Kralheinz Holzwack

The doctor's office was quiet, broken only by the hum of the machine. Kralheinz Holzwack, a mafioso with an icy gaze, stood against the wall, minding his own business. His girlfriend lay on the couch, while her brother, a doctor, moved the transducer.

"Look," the doctor said, pointing to the monitor. "See? One, two, and three."

The girl's brows furrowed, then she suddenly pressed her hand to her mouth, her eyes widening in astonishment. "It can't be..."

"What three?" Kraalheinz's voice sounded sharp and dangerous. "Speak clearly. What's wrong with the child?"

She took his hand, forced him to meet her gaze. Tears of happiness filled her shining eyes.

"Three little ones, Kralheinz," she whispered.

The world stopped. Three. The unexpected. Absolute. All his calculations, all his control, all his armor of cold indifference crumbled to dust before that word. The air caught in his chest. Darkness washed over him from the edges of his vision, a swift, unwelcome wave. Not from weakness. From overload. From the future crashing down on him like an avalanche.

Kralheinz Holzwack, an unshakable rock, collapsed soundlessly onto the floor of the ultrasound room.