ext afternoon, the attending physician flipped open Dan

e to be blunt," the doctor said, tapping a red-flagged line on the page. "Y

m of her hospital gown as her h

oes tha

ssive hemorrhage on the table," the doctor said flatly. "And there

ress against her lower abdomen as col

nd grabbed the front of

l her, how dare you s

pried Delmus's fin

ecision belongs to the patient and t

e. Her life and her ability to ever be a mother meant

she stared blankly

ule the procedure fo

ssed in a thin blue-and-white striped surgical gown, Danika sa

e carrying a soaked backpack, rainwater dripping

p half an inch

interview with the dean is t

ed over, and knelt in front of her, wrappin

'm not leaving you to g

squeezed his hands back with

a metal wheelcha

-op. Please come with us to sig

er heading to the gallows, letting the nurse wheel h

e. A nurse handed her a black ballpoint pen and

here, and sign

paper. She stared at the bold print reading risk of permanent infert

eelchair, Delmus gripp

to do this, say the wor

ips as a tear dropped onto t

e a cent to our names. I'll only

wn on her lip, and scribbled her n

al stretch of hallway, stopping in front of heavy metal d

utside," the nurse said, bl

brother a weak, trembling smile before the automat

mps sat a narrow metal table draped in sterile green sheets, surrounded by m

and lay flat on her back, the cold metal seepin

side her left arm, holding a large

ath, and count backward from thr