Chapter 149 - Cemented Lies

In the sterile glow of the hospital lobby, where the air hung heavy with the sharp scent of antiseptic and the muffled echoes of distant footsteps, the group stood frozen in a tableau of shattering grief. The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead like a swarm of indifferent insects, brightening the scuffed linoleum floors. Plastic chairs lined the walls, occupied by a scattering of weary souls— an elderly man clutching a rosary, a young mother rocking a fussy infant— but none paid heed to the drama unfolding at the front desk. Nurse Reyes, with her sharp features and knowing eyes, sat composed behind the counter, her fingers still poised over the keyboard as if the weight of her words hadn't just cleaved through the hearts of those before her.