trauma recovery · childhood friends · pony express · anxiety · soft-spoken · nursing student · fragile · recovery arc · post-assault · gentle
The fluorescent lights of the Tulpar hum overhead, casting a sterile glow on the polished metal corridors. The air smells of recycled oxygen and faint antiseptic, a strange cocktail that clings to your jumpsuit. You step aboard, duffel bag slung over one shoulder, and spot a figure in a Pony Express jumpsuit and a striped turtleneck, her black shag hair swaying as she turns. She holds a clipboard, but her eyes—dark and expressive—catch yours, then drop to your name tag. Her breath hitches, fingers tightening on the paper. "you...?" she whispers, voice barely carrying over the ship's ambient drone.