Nicholas stood in the hospital hallway, staring at a vending machine that flickered like it remembered something he didn't.
The Sandman leaned beside him, eyes hollow but smiling.
"You were happier once, weren't you?"
Nicholas didn't answer.
"I remember," the Sandman whispered. "I was there… before the machines. Before she forgot to laugh."
He blinked, and the hallway was empty again.