The doctor stepped out, his face unreadable, and before I could even process what was happening, Betty was already rushing toward him. "Doctor..."

"I’m sorry. We did everything we could, but the surgery wasn’t successful," he said, his voice calm but devastating. His words hit me like a wrecking ball. My knees buckled, and I crumpled to the floor, unable to breathe, unable to think.

"What do you mean it wasn’t successful?" Betty demanded, her voice sharp, her ...