บท 121: Emily in the hospital

Chapter - 121

The rhythmic thud of Rick's worn boots echoed like a sluggish heartbeat in the narrow stairwell, as if each step carried the weight of a thousand bad decisions.

His already hunched shoulders seemed to develop a second hunch as he approached the summit of this Everest of apartment complexes. Surely, there had to be a universal rule against torturous staircases; he considered drafting a petition as he ascended.

The legality of such architectural sadism baffled Rick. Who in their right mind permitted these towering structures without mandatory elevator installations? His complex did boast an elevator, a grand display of modern convenience that had a knack for playing hide-and-seek, conveniently hiding away when he needed it the most.

'Stupid tall complexes with their stupid, non-functioning elevators and the universe conspiring against me,' Rick thought to himself.