The Mafia's Undoing-Chapter 165: The Longest Night

Rose had been in surgery for four hours.

It has been four hours of waiting, sitting, and praying.

The surgical waiting room felt cold and impersonal. There were hard plastic chairs, fluorescent lights, and a clock ticking on the wall.

Katherine was still in her hospital gown. She should be in bed recovering from her own surgery, but she wouldn’t leave and wouldn’t rest until Rose was safe.

I was beside her, holding her hand for support; this was our first real physical contact in months.

"She’s going to make it," I said, trying to convince myself as much as her.

"You don’t know that."

"I have to believe it. The alternative is-" I couldn’t finish the sentence.

Because the alternative was unthinkable. Losing Rose. Losing our daughter before we really got to know her.

Bella arrived first to visit, rushing through the waiting room doors.

She was crying as she stepped in. "I came as soon as I heard. How is she?"

"In surgery - NEC. They’re removing the damaged intestine."

"Oh God." Bella collapsed into a chair. "How long has she been in there?"

"Four hours. They’re saying it could be another two to four."

"And what are her chances?"

"Fifty-fifty."

Bella started sobbing, and Katherine reached over to take her hand.

Susan arrived next. Then Thomas followed, and then Elliot.

All of them, our family here to support us.

Thomas looked worn and guilty.

He knows. Knew his past created this danger and these threats.

And now his granddaughter is fighting for her life because of it.

Elliot tried to help in his own way. "Statistically, survival rates for NEC surgery have improved significantly in recent years. With proper care and modern interventions-"

"Elliot," Katherine said gently, holding his hand. "I love you. But statistics don’t help right now."

"Right. Sorry." He looked uncomfortable and lost. "I’m just... I’m scared too."

Katherine pulled him close and hugged him. "I know. Me too."

Two hours into the wait, Katherine stood.

"I need to pray."

"Where?"

"The hospital chapel. Will you come with me?"

I’m not religious. Never have been. But right now, I’ll try anything.

"Yes."

The hospital chapel was small and quiet with interfaith symbols on the walls.

There was a cross, a star of David, a crescent moon, and an om symbol.

Something for everyone. Or no one.

Katherine and I sat in the front pew, alone.

"I don’t even know if I believe in God," she admitted. "But I’m praying anyway."

"Me too."

We sat in silence, holding hands.

I’m not sure how to pray. What to say. So I just... think.

Please, if anyone’s listening. Please save my daughter. She’s innocent. Hasn’t done anything wrong and hasn’t hurt anyone. Please.

Take me instead. Take my life, my health. Anything. Just save Rose.

I didn’t know if it helped, but it was all I had.

Back in the waiting room. Katherine spoke quietly.

"I was going to leave you. Take Rose and disappear."

"I know."

"Part of me still thinks it’s the right choice. For her safety."

"And the other part?" I asked.

"The other part knows she needs her father. Needs both of us. Together."

I was quite processing her response, then I said. "I’m sorry. For my world, my past, and for making you unsafe."

"It’s not your fault-"

"It is. My father’s choices and his father’s before that. It’s generations of violence and blood, and Rose is paying for it. She’s an innocent baby paying for sins committed decades before she was born."

"If she survives-"

"When she survives," I corrected firmly. I have to believe it. "When she survives... we figure this out together. Not co-parenting from different apartments. Not separate lives. But as a family."

"You mean that?"

"Rose deserves both parents together in one home. Not split between two households and not confused about where she belongs. She deserves a family."

Katherine was crying. "I want that. God, I want that so much."

"I want that too. I want us. But Katherine, I don’t want to force you. Don’t want to rush you into something you’re not ready for-"

"Tony." She turned to face me and took both my hands. "I love you. I’ve always loved you. Believe me, you’re not rushing me. If anything, it’s long overdue. I’ve just been scared and terrified of your world and of losing the people I love. But Rose deserves better than parents who are too scared to be together."

"So we do this? Really do this?"

"We do this. When Rose comes home, we come home. Together, as a family."

I was crying now from relief, joy, and hope.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Luca burst in with an urgent expression on his face.

"We have a problem."

I was instantly alert. "What?"

"Someone’s been asking about Katherine at the front desk. A male in his 40s, a matching description of one of Charles’s students. The security team couldn’t detain him, so he disappeared."

"Where?"

"We don’t know, the building’s been cleared floor by floor. But Tony, they know you’re here, and they know about Rose."

Katherine was terrified. "They’re coming for her?"

"We’re not leaving," I said firmly. "Rose is in surgery. We’re not moving."

