Tropical Fish Swimming in Hospital Recovery Bay

North-window sidelight cuts across a sterile recovery bay floor where pulse-ox leads coil in grey plastic loops. Warming blankets rest folded at the foot rail alongside white discharge packets. The walls are painted a muted institutional green, showing scuffs near the baseboards. In the air at head height, a school of bright orange and blue tropical fish swims in a synchronized arc, their fins cutting through the empty space without disturbing the dust motes. Lamplight pools in the deep corners of the corridor, casting long shadows against the tiled floor. The fish scales reflect the cool daylight, creating sharp highlights that contrast with the matte plastic of the medical equipment. One fish hovers just inches from a hanging IV pole.