The hospital doors were hurled open, white doors slamming against the painstakingly clean walls. Glaring lights beat down on Adrien’s now frozen-open eyes, searing his retinas and bringing old, painful memories back to the surface of his dormant mind.

Doctors immediately grabbed him from Greg’s arms and wheeled him on a gurney into the emergency room. Greg panted and jogged after them. Suddenly, a nurse stepped in front of him.

“We’re sorry sir, but you’ve already done your part. Just wait in here.” She gestured towards a small, old-looking waiting area, no doubt equipped with year-old magazines and a beaten TV with no reception.

As if it wasn’t painful enough.

~

The doctors crowded around Adrien’s still form, babbling and scurrying to and fro.

“How’s his pulse?”

“Blood pressure?”

“Looks like a severe head trauma of some kind…”

“Get on that pressure check, now!”

A rush of white coats cascaded around the room, blending Adrien’s vision into a flurry of white, white, white…