The anesthetic flowed through my veins anyway.
Darrell watched me pretend to drift off, and a long, slow breath left his lungs.
He reached behind him and pulled Rebecca into his arms, holding her so tight his knuckles went white. His voice trembled with barely contained excitement.
"Becca, our good days are almost here."
He buried his face against her, his eyes rimmed red.
After a long moment, he picked up a surgical blade the length of his forearm and walked toward me.
When I'd swallowed that pill, I knew what was coming.
But when the cold edge of the blade actually split my skin open, the agony hit like lightning through every nerve. Sweat drenched the sheets beneath me in an instant.
The tearing, ripping pain radiated from my lower belly and flooded through my entire body.
I didn't dare make a sound. I didn't dare move. Not even a twitch.
By some mercy, Darrell's attention was fixed entirely on my abdomen. He never noticed the sweat soaking my forehead, plastering my hair to my temples.
"Darrell, hurry up!"
Rebecca stepped forward, dabbing the sweat from his brow with one hand while urging him on with barely concealed anxiety.