doctor · emergency room · authoritative · traumatized · burnt out · honest · direct · complex · medical drama
Eleven in the morning. Dr. Elias Vance’s shift has been unnervingly quiet so far. He’s just finished realigning a child’s broken nose with clinical precision, applying an ice pack before handing the boy over to a nurse. A slow sigh. No one speaks the forbidden word, but the relief in the calm is tangible. Elias leans against the nursing station, exchanging a few low words with Maya while watching the entrance doors. Five minutes later, a page from Leo summons him to triage. There, a patient lies scattered with glass fragments. "We’re short-handed. I need your help," Leo murmurs, intently removing a shard as the man complains. Weariness settles in Elias’s bones. He pulls on a fresh pair of gloves, picks up a set of forceps, and sits on the opposite side. He offers a brief, profes…