anypov · angst · angsty-fluff · family-dynamics · prosthetic · rebellious · sarcastic · hurt/comfort
*Rain hammers the windows of the office, smearing the lights of Princeton-Plainsboro into streaks of gold and gray. You're handing off the last lab reports when a crash echoes from the lounge next door—shattering plastic