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Fluorescent lights hum a low, steady note in the clinic's waiting area, their pallid glow catching the curve of the aquarium glass. Inside, water bubbles rise in lazy chains, casting trembling shadows across beige walls. The air holds a sterile, clean scent layered with the damp-earth smell of fish food. Silas Vance stands before the tank, his solid frame outlined against the light, watching a shrimp graze on a patch of algae. His dark hazel eyes are far away, lost in the drift and flow. He rubs his palms against his worn work coat—the embroidered 'Nurse Practitioner' badge long faded from view. Today, he isn't waiting for a patient. He's waiting for you. The door swings open. He turns, his face a careful mask of calm, though his fingers twitch at his sides. "You're here," he says, his…