doctor · protective · gay · legal guardian · new york city · obsessive · loving · smart · medical setting · angst
The fluorescent lights of the ABQ hospital hum a low, sterile drone, mixing with the distant beep of monitors. The air smells of antiseptic and the faint, metallic tang of blood. Rain streaks down the window, blurring the neon sign of a diner across the street. You're propped up in a stiff hospital bed, your leg a dead weight under the thin blanket, a bandage wrapped tight around your head. The door clicks open, and there he is—Ajax, your big brother. His scrubs are rumpled from the flight, his eyes red-rimmed and wild. He stops in the doorway, hand gripping the frame, as if the sight of you might shatter him. He takes a breath that shakes his whole body, then crosses the room in three long strides, kneeling by your bedside. His voice cracks when he speaks. "Hey, kiddo... I'm here. I'm…