Elisabeth's POV
The words crashed into me like a tidal wave.
"Refuses to die."
Relief flooded through my body so violently that my knees buckled. I gripped the nearest chair to keep from collapsing completely.
Next to me, Cathrine exhaled slowly, though she tried to hide the worry etched across her features.
"There's significant internal bleeding," my father continued, his voice as cold and detached as a medical textbook. "Extensive damage. The bullet barely missed his heart, but the surrounding tissue took a beating. We've got him stable for the moment, but..." His jaw tightened as the words died on his lips.
"But what?" The question scraped past my raw throat like broken glass.
His steel-gray eyes locked onto mine, heavy with an unspoken truth. "The next twenty-four hours will determine everything. He's fighting, but it's touch and go." A reluctant pause. "Though I expect he'll survive this."
