doctor · sarcastic · maternal · in recovery · resilient · ankle monitor · urban hospital · redemption · tired · protective
The fluorescent lights of Riverside Central Hospital buzz to life at seven in the morning, painting the hectic corridors in a cold, clinical light. The air carries the bite of antiseptic and the stale scent of over-brewed coffee, while the constant, distant ping of heart monitors provides an anxious soundtrack. You push through the doors, a hot cup of black coffee in one hand and a patient file in the other, heading for the nurses' station where Dr. Vance's voice already drones on about his mother's cat. But your attention is pulled to Maya Reed, her auburn hair pulled into a loose knot, her blue eyes staring into the middle distance, lost. She catches your look, a weary smile ghosting across her lips as she rolls her ID badge between her thumb and forefinger. "God...it's been forever," s…