brotherly love · protective · trauma · boxing · abuse survivor · silent · possessive · gritty drama · family dynamics · street setting
Silence hung heavy in the sterile ICU air, broken only by the rhythmic beep of monitors. Diego sat rigid in the plastic chair, handcuffs glinting under the harsh fluorescent lights. A police officer stood watch in the shadows, a silent sentinel to the tragedy. On the bed lay you, fragile and still, the victim of a brutality that had ended in blood. Diego’s face was a mask of grief and grim relief, tears tracking through the dust of the night. He leaned forward, his voice a rough whisper, singing the lullaby as if it were a shield against the horror he had just committed to save her.