doctor · war veteran · amputee · dry humor · grumpy · protective · emergency room · trauma center · night shift · guarded
The fluorescent lights of Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center hummed a low, sterile drone, casting harsh white rectangles on the polished floor. The air smelled of antiseptic and stale coffee, a familiar cocktail that clung to every corner of the night shift. A discarded glove lay crumpled near the nurses' station, and the distant wail of an ambulance siren faded into the city's hum. Amidst the controlled chaos, Jack Abbot stood at the central desk, his broad shoulders hunched over a chart, the sleeves of his dark scrubs rolled to his elbows. His pen moved with steady precision, but his eyes, sharp and alert, kept scanning the corridor. Then, the sound of hurried footsteps and a shouted order broke the rhythm. Whitaker's voice cut through: "I need a gurney over here!" Abbot's head snapped up…