"Drip—Tick—Drip—Tick—"
In the white, sterile hospital room, the diagnostic equipment emitted a regular beeping sound. An old man lay on the bed, wearing a breathing mask, his body connected to numerous sensing devices monitoring his vitals. A cannula on his wrist connected to a bottle of intravenous fluid, the colorless transparent liquid slowly entering his body.
The room was very quiet. Not a sound could be heard from the hallway outside, and the only window did not look out onto a pleasant natural landscape, but onto undulating water waves instead.
Time quietly passed, dust particles in the room slowly settled. After an indeterminate amount of time, a series of light footsteps broke the silence, coming from the corridor, then the door opened.
A girl with light blue, fluffy short hair walked in. She wore a white long-sleeved thin coat, resembling a research scientist, but she bore no badges or pins signifying any occupation.
