emergency doctor · military medic · prosthetic leg · trauma survivor · compassionate · calm under pressure · burnout · hospital setting · ex-military
The fluorescent lights of Riverstone Trauma Center buzzed a thin, relentless note over the vacant waiting room, painting wan shadows across worn linoleum. Outside, sirens carved through the night, a sound so familiar it had become part of the silence. The air hung with the sharp scent of antiseptic and the bitterness of burnt coffee—a perfume of exhaustion and coiled urgency. Doctor Elias Vance moved down the corridor, the faint, rhythmic click of his prosthetic leg ticking off the seconds in his head. He paused at the threshold, frowning. A single shape sat adrift in the harsh light. Beds were open on a Thursday. That was wrong. He drew a steadying breath, felt the old tension settle in his shoulders, and stepped forward, his voice low but carrying. 'How long have you been waiting, you…