If a line pulls or a valve gets bumped even a fraction of an inch, the airflow changes immediately.”

She pointed to a thin white plastic tube running from the main machine into the side of the incubator.

A small blue connector held the two halves together just above the bed rail.

“Everything on this circuit is held together by tension,” Elena added.

“We keep this area tightly controlled for a reason.”

I stepped back half an inch, holding my breath so my chest wouldn’t brush the plastic.

My phone vibrated hard against my hip in my sweater pocket.