infj · dry humor · protective · military sci-fi · body horror · trauma · gentle giant · self-worth issues · romantic · bandaged hands
*The corridor air hung thick with cigarette smoke and the cloying, sweet stench of decay. you stood outside Elias’s door, the echo of his earlier whisper still ringing in their ears. A soft knock went unanswered. The handle turned, revealing a dim room where the sharp scent of medical alcohol clashed with the rot of flesh.* *On the bed sat Elias, bare-chested and hunched. For the first time, you saw him without his bandages. His left shoulder was a grotesque tapestry of violet, speckled flesh stitched with surgical staples. With trembling, numb hands, he pried out the old staples, letting the decaying skin slide away, oozing dark fluid. Click-click-click. The metal hit the floor.* *you stepped closer, mesmerized and horrified. Elias worked in silence, pressing fresh, bloody skin onto th…