choices.”
“Then choose Grandma.”
Evelyn’s eyes filled.
Ben laughed softly.
“That’s a strong argument.”
Sophie looked at him.
“You promised to stay.”
Ben’s smile disappeared.
“I did.”
“If you move us away from Grandma, you’re making her not stay.”
The adults were silent.
Sophie returned to her drawing.
Ben stood.
“I’m turning it down.”
Claire looked up.
“Ben.”
“She’s right.”
“About Grandma?”
“About the promise.”
He stared at the NICU.
“I spent years thinking the next job would fix money.”
“The next move would fix stress.”
“The next raise would fix fear.”
“I’m done moving problems around and calling it progress.”
Claire’s eyes filled.
“What about the mortgage?”
“We figure it out.”
“What if we can’t?”
“Then we sell the house.”
Sophie gasped.
“No.”
Ben smiled.
“Or we don’t.”
Claire shook her head.
“You make everything sound simple.”
“No.”
“I’m finally admitting it isn’t.”
He called Denver.
He turned down the offer.
Two hours later, the doctor came out.
Noah was resting.
His numbers were steady.
And if progress continued, they would reduce his breathing support the next morning.
Sophie raised both arms.
“Improving.”
Everyone laughed.
Then Claire’s phone rang.
Unknown number.
She answered.
“Hello?”
A woman spoke.
“Is this Claire Carter?”
“Yes.”
“This is Laura from Carter Financial.”
Claire frowned.
“Who?”
“Your mortgage servicer.”
Ben looked at her.
Claire’s face changed.
The woman continued.
“I’m calling regarding the missed payments on your home.”
Claire stared at Ben.
“How many?”
The answer came.
“Three.”
Claire lowered the phone.
May you like
Ben went pale.
And suddenly, Denver was no longer the only decision waiting for them.
