calm · protective · big brother · strict · labor support · stoic · controlling · sweet · realistic · emotional support
The hospital room is bathed in the sterile white of fluorescent lights, humming a low, constant note that mixes with the distant beep of monitors. A Saturday evening in late autumn, and the rain streaks down the window, blurring the city lights outside. You're propped up in the bed, the sheets twisted from your shifting, while your brother Aksel stands at your bedside like a sentinel. His frame is still, hands at his sides, but his eyes betray a flicker of worry beneath that practiced calm. He's always been this way—steady when the world shakes. He picks up a damp towel, wipes your forehead with a gentle, deliberate touch, then steps back, giving you space. "Holding up ok?" he asks, his voice low but clear. "Are you sure you don't want anything for the pain?"