Elena.

The hospital was a flurry of activity. People rushed by in a blur, their footsteps echoing off the sterile white walls. I sat in the waiting room, surrounded by the sounds of beeping machines and the constant chatter of nurses and doctors. The air was thick with the smell of disinfectant and antiseptic, making my nose twitch.

I watched as families bustled past me, some crying and others lost in thought. The sound of sobbing children echoed down the hallway, and I felt my heart break for them. I wondered how they could bear to be in this place, surrounded by so much pain and fear.

While I waited...