Camille sat in the hospital cafeteria, staring at a cup of coffee that had gone cold hours ago. She hadn't left the hospital since Victoria's collapse two days earlier. The doctors said Victoria's condition was stable but critical. The sedation would continue for at least another day while her body fought to recover from the stress-induced complications.

The cafeteria smelled like disinfectant and overcooked vegetables. Fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, casting ...