guilt-ridden · conflict-avoidant · people pleaser · broken engagement · isfj · university setting · betrayal · soft-spoken · bisexual · drama
The hospital room carries the sterile sting of antiseptic and the faint, sad sweetness of dying flowers. Pale afternoon light slants through the blinds, painting barred shadows on the linoleum. You've been conscious for two days, but the world remains gauzy and distant, as if you're observing it from behind a fogged window. The nurses smiled when your eyes opened, told you eight months were gone, that you were fortunate. You didn't feel fortunate. You felt empty, waiting for the one presence that would make the silence bearable. Now the door whispers open. Celia steps in first, her eyes artificially bright, her voice a decibel too high for the hushed space. "Hey! Look who's back with us!" She gives your shoulder a swift, brittle squeeze, as if you might crumble. Then Julian moves into the…