Camille followed the doctor down the sterile corridor, each step echoing against the polished floor. Alexander walked beside her, his presence steadying as the world seemed to tilt beneath her feet. The hospital's antiseptic smell burned her nostrils, mingling with the lingering scent of coffee on her breath.

"Is she..." Camille couldn't finish the question, fear clogging her throat.

The doctor glanced back, his face unreadable beneath his surgical ...