Dawn Maternity Recovery Room Kabul Hospital

Pale dawn light slips across the polished concrete floor of a hospital corridor near Kabul, illuminating rows of white bassinets. Each bassinet holds a folded blanket with crisp edges and a small identification tag clipped to the side rail. Nearby, medical charts rest on metal carts, secured with silver clips that catch the soft morning glow. Rain streaks the tall windows, blurring the exterior world into a wash of gray and green. The symmetrical arrangement of the beds creates a rhythm of quiet discipline. Dust motes float in the slanted beams of light. One reflection of a window frame glimmers on the wet glass at the edge of the frame.