He was moments from death, struggling and resisting everyone trying to help him as chaos filled the room. Then a nurse spoke softly, and her calm voice suddenly stilled the tension, bringing an unexpected silence over everyone present.

Time compressed in that strange way it does during emergencies—seconds stretching and collapsing at the same time.

And that was when Lena moved.

“Ward, don’t—” Dr. Mercer’s voice cut across the room, sharp with warning.

But she was already at the bedside.

She didn’t rush in dramatically, didn’t try to overpower the situation. Instead, she leaned just close enough, positioning herself so her voice wouldn’t have to compete with the noise.