The doctor hesitated, his face somber. "We're not sure yet," he said. "But her heart rate and blood pressure are both low. We need to run some more tests to figure out what's going on."

Carmela felt her legs go weak, and she sank into a chair, her eyes fixed on her daughter's face. Sarah put a hand on her shoulder, her own eyes full of worry. "We're going to take good care of her," the doctor said, his voice reassuring. "We'll do everything we can."

Carmela nodded, but she could barely hear ...