Page 33 of Corrupted Empire

“Of course it’s possible!” I reply irritably. “You’re the one with the power to make it possible.”

“You don’t know how much damage you caused, Alexis.”

“No, you don’t know—” I glance behind me, checking on Harry, just in time to watch him pick up a penny from the loose change on the carpet and pop it into his mouth. He looks at me and swallows.

“Harry, no!” I yell, dropping the phone and catapulting across the room.

Oh God. Oh God! What if he chokes? What if it gets stuck in his digestive tract? Are pennies toxic?

“Guards!” I yell.

Harry’s face scrunches up, and he sniffs. I’m stressing him out. Crap. I pull him into my arms and rub his back. “Shh. It’s okay.”

The door bursts open, and Angelo rushes in. “Go back to bed,” he calls behind him.

I see why as Clara jogs into the room after him, eyes wild.

“He swallowed a penny!” I hiss, heart pounding. “We need to go to the hospital!”

Angelo helps me onto my feet, brow wrinkled. “I’m not sure swallowing a penny necessitates a hospital visit.”

“Neither am I, but I’m not taking any fucking chances!”

Angelo is busy murmuring something into his radio.

Clara steps around Angelo and walks over. “Babe, you need to calm down. Is he choking?”

I lift Harry up and inspect him. He frowns down at me, very skeptical of the situation, but otherwise seems fine. He’s breathing normally and isn’t coughing.

John, another guard, races into the room. He nods at Angelo and walks over to Harry and me.

“I was trained as a paramedic,” John explains calmly. “Why don’t you put Harry on the bed and I’ll have a look at him?”

My hands are shaking as I place Harry on the bed. I am reluctant to move out of the way, and John has to gently guide me aside so he can examine Harry. Clara comes over and wraps her arms around me.

“It’ll be okay,” Clara assures me. “Kids are resilient.”

Deep down I know that’s true, but as a first-time mom, it’s hard to believe it. Nothing has ever seemed more fragile than my beautiful baby boy. I squeeze her hand and watch as John carefully pokes and prods at Harry. He opens his mouth and looks down his throat, then looks back at me.

“He’s fine,” John says. “You could take him to the hospital, but it’ll just scare him. He’s not choking, it’s not lodged in his throat, and he will probably pass the penny in a few days’ time.”

I exhale, and my shoulders sag with relief.

“Are you sure?” I ask.

John chuckles. “I think more than anything he’s just confused about why you’re so distressed.”

I scoop Harry into my arms and stroke the back of his head. “Thank God.”

Angelo clears his throat. I notice he has a phone pressed to his ear. “Gabriel would like me to remind you that you’re still on the phone.”

“Oh right.” I lean down and grab my discarded phone from the carpet.

Clara’s eyes widen. “You’re talking to Gabriel?”

I know, right?I mouth, bringing the phone back up to my ear. Angelo ushers John and Clara out of my room and closes the door behind him.

“Everything’s fine,” I say.

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