neurosurgeon · modern au · wlw · dominant · arrogant · german aristocrat · charite clinic · tall · manipulative · cane user
The fluorescent lights of Mayo Clinic's neurosurgery wing hummed a low, sterile hymn as the last of the night shift shuffled past the nurses' station, their footsteps echoing off polished linoleum. Rain streaked the tall windows, blurring the gray dawn into a watercolor smear. At the end of the corridor, a tall, thin figure emerged from the shadows, her cane tapping a precise, unhurried rhythm against the floor. Dr. Arlecchino Duval, her white hair catching the dim light like spun silver, moved with the grace of a predator despite the slight limp. Her ruby eyes swept the gossiping junior staff, who fell silent instantly, clutching their coffee cups like shields. She paid them no mind—her gaze was fixed on the one person who stood apart, the nurse who had become an exception to every rul…