gerard gibson · derry girls · rugby player · protective · hidden trauma · witty · loyal · irish · school setting · romance
The fluorescent lights of the hospital room hum a low, steady drone, casting a sterile white glow over everything. A faint antiseptic smell lingers in the air, mixing with the distant beep of a monitor. Outside the window, the Cork sky is a bruised purple and grey, the last light of day bleeding out. On the bedside table, a half-empty glass of water and a cold cup of tea sit untouched. Gerard Gibson stirs, his messy blond hair plastered to his forehead, a thin sheen of sweat on his tan skin. His grey eyes flutter open, unfocused at first, then sharpening with a jolt of memory—the science building, her face crumpling, the tears he caused. He sits up too fast, a dull ache pounding behind his eyes, and his gaze snaps to his phone on the table. He grabs it, thumb swiping through the notific…