Prologue
Grayson Alexander Vale sat in the hard plastic chair beside her bed, clutching the thin hospital blanket. The paper crane he had been tracing lay forgotten on the bedside table. She was asleep, pale gray-faced, chest rising slowly with shallow breaths, hooked up to the heart monitor that beeped steadily in the otherwise quiet room.
He leaned back in his chair, letting the movie playing quietly on the small TV fill the background. For now, everything felt normal—just him, her, and the low hum of hospital life.
Then — suddenly — the heart monitor shrieked, blaring a frantic BEEEEEEP! BEEEEEEP! BEEEEEEP!
The oxygen machine hissed sharply, and the lights on the monitor flashed red in urgent staccato.
The nurse came running into the room, hair slightly disheveled, clipboard in one hand, oxygen mask in the other.
“She’s crashing! Vitals dropping—STAT!” another voice shouted as the room erupted into chaos.
Grayson shot up, panic clawing at him. “Evie! Don’t—stay with me!”
“She’s attached to the monitor! Step aside, now!” a nurse snapped, gripping his arm and holding him back.
The doctor’s voice rang out, sharp, commanding: “Rapid response team, CODE BLUE! Prepare airway, monitor vitals, push fluids!”
Grayson’s chest pounded in time with the beep—beep—BEEEEEEP! of the monitor. Her chest barely moved, her fingers twitched lightly, and he gripped her hand desperately.
“Step back, Mr. Vale!” a nurse barked, gripping his shoulders firmly. “Clear the bed!”
The heart monitor flatlined. The beeping became a long, harsh tone — the room seemed to shrink around him.
“Start emergency CPR! Compress the chest—now!” the doctor commanded. Another nurse readied the defibrillator.
Grayson’s hands shook as he was pulled slightly away, his eyes never leaving her pale, fragile form.
“Clear!” the doctor shouted, pressing the paddles against her chest. A jolt, a flash of light — and then a gasp.
The monitor erupted in beeps again, her heart rhythm returning, fragile but steady.
“Vitals back! Keep monitoring and stabilize!” the nurse called, adjusting lines and oxygen.
