The hallway suddenly felt suffocatingly small, as if the walls were pressing in from all sides, squeezing the air from my lungs.
Every breath carried the heavy weight of Tomiko's words — years of sleepless nights, endless silent sacrifices, and a youth she had quietly laid down so her sister's life wouldn't completely unravel.
She had given up her own chance at marriage, children, and personal dreams, all while no one had been there to catch her when she finally started to break.
"I'll contact the best doctors," I said firmly, trying to inject confidence into my voice.
"The finest specialists in the world. There has to be something — new experimental treatments, advanced therapy programs, clinical trials… anything that could help."
Tomiko shook her head slowly, her expression weary beyond words. "There's no need, Jack." Her voice was flat and exhausted, like someone who had repeated this conversation in her head a thousand times.
