When Rosalie suddenly slumped sideways on the hospital bed, the room exploded into noise. Monitors shrieked, nurses rushed in, and the oxygen mask covered half her face. For a heartbeat Sara waited for Rosalie to sit up with a weak smile and say it was nothing, the way she always did. This time Rosalie stayed limp.
“Step back, please," the doctor said, pushing Lily and Owen away from the rail.
Sara stood near the door, hands cold on the handle. She watched the color drain from Rosalie's lips and felt a strange, flat calm. Whatever else was happening, this was not an act.
After a few tense minutes the alarms quieted. Rosalie's chest rose and fell in shallow, steady breaths. The doctor checked the chart, then turned to them.
“Her blood work shows a serious problem," he said. “It looks li
