The door burst open.
Dr. Chen was through it in seconds, a nurse right behind her, both moving with the practiced speed of people who had responded to a thousand emergencies and knew exactly what this was.
"Panic attack," Dr. Chen said sharply as she reached the bed. "Get me...."
"Already here," the nurse said, holding up a syringe.
Dr. Chen took it, her other hand going to Mu Yunchen's wrist, feeling his pulse, her eyes on the monitor that was now showing a heart rate of 142.
"Mu Yunchen," she called, her voice cutting through his panic with clinical authority. "Look at me. Look at me right now."
His eyes found hers, wild, desperate.
"You're having a panic attack," she said clearly. "Your body is reacting to stress. You are not dying. Your heart is fine. You just need to breathe. Can you do that for me?"
He tried. Failed. Tried again.
