Luan immediately closed the distance between them. Her hands gripped Celine's shoulders, holding her younger sister's body in place as it suddenly stiffened on the examination bed.
The specialist was just as quick. He stepped forward, grabbed Celine's right wrist, and placed two fingers over her rapidly pulsing artery. His eyes were fixed on the clock on the wall, which ticked slowly, counting the steady rhythm beneath his patient's skin.
The room was silent for thirty seconds, with only the sound of Luan's tense, rapid breathing.
"Celine, look at me," the doctor instructed calmly. "Breathe in through your nose, exhale slowly through your mouth. Follow my count."
Celine obeyed. She loosened her grip on her crumpled cotton blouse. The tightness in her chest gradually eased, leaving a warm sensation that spread all the way to her fingertips. The wild pounding that had momentarily jolted her subsided, returning to its normal rhythm.
