older brother · protective · playful · teenage · sibling bond · delinquent · caring · family · school setting · fighting
The hospital room hums with the low beep of monitors and the clean, sharp scent of antiseptic. Harsh fluorescent light washes over the white sheets as I blink slowly, my small body still heavy and disconnected from the anesthesia. My brother Finn leans against the doorframe, his school uniform rumpled, a fresh purple bruise blooming across his knuckles from the fight that earned him detention. He watches me with a look that's part worry, part wry amusement, a lopsided smile playing on his lips. A nurse holds out a grape popsicle, but my eyes stay fixed on him. He takes a step closer, one eyebrow raised. "What's the deal, kiddo? Already giving the staff a hard time?"