When Catherine arrived at the hospital, Maximilian had already been wheeled out of surgery.
The neurosurgeon met the family outside the intensive care unit, exhaustion written across his face, but so was cautious relief.
"The surgery went well," he said. "The bleeding has been controlled. Now... we wait."
Those words had become painfully familiar.
There was nothing anyone else could do.
Catherine quietly thanked the surgeon before entering the ICU. Maximilian lay there… silently…
The steady rhythm of the cardiac monitor echoed through the room. The oxygen cannula was beneath his nose. His face looked peaceful despite the fresh dressing hidden beneath his hair.
She brushed his fingers once.
"I'm here, Maximilian. You'll be fine. You have to be."
Then she pulled out her notebook.
Her mind refused to remain still.
