With trembling hands, Léo dialed 911, his voice breaking with tears. Soon, sirens wailed in the driveway. Paramedics acted quickly; Léo never let go of his mother’s hand until she was carried into the ambulance.

At the hospital, Marc arrived just as Élise was being rushed to the operating room. Dr. Clara, the obstetrician on duty, intercepted him:
— Placental abruption, she explained. We must operate immediately. Both the mother and the child are in danger.

Marc knelt in front of Léo.
— Your mom is strong. They’re doing everything to save her, he murmured, his voice shaking.