
08/23/2025
Inside the ER waiting area, I cradled Olivia, my newborn, struggling to steady her bottle as she wailed. Pain from my C-section throbbed through me, and fatigue darkened my eyes. I softly whispered, "Shh, baby, Mommy's here," wishing she would quiet.
Opposite, a sharply-dressed man with a gold Rolex snapped at the nurse, his gesture dismissive. "Can we speed this up already? My time is worth more than this."
Calmly, the nurse responded, "Sir, we have to see the most urgent cases first."
He scoffed, waving toward me. "Urgent? Her? She looks like she can barely afford diapers. And that screaming kid—give me a break. WHAT, NOW HER BABY'S LIFE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN MINE?"
Murmurs passed quietly through the room, no one daring a direct glance. He leaned back, grinning. "This whole place is a joke. I pay the taxes, and people like her use the resources. Why wait for a single mom with a howling brat to waste everyone's time?"
Heat flooded my face. I hugged Olivia closer, longing for invisibility.
Then, the ER doors swung open. A doctor entered, scanning the room before heading straight to us.
The man with the Rolex appeared smug—until the doctor spoke.
At that instant, everything in the waiting room changed.⬇️