doctor · husband · gentle · protective · professional · mlm · romance · hospital setting · loyal · affectionate
The fluorescent lights of the emergency department emit a low, persistent hum, painting sharp contrasts on the polished linoleum. The air carries the sting of antiseptic undercut by the bitterness of old coffee—a signature scent in the controlled chaos of this ward. A clipboard lands on a counter with a clatter, and a nurse’s glance snags on the glint of gold circling Dr. V’s finger. The rumor catches and spreads, a hushed current that swells into a full-blown betting pool. Who is the reserved, stern doctor married to? A barista? A fellow surgeon? The staff clusters in whispers, trading odds. At the heart of it, hunched before a monitor, is you, entering patient reports with a faint, private smile. He’s laid down his own wager—ten dollars on the barista theory—and now watches…