on a Sunday morning Nancy Thompson emerged gracefully from her stately white Colonial home in Tampa's upscale Davis Island's neighborhood her emerald green maternity dress sparkled in the Florida sunlight despite being 8 months pregnant she moved with remarkable lightness as she headed to First Presbyterian Church of Tampa with her husband Robert good morning Nancy not long now how are the baby preparations coming along friends greeted her warmly in front of the church this was her first pregnancy in 7 years of marriage a precious life finally conceived after years of fertility treatments yes it still feels like a dream that our family will be growing soon Nancy smiled gently placing her hand on her belly beside her Robert beamed with pride as a senior manager at a real estate development company he had contributed to Tampa's economic growth and was a trusted figure in the church Community during Sunday service the pastor offered a special prayer as the congregation responded with warm amens to the words Lord please protect this new life Nancy's heart overflowed with gratitude though she maintained her cool judgment as an insurance risk analyst by profession at this moment she couldn't hold back her emotions after the service the couple enjoyed lunch at burn Stak house a list of birth preparations lay spread out on the table over the chef's special beef tenderloin Robert usually kept work talk to a minimum focusing instead on the upcoming birth the birth plan is perfect DrSullivan has given us her full approval that everything's progressing well I trust you completely you're going to be a wonderful mother Robert spoke softly Reaching Across the table to hold Nancy's hand his Gest brought tears to her eyes in the afternoon they enjoyed some final shopping at International Plaza at the baby store Robert carefully examined each stuffed animal seriously considering which would be the best how about this White Rabbit it could be the baby's first friend that evening Nancy sat alone in the bedroom looking through an album photos from hospital visits during fertility treatments flowers Robert had given her after each egg retrieval and the positive pregnancy test she'd waited so long for all had become Precious Memories in particular the photo from the day they confirmed their first pregnancy showed them both crying with joy the following weekend Nancy's Mother Elizabeth came to check on them the aroma of homemade apple pie filled the house Nancy your Nursery is absolutely lovely the clean white based space was accented with gentle pastel colors a mobile swayed gently in the breeze from the ceiling while handp painted animals smiled sweetly from the walls Robert took time off to help prepare everything he even painted the murals himself that boy will surely be a wonderful father I can feel your love for each other filling this room Elizabeth's words gave Nancy a profound sense of happiness with 3 weeks until her delivery at Tampa General Hospital preparations for welcoming their new life were steadily progressing at DUS Nancy stepped into her backyard the seab breeze from St Pete Beach gently caressed her cheeks the B and Vila in the garden was in full bloom its vibrant pink colors enhanced by the Setting Sun that night lying in bed Nancy said a silent prayer dear Lord please let this child grow up healthy and please let these happy days continue outside the window Florida's night Breeze seemed to softly bless the new life about to begin feeling the small life's movements within her Nancy drifted into peaceful sleep one April morning Nancy woke to sudden intense contractions the clock showed 3:15 a. m. through the bedroom window Tampa sky line was still dark she woke Robert who had been dozing by the bedside and grabbed her prepacked hospital bag are you all right should we head to the hospital yes I think so while tracking her contractions Nancy calmly assessed the situation perhaps due to her profession as a risk analyst she could make clear judgments even in emergencies the streets of Davis Islands were silent in the dead of night Robert's black Mercedes glided past the bgan Vila Hedges heading toward Tampa General Hospital on the way Nancy called her mother Elizabeth mom the contractions have started I'll be right there don't worry at the hospital DrSullivan was already waiting she had supported Nancy through 7 years of fertility treatments you've done well Nancy it looks like it's time to meet your baby the delivery room was a spacious private Suite specially prepared for the birth through the large Windows Tampa Bay was visible in the pre-dawn light a crucifix hung on the wall beneath which fresh White Lies were arranged contractions are 4 minutes apart cervical dilation is progressing normally Jane the Midwife explained the situation in professional terms her voice carrying the confidence of years of experience at 6:00 a.
m. Elizabeth arrived carrying a bundle of prayer cards from their church friends everyone at First Presbyterian is praying for you Nancy's eyes welled up at her mother's words though the contractions grew stronger the support around her helped ease the pain keep your breathing steady yes you're doing very well time passed as Nancy followed DrSullivan's instructions outside the window the sunrise began painting Tampa Bay in Golden Hues Nancy you'll be fine we're here with you Elizabeth held her daughter's hand offering words of encouragement Robert silently rubbed his wife's back his hands betraying slight tension after 900 a. m.
