Minutes felt like hours.
The air felt too thick to swallow.
The walls felt like they were closing in on him.
His shirt was still stained with dust from where he had knelt beside her… from where he had held her as though the world depended on the strength in his arms.
He could still feel the weight of her body, too still, too limp, too wrong, pressed against his chest.
A nurse walked by, and his heart leaped up his throat.
“Ma’am—please,” he said, stepping forward. “She was brought in. Isabella. They took her inside. Tell me something… anything.”
The nurse paused, eyes softening when she saw the strain on his face.
“Sir, they’re with her. The doctor will come out soon. Just… please wait.”
It wasn’t enough.
Nothing was enough.
He paced.
Stopped.
Ran his fingers through his hai
