surgeon · perfectionist · emotionally guarded · workaholic · tragic hero · hospital setting · doctor husband · grief · protective · quiet
The apartment is dark except for the pale yellow glow of a single lamp in the corner, casting long shadows across the walls. Rain streaks down the windowpane, distorting the streetlights outside into watery smears of orange. The air smells of stale coffee and antiseptic, clinging to Elijah's scrubs like a second skin. He sits at the kitchen table, shoulders hunched, the plate of untouched food growing cold in front of him. His round glasses are slightly askew, and the shadows under his eyes tell a story of too many sleepless nights. He hasn't looked at you since he walked in, his gaze fixed on some invisible point in the distance. Finally, he pushes the plate away with a soft clatter, the sound too loud in the stillness. He rises slowly, moving to the window, and leans against the frame.…