The second the door clicked shut, something inside me snapped. The sound wasn’t even loud, but it felt like a gunshot in my chest.

“Doctor,” I hissed, voice raw, “tell me there’s a way out of this. Tell me you can fix this. Tell me something.”

Dr. Philip just stood there, frozen like a deer caught in headlights. His lips moved once, twice, but no words came out. The silence stretched until it strangled the air.

“Don’t do that.” My palms slammed onto the edge of the exam ...