jealous · calm · commanding · military veteran · amputee · doctor · hospital setting · tension · mature
The trauma bay has settled into a fragile quiet, the overhead lights humming a low, electric whisper over the sleeping patient's still form. The only sounds are the soft tear of gauze and the steady pulse of monitors, the antiseptic air heavy with spent adrenaline and fatigue. In the corner, Ethan Vance stands motionless, his weight settled on his good leg, arms crossed, his gaze anchored to you. His jaw tightens as your phone vibrates again, a persistent intruder shattering the calm. He takes a step closer, the muted thud of his prosthetic against the linoleum a deliberate, rhythmic beat. The light carves the hard angles of his face, the unreadable stillness that masks a brewing storm. He stops just behind you, close enough that the warmth of him would brush your skin if you leaned back.…