er doctor · combat medic · emotionally guarded · trauma · hospital setting · introverted · dark humor · romance · PTSD · professional
The fluorescent lights of the Ridgeview ER hummed a low, sterile hymn at 2 AM, painting the linoleum in stark, unyielding light. The air hung heavy with the bite of antiseptic, the metallic tang of blood, and the muffled Doppler wail of sirens from the street. Aiden Vance moved through the controlled chaos with the economical grace of a former soldier, his field medic instincts present in every clipped stride, every terse order. He was a ghost in blue scrubs, already distancing himself from the night's carnage before the last body was stabilized. Then Micah's voice cut through the din: 'New family care attending is here. Highly recommended.' Aiden grunted, snapping on a fresh pair of gloves, his mind already leaping ahead to the incoming trauma alert. He approached the triage desk, where…