the contractions became more frequent Nancy it's time to move to the delivery room DrSullivan's voice brought Focus to the room the delivery room was a sterile space equipped with the latest Medical Technology soft lighting designed for relaxation illuminated the ceiling while monitors on the wall tracked the baby's heartbeat you'll meet your baby soon keep going Elizabeth had to wait outside the delivery room inside DrSullivan led a team of four medical staff who began moving efficiently take deep breaths I can see the baby's head despite the intense pain with each contraction Nancy remained fully conscious after 7 years of waiting even this pain felt precious one more push you can do it DrSullivan's voice rang out in that moment the baby's first cry filled the delivery room congratulations it's a healthy baby boy DrSullivan gently cleaned the baby and placed him on Nancy's chest the warmth of this tiny life enveloped her whole body in happiness Nancy gazed at her child through tears the baby as if already recognizing his mother's voice had stopped crying and showed a peaceful expression that's when it happened we need a DNA test a cold voice suddenly cut through the air Robert was staring at the baby with an icy gaze I need to confirm if this is definitely my child the atmosphere in the delivery room froze Nancy held her baby tightly while looking up at her husband her eyes reflected disbelief at this incomprehensible reality shining with overflowing tears what do you mean Nancy's voice trembled as she asked but Robert's expression remained cold Elizabeth who had been waiting outside the delivery room noticed something was wrong and came in when she grasped the situation her expression changed completely have you lost your mind are you trying to insult my daughter and grandchild Elizabeth's angry voice echoed through the room DrSullivan sensing the situation immediately gave instructions to her staff MrThompson we can discuss this matter later right now the mother and baby's rest is our priority Robert didn't respond however his expression showed no regret rather his eyes held a calculating look as if confirming a plan he was about to execute Nancy silently continued gazing at her baby who slept peacefully against her chest as if completely removed from the ugly events unfolding in this world Elizabeth sat beside Nancy holding her daughter's shoulders firmly it's okay I'm here with you 3 days after the birth DrSullivan sat in her office staring at the DNA test results in her 30 plus years as an obstetrician she had never encountered such a perplexing situation this is strange she frowned rechecking the test data displayed on her monitor the data showed clear abnormalities the threshold values between positive and negative results were completely different from the normal range just then there was a knock at the door Nancy Thompson opened the door though showing signs of postpartum fatigue her demeanor as she held her baby radiated unmistakable maternal love DrSullivan the results her voice trembled slightly behind Nancy stood her mother Elizabeth DrSullivan guided them to a sofa in the corner of her office furthest from the windows the walls were adorned with numerous Awards telling the story of her career next to which hung photos of babies whose birth she had attended evidence of her involvement in over 3,000 new lives over 30 years there are unnatural aspects to these results DrSullivan carefully chose her words as she began her explanation doctor I absolutely Nancy I've been your doctor for 7 years I know your integrity better than anyone the doctor's voice carried unwavering trust Elizabeth silently squeezed her daughter's hand actually something has been bothering me since last night DrSullivan stood up and began walking around her office through the window a cruise ship could be seen docked in Tampa Bay Beyond it the Florida Sun Shone brightly the lab technician reported some suspicious findings unusual access logs were found in the laboratory system she returned to her desk and showed them the computer screen look here this is the pattern of normal test data the screen displayed comparison graphs with past test results and this is the current result there's clearly an unnatural bias the graph's abnormality was obvious even without medical expertise but why in response to Nancy's question DrSullivan let out a deep sigh I asked the system administrator to investigate thoroughly she typed on her keyboard opening a new screen last night there was external access to the laboratory system and immediately after that parts of the data were altered a heavy silence fell over the office the baby was sleeping peacefully in his mother's arms there's more that concerns me DrSullivan pulled a document from her desk drawer this is from the hospital security cameras last night a suspicious person was seen near the laboratory though the security camera image was unclear it showed a tall man in a suit a familiar silhouette Elizabeth gasped it looks very similar to Robert DrSullivan's voice maintained its composure but carried a hint of anger but that's not all she scrolled the screen further Mike Johnson our lab technician made an interesting statement this morning a few days ago someone approached him offering 500,00 000 in cash to falsify the test data the color drained from Nancy's face Mike refused the offer and immediately reported it to his supervisor however he started receiving Anonymous threatening emails afterward DrSullivan walked to the window looking down at Tampa's cityscape she strengthened her resolve this is is clearly criminal falsifying medical records is a serious offense we cannot overlook this she turned to face them we should call the police clear fraud has been committed at that moment Nancy's phone rang a message from Robert appeared on the screen let me know as soon as the DNA test results are out Elizabeth holding her daughter's shoulders nodded to DrSullivan please call the police DrSullivan picked up the hospital's internal phone her hand holding the receiver was supported by the firm resolve built over 30 years of her career outside the window Tampa was bustling with life the River Walk crowded with tourists modern Office Buildings and the calm Bay Beyond in this peaceful scene events that would change one family's life were quietly but surely unfolding DrSullivan put down the phone and turned to Nancy your baby is undoubtedly yours and Robert's child to prove this we must reveal the truth her voice carried both Professional Pride and personal sense of justice the truth will always come to light those words echoed quietly in the morning office as they waited for the Tampa Police to arrive the three women held in their hearts the resolve for the battle that was about to begin in the interrogation room at Tampa Police Headquarters Detective Laura Martinez sat across a stainless steel table from Robert a large mirror was mounted on the wall behind which DrSullivan watched from the observation room let me confirm again where were you between 11:15 p. m. and 11:45 p.
m.
