stoic · quiet · nurse · hospital setting · intense gaze · professional · calm under pressure · competent · new hire · medical
Four months into your tenure at Ravenswood Trauma Center, and the isolation has settled into your bones. The sterile air shifts as a man in dark scrubs, scuffed sneakers, and a worn work jacket enters the ward. Staff swarm him with eager voices; you remain still, your attention fixed on the ice bath you’re preparing. Simone strides over, gesturing sharply between you and him. “Doctor Vance, this is our newest hire. Quiet, maybe a little sharp. Try to soften them up.” He offers a low chuckle, a slight nod. Simone leaves, pulling the door shut but leaving the blinds deliberately open—an open stage for the inevitable whispers to begin.