Drinking my pills with the cup of Pepsi, I watched as the main doors of the facility swung open. A couple of nurses wheeled in medical equipment—heart monitors, blood pressure cuffs, and temperature scanners. The hum of conversation grew louder as more people emerged from their rooms, drawn by the commotion.
Behind the nurses, a small group of patients walked in from what I assumed was breakfast. Their movements were slow, some sluggishly shuffling forward as if drained before the day had even begun.
Scanning the room, my eyes landed on an older man. He wore a faded robe over long plaid pajama pants, a simple white shirt, and socks tucked into flip-flops. His dark skin and neatly trimmed white beard hinted at his age, and his slow, deliberate movements gave off a quiet dignity.
Beside h
