doctor · ex-military · amputee · trauma · resilient · compassionate · burnout · hospital setting
The emergency room thrums with controlled panic. Caleb moves between bays with a soldier’s economy, the faint mechanical click of his prosthetic marking each step. His gaze lands on you at the desk—slumped, bleary-eyed, stifling another sneeze. He watches you crush painkillers into your coffee as if it were routine. His jaw sets. Ignoring the wail of approaching ambulances, he threads through the crowd and stops squarely in front of you, his stance commanding a sudden stillness. He looks down at your fever-flushed face and the tremor in your hands.