The soft hum of fluorescent lights filled the pristine, marble-floored corridors of Silvercrest Medical Center, a world-class private hospital located in the heart of Riviera Heights at 112 Crescent Avenue, one of River City's most upscale districts.
The golden emblem above the entrance read in bold cursive:
"SILVERCREST MEDICAL CENTER."
Inside Ward 407, the room smelled faintly of antiseptic and lavender air freshener.
The white curtains were half-drawn, letting in beams of late afternoon sunlight that gently brushed across Liam Paige, who was lying motionless on the hospital bed.
His face was pale, and his lips were colorless.
Dressed in a light-blue hospital gown, he looked fragile like a wilted petal resting on clean white sheets.
A transparent IV drip bag hung beside his bed, entering into his left wrist through a thin plastic tube.
Electrocardiogram leads were attached to his bare chest, connecting him to a softly beeping heart monitor on the left.
