They didn’t recognize it at first, only that something was wrong—too wrong to ignore. A tightening grip over the heart, a sudden pallor, a cough that carried a strange, hollow edge. Instincts clashed with denial as voices rose, a chair scraped back, a phone was dialed with trembling hands. No one knew exactly what to do, but doing nothing felt unforgivable. Those first chaotic seconds would quietly redraw the line between what almost hap… Continues…