Once they disappeared around the corner, the tension in my chest loosened slightly, and the pain in my incision returned with full force.

I gasped, my knees buckling.

General Vale caught my arm immediately, supporting my weight.

“Easy, Colonel,” he said, helping me lean against the wall. “We need to get you back to bed.”

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “The baby. I need to see her.”

The nursery door opened again, and a nurse in green scrubs stepped out, looking worriedly at us.

“Is everything all right?” she asked. “We heard the shouting.”

“We are fine,” Naomi said. “Is the baby safe?”

“Yes,” the nurse said, smiling softly. “She’s doing wonderful. She’s resting right now.”

“Can I see her?” I asked.

The nurse looked at my pale face and the way I was clinging to the IV pole.

“Just for a minute,” she said. “Then you need to get back to your room.”

She held the door open, and I limped inside, the warmth of the neonatal unit washing over me.

The room was filled with the soft hum of monitors and the gentle light of low lamps.