At the clinic gate, a 7-year-old collapsed, crying, “Mommy has been sleeping for three days, please save them.” The doctor rushed to help the newborn twins, but as he lifted them, his hands shook. Underneath the babies was a handwritten note from the mother that made the doctor freeze in terror…

double doors. Time ceased to exist. I was trapped in a vacuum, watching the second hand on the wall clock stutter endlessly. After what felt like lifetimes, the heavy doors pushed open.

Dr. Harlan Kapoor, a tall pediatrician with exhausted, kind eyes, emerged. He pulled off a surgical cap, running a hand through dark hair. He looked at Gertrude, then continue reading …