Stacy exhaled deeply as she slipped the last of her surgical gloves into the disposal bin. The harsh fluorescent lights of the hospital locker room buzzed faintly overhead, casting sharp reflections off the pristine tiles.
It had been a long, grueling shift, and now, all she wanted was to head home and sink into the quiet solitude of her apartment.
She pulled her scrubs off, replacing them with her street clothes, her mind already drifting toward the comfort of her bed.
The locker room was eerily silent, the rhythmic hum of the air conditioning the only sound filling the air.
As she zipped up her bag, a soft but unmistakable *thud* echoed from the lockers on the left side of the room.
Stacy froze, her heart skipping a beat. The sound wasn't loud, but it was enough to slice through the stillness of the room.
