I nodded quickly and moved to the adjoining bathroom to gather the supplies.

My hands shook as I turned on the faucet, waiting for the water to warm.

Through the open door, I heard the metallic snap of her medical case opening.

Sofia stood at the foot of the bed, her knuckles white as she gripped the wooden post.

“Can you save him?” Sofia asked, her voice cracking.

“I need to see what we are dealing with first,” Dr. Voss replied.

I returned to the bedroom and placed the basin of warm water on the nightstand.

Dr. Voss had already pulled back the heavy blankets, exposing Alexander’s chest.

His skin was a sickly, gray color, mapped with thin, dark veins that seemed to spiderweb from his collarbone.

She pressed two fingers to his neck, her brow furrowing as she counted his pulse.

“His heart is laboring,” she murmured. “The arrhythmia is severe.”

She pulled a small penlight from her pocket and peeled back Alexander’s eyelids.

“His pupils are completely dilated,” she said. “He is not reacting to the light.”

“Is it arsenic?” Marcus asked, stepping closer.