As Chris's eyes locked onto the figure on the stretcher, a cold wave of realization crashed over him. His breath caught in his throat, and his legs buckled beneath him. He collapsed to the floor, the shock too much to bear. His knees hit the ground with a soft thud, but the sound seemed distant, as if the world around him had fallen into a muffled haze.
The room fell silent, the air heavy with the confusion and tension that instantly gripped the others. They turned to Chris, puzzled by his sudden collapse. But before anyone could ask what was wrong, the word that escaped his lips shattered the stillness.
"Dad?" His voice trembled, barely above a whisper. It was a simple word, but it carried an ocean of disbelief, a quiet horror that no one could ignore.
Chris blinked, his gaze still fixed on the stretcher, but his mind was racing, struggling to make sense of the image before him. He couldn't possibly be seeing this. His eyes must be deceiving him, right?
