The automatic doors of the emergency department slid open and Victor stepped inside with the quiet certainty of someone who had long ago stopped needing permission to enter a place. His presence did not announce itself loudly, yet the effect was unmistakable. Conversations softened as he passed, and people shifted slightly aside without quite realizing they were doing it.
His suit jacket hung over his arm and his tie had been loosened at the collar. His hair was still faintly damp, as though he had rushed through a quick shower before leaving wherever he had been. When his eyes finally found Willow sitting alone in the waiting area, the composure on his face changed in a subtle but unmistakable way. The sharp intelligence in his gaze tightened into something more focused as he noticed the discharge papers trembling faintly in her hands and the hollow stillness in her posture.