"I know," Luca said. "I’ve got teams positioned throughout the building. The NICU is on lockdown, and no one gets in without clearance. But you’re exposed, both of you."

"Then we stay exposed. Rose comes first."

Six hours into surgery, Dr. Mèng emerges.

She looked exhausted. Her scrubs were stained, and her mask pulled down.

We were all standing and waiting.

"Update. We’ve successfully removed the damaged section of intestine. It’s about 8 centimeters. Rose is tolerating the procedure better than expected, but-"

"But what?" Katherine asked.

"We found more inflammation than we anticipated and had to remove more tissue. She’s going to have short bowel syndrome. It will affect her ability to absorb nutrients."

"What does that mean?"

"She’ll need IV nutrition. TPN - total parenteral nutrition. Possibly for months. In severe cases, years. But, she’s alive. The surgery isn’t over yet. We need another two hours to close and stabilize, but she’s holding on."

Katherine collapsed into me, sobbing. "She’s alive. Our baby’s alive."

"She’s a fighter," Dr. Mèng said softly. "Just like her parents."

Thomas pulled me aside for a private conversation in the hallway.

"I’ve made a decision."

"About what?"

"I’m turning myself in. To the FBI."

I stared at him. "What?"

"For my past crimes. All of them. The violence, the murders, and the empire I built on blood and bodies."

"Dad, you can’t-"

"I can, and I will. If I’m in prison, paying for my sins, maybe they’ll leave you alone. Leave Katherine and Rose alone."

"That’s not how it works-"

"Maybe not, but I have to try." His voice broke. "Rose deserves a grandfather who isn’t a burden and who isn’t a curse bringing danger to her life."

"Dad-"

"My mind’s made up. After Rose is stable, she comes home. I’ll turn myself in. Give full confession and accept whatever sentence they give me."

I was devastated. My father choosing prison to protect his granddaughter.

"You don’t have to do this," I said.

"Yes, I do. It’s the only way I know how to protect her."

Bella and Katherine had been in the women’s bathroom earlier for a brief discussion.

I didn’t hear this conversation, but Bella told me later.

"I know you’ve been through a lot," Bella started. "But Katherine... thank you."

"For what?"

"For giving Tony a daughter. For fighting for her. For-" Bella’s crying. "For not giving up on our family."

Katherine replied. "I was going to. I was going to take Rose and leave. Disappear and cut all of you out."

"I know, and honestly? I don’t blame you. Tony’s world is dangerous. It’s terrifying, but I’m so glad you’re not leaving. Rose needs both of you... and Tony needs you too."

"I need him too, even when he drives me crazy. When his world terrifies me and when I want to run, I need him."

They hugged like sisters.

Family.

Eight hours total into the surgery, Dr. Mèng emerges again.

"Surgery’s complete. Rose is alive and stable. She’s being transferred back to NICU now."

The relief that came afterwards was overwhelming and crushing.

Katherine hugged me, crying. "She made it. Our baby made it."

"I told you. She’s a fighter."

"Can we see her?" She asked.

"Give the team thirty minutes to get her settled and monitor her vitals. Then yes, you can see her."

Thirty minutes. That was probably the longest thirty minutes of my life.

Finally, we were cleared to see Rose.

We went back to the NICU to her incubator.

She looked even tinier now and swollen from surgery with more wires and tubes.

There were stitches across her tiny abdomen and gauze covering the incision.

But she was alive, breathing, and her heart was beating.

Katherine and I were on either side of her incubator, looking at our daughter.

"She’s beautiful," Katherine whispered.

"Perfect," I agreed.

A nurse approached, looking gentle but serious.

"I need to warn you. The next few days are critical. Rose isn’t out of the woods. The infection risk is very high after surgery - sepsis, organ failure, but we’re monitoring her constantly, but-"

"But she might not make it," Katherine finished.

"It’s possible, and I’m very sorry, but we’re doing everything we can."

That night at 3 AM.

Katherine and I were both in the NICU and couldn’t sleep as we wouldn’t leave Rose.

Suddenly, an alarm sounded from Rose’s monitors.

Her heart rate was dropping, and her oxygen saturation was plummeting.

The code blue was called, with the NICU team rushing.

We were pulled away from the incubator, watching helplessly.

The doctors and nurses surrounded Rose, working frantically.

"What’s happening?" Katherine screamed.

"She’s crashing. We’re doing everything we can."

They did chest compressions on a baby who weighed 1 pound 6 ounces - so tiny.

Katherine was crying. "She can’t die. Not after surviving surgery. She just can’t."

I held her close, both of us watching.

Our two-day-old daughter was fighting for her life.

Again.

Rose’s monitors kept on alarming.

And time was running out.