“It’s a lie,” I said. “I’ve lived next to Mary for three years. She would die for that little girl.”

“That is not for us to determine,” Ms. Vance said.

She turned to the security guards.

“Bring the child out, please,” she said.

Ethan stepped closer to the guards, his jaw set.

“If you touch her, I will sue this hospital into bankruptcy,” Ethan said.

The hallway felt incredibly cold.

The continuous tone from Mary’s monitor suddenly stopped.

We all turned toward the glass window.

Dr. Rao was standing by the bed, her shoulders slumped.

She looked at the nurse beside her, who was checking a wristwatch.

Then Dr. Rao looked out at us through the glass.

She shook her head slowly.

Ethan’s hand fell from his side.

He stared at the closed curtain, his face completely blank.

“No,” I whispered.

The administrator, Ms. Vance, took a deep breath.

“I am sorry for your loss,” she said, her voice softer now. “But this makes the custody order immediate. The child has no living legal guardian.”

“She has me,” Ethan said, his voice cracking.