Sophie slipped to the door with cat-like caution, cracking it open just a sliver, enough to peer into the hallway beyond, where the fluorescent lights buzzed faintly and the distant hum of hospital life created a deceptive veil of normalcy. Nurses hurried by with clipboards, doctors murmured into phones, the occasional beep of a pager punctuating the air.
Minutes ticked by like hours in a suspense film.
She strained to listen over the cacophony, elevator dings echoing like warning bells, muffled voices drifting up from the floor below. Her mind raced with worst-case scenarios, What if he sensed something amiss? What if security cameras had caught their entry? But she pushed the doubts aside, focusing on the task, her breath shallow and controlled.
