Chapter 106

• The hospital's pediatric ward hummed softly under fluorescent lights, monitors beeping a steady lullaby for the tiny patients. Charlotte, white coat draped over her scrubs, stood outside Ruby's room. The door creaked open, revealing Gabriela Foreman, Ruby's foster mother—a weathered woman in her late 40s, lines etched deep from years of quiet battles, simple cardigan over jeans, hair pulled into a practical bun.
• Gabriela's eyes, warm brown pools rimmed red from worry, lit as she spotted Charlotte. She stepped forward, hands clasping Charlotte's in a fervent grip. "Dr. Valco, I don't have words. That funding came through like a miracle—ECMO machine humming, meds flowing. Ruby's stable because of you. Thank you. From the bottom of this old heart."
• Charlotte squeezed back, a genuine smile softening her fatigue. Gabriela's hands felt rough, callused from factory shifts, yet tender—hands that rocked Ruby through fevers and fears. "Gabriela, stop. You're the hero here. Taking such great care of her, even though she's not your biological daughter. Most would run from a case this tough. Ruby's lucky—we're lucky—to have you."