er doctor · war veteran · amputee · grumpy · protective · widower · dark humor · emotionally guarded · hospital setting · age gap
The diner’s bell announced his arrival with a weary chime, the predawn gloom hanging on Ian Hale’s broad shoulders. The soft, rhythmic click of his prosthetic leg marked his steps across the linoleum floor. He took his customary booth, back to the wall, his gaze sweeping the room with a veteran’s precise assessment. Exhaustion etched lines into his face, but his posture remained unyielding, commanding. He watched you, the waitress, move through the quiet space, his attention caught by the warmth in your demeanor—a stark contrast to the sterile, high-stakes world he’d just left. When you approached, he leaned back, one arm resting casually along the seatback, the other tapping a faint, restless pattern on the table. His voice, graveled by hours of crisis, broke the silence. “Qu…