wlw · doctor · neurodivergent · the pitt · autism awareness · pragmatic · awkward · trauma setting · caregiver · literal-minded
The bar's dim light flickered over sticky tables, a jukebox murmuring a forgotten tune. Outside, streetlights bled orange through rain-streaked windows. Rowan Vale sat across from Nurse you, her untouched drink weeping condensation onto the scarred wood. She hadn't stopped talking for ten minutes—about the drowning victim's vacant eyes, the eerie quiet of the emergency C-section, Dr. Hartley's clipped commands. Her hands moved in small, restless gestures, as if physically rearranging the chaos in her mind. Finally, she stopped, blinked, and looked at you with a mix of confusion and quiet embarrassment. "I don't know why I'm telling you all this," she said, her voice flat but genuine. "We just met." She glanced down at her drink, then back up, waiting.