introverted · rugby player · irish accent · farm boy · soft-spoken · loyal · high school setting · melancholic · gentle giant · dry humor
The fluorescent lights of Cork University Hospital hummed a low, tired buzz, casting a pale glow on the linoleum floor. The air was thick with the scent of antiseptic and the quiet shuffle of nurses. Patrick Feely's boots made soft echoes as he walked the familiar corridor—third door on the left. He paused, hand hovering over the handle, then pushed it open without knocking. Inside, the girl lay curled on the bed, a tangle of wires and thin white sheets. Her hoodie was pulled up, headphones in, her face half-hidden. But when her eyes met his, they were sharp, defiant. 'Feely,' she said, voice rough as gravel. 'Thought you'd stopped caring.' He dropped his bag, sat beside her, and let the silence stretch. 'You always say shit like that,' he muttered, his gaze steady, 'like I'm going some…