Melinda Linton turned slightly aside, ignoring Sienna Thornton.

She too had her difficulties, fearing that if she was negligent during Mina Thorne’s labor, it would invite Mina’s complaints and Quentin Thorne’s disapproval.

Therefore, even though Sienna Thornton told her to go back now, she insisted on staying.

Sienna Thornton didn’t bother to argue with her, she got up to find wet wipes, to help Mina Thorne wipe the sweat off her forehead.

While wiping, Mina Thorne slowly awakened, saw Sienna Thornton wiping her forehead, then moved her gaze to Melinda Linton: "Auntie, you should go home, it’s too late. Come back tomorrow morning."

Melinda Linton always knew that Mina Thorne didn’t like her. She felt uncomfortable staying here too. Now with Mina’s suggestion, she was about to say a few courteous words before going home, but then Quentin Thorne came in.

Once inside, he didn’t ask if Melinda Linton was going home, he went straight to the monitoring equipment, watched for a few seconds, then bent down to wipe the sweat off Mina’s forehead with his hand.

His gaze was gentle, and his hand was light, it was apparent he was a father deeply in love with his daughter.

"Mina, are you feeling uncomfortable?"

Mina Thorne shook her head.

Quentin Thorne said: "The obstetric director advises that if you can’t dilate fully to ten fingers by six tomorrow morning, it’s best to proceed with a cesarean section."

Upon hearing about a cesarean, Mina Thorne got agitated: "I want a natural birth, I refuse a cesarean!"

Her agitation caused the fetal heart rate to spike instantly, triggering an alarm on the monitor. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Sienna Thornton hurriedly soothed her: "You’ve already dilated to three fingers, it’s going to progress quickly. Don’t worry."

She motioned for Quentin Thorne to escort Melinda Linton downstairs.

After the parents left, she sat down again, comforted Mina Thorne a bit, and didn’t lie down to rest in the accompanying bed until Mina fell asleep.

As dawn approached, Mina Thorne’s cervix dilated to seven fingers, and she was moved into the delivery room. Before entering, she strongly requested Sienna Thornton to accompany her, so Sienna had to change into surgical attire and go with her into the delivery room.

In the operating room, besides Joyce Sutton and the midwife, there were two or three doctors who seemed to be older, and Sienna guessed those were called over by Quentin, just in case.

By half past six, Mina’s cervix was fully dilated, the pain relief was removed, and after over half an hour of crying and screaming, Mina successfully delivered a 4-kilogram baby boy.

When the baby was born, Sienna Thornton was beside Mina Thorne on the delivery bed, she was moved to tears because she was a mother herself and knew how strenuous and dangerous childbirth could be for women.

With the delivery of an over eight-pound baby, Mina Thorne was nearly exhausted, feeling as if all strength had been drained from her, she lay with closed eyes on the delivery bed to rest.

Sienna Thornton leaned down and whispered softly in her ear: "The baby is very healthy! You’ve done so well! You’re a great mom!"

Mina Thorne weakly pursed her lips, her eyelashes fluttering slightly.

"The mother’s hemorrhaging is abnormal!" Suddenly, the midwife exclaimed.

Sienna Thornton’s heart sank in fear, she looked in panic at Joyce Sutton who was stitching Mina Thorne’s incision.

Joyce Sutton’s eyebrows were the only part visible beyond her large mask, but Sienna noticed how tightly they furrowed, causing her heart to leap to her throat.

Joyce Sutton calmly ordered: "Give me gauze! Also inject another shot of oxytocin for the mother!"

The doctors and midwives in the operating room were bustling.

Sienna Thornton gripped Mina Thorne’s hand tightly, instinctively looking down at the floor.

There was a large pool of blood under the surgery bed. The blood was flowing from Mina Thorne’s uterus, dripping step by step like rainfall on the floor.

Sienna Thornton started experiencing difficulty breathing, her body stiffened, she forced herself to look away, not daring to look at the pool of bright red anymore.

Joyce Sutton calmly worked to staunch Mina Thorne’s bleeding, and on the medical tray nearby, the gauze soaked in blood piled higher and higher.

Mina Thorne’s face was white as if lifeless, she lay with weak breathing, her eyes closed while her hand grew colder.

Sienna Thornton wanted to ask Joyce Sutton about the situation but feared it might alarm Mina, so she dared not ask anything, scarcely breathing while carefully observing Joyce’s movements.

Then, a senior doctor suddenly said quietly to Joyce Sutton: "Prepare for a transfusion, notify the family that they might need to sign to consent for a hysterectomy."

"No!" Sienna Thornton gasped.

Joyce Sutton had no time to address her.

A midwife came over, signaling for Sienna Thornton to stay quiet.

Sweat from Joyce’s forehead dripped down, mixing with the blood on the floor.

Sienna Thornton gazed at the unconscious Mina Thorne, then at the wailing infant nearby, she was on the verge of tears.

What a hysterectomy meant for a woman, she knew all too well!

"Inject another shot of oxytocin for the mother!" Joyce Sutton ordered again.

The midwife approached and inserted another needle in Mina Thorne’s arm.

Sienna Thornton eyed Mina Thorne, now dazedly conscious, with reddened eyes.

The pediatrician holding the baby stood by, waiting for the midwife to vacate before bringing the baby’s face toward Mina Thorne’s cheek, softly saying: "Come, let the baby kiss mommy."

The eight-pound baby wrapped in a blanket cried loudly, and at the moment his little mouth touched Mina Thorne’s cheek, tears rolled from Mina’s eyes.

The nurse went outside to notify the family to sign the consent, returning to announce: "The patient’s family has signed the consent."

Sienna Thornton instinctively asked: "Who signed it?"

Nurse: "The one with the surname Sutton."

Sienna Thornton quickly leaned down, whispering softly to Mina Thorne: "Seth Sutton is here, Mina you must fight on!"

Mina Thorne continued to cry silently with closed eyes.

Only now did Sienna Thornton realize, she was aware of what she was going through...

...

When Sienna Thornton changed out of surgical attire and stepped outside, Quentin Thorne, Melinda Linton, and Mr. and Mrs. Sutton were waiting outside.

They immediately surrounded her upon appearance.

"How is Mina?" Quentin Thorne’s eyes and nose were red, it was evident he’d cried earlier.

Sienna Thornton shook her head: "They need to perform surgery, so they asked me to leave the operating room."

When she was escorted out, Mina Thorne had already fallen unconscious. The bleeding hadn’t stopped at the time, hence surgery was prepared to locate the bleeding source.

But this, she dared not speak to the poor old man before her.

She searched for Seth Sutton’s presence to inform him about the baby’s condition.

Looking around, Seth Sutton sat in the nearby family waiting area, cigarette in mouth, head lowered, his expression unclear.

She approached, sitting beside him, said calmly: "The baby weighs eight pounds, very healthy."

Seth Sutton showed no reaction.

After a moment, he hoarsely asked: "How is Mina?"

"When I left, the doctors, having failed to locate the bleeding point, prepared for a transfusion and surgery." Sienna Thornton hesitated, "she... she’s unconscious."

After speaking, she glanced at Seth Sutton.

The man’s shoulders were slightly shaking, elbows resting on thighs, clutching his head, as several tears dropped to the ground.

Sienna Thornton’s eyes reddened too.

By the distant surgical department doors, Quentin Thorne’s eyes were swollen and red, repeatedly pressing his eyelids with fingers to suppress tears, while Mr. and Mrs. Sutton sat gravely.

At the threshold between life and death, only parents would shed tears. In-laws might only feel regret.