ZACH’S POV

I nodded, my heart heavy with worry. "Thank you, doctor."

Selena and I sat by Joan's bedside, our differences forgotten in the face of our shared concern for our daughter. We kept a silent vigil, the beeping of the machines and the soft hum of the medical equipment the only sounds in the room.

Hours passed, and finally, the doctor returned with the results. He looked at us, his expression serious. "The CT scan shows that there is indeed some internal bleeding. We'll need to perform surgery to stop the bleeding and repair any damage."

My heart pounded in my chest. "Surgery? How risky is it?"

"There's always...