The moment those words hit his ears, something inside him snapped. It felt as though his entire body had turned against him like he was suddenly running on autopilot with no way to stop it.
The surge of energy that had fueled him just moments before vanished. He tried to stand, to demand that they take him to her, but halfway up, his legs buckled, and he fell back onto the pillows, powerless.
A whirlwind of emotions, thoughts, and words clamored for space in his mind, each pushing the other aside before they had a chance to form properly. He wanted to scream, to cry, to do something, but his body betrayed him. He was frozen, paralyzed by the weight of it all. His chest tightened as if someone had taken his breath away, and for a few seconds, it felt like his heart had stopped.
