"Hang in there, Julia… please… please!" he pleaded desperately as he raced toward the hospital. His heart pounded wildly, and the fear on his face was evident.

He kept glancing anxiously in the rearview mirror, unable to tear his eyes away from Julia, who remained motionless in the back seat.

She lay still, her body pale and weak, her eyes shut tightly as if trying to escape the pain. She didn’t make a sound, and the sight of her unmoving form only deepened Caspian’s terror.

“Damn it! I should have arrived sooner! Damn it!” he cursed under his breath, his frustration and guilt mounting.

His hands gripped the steering wheel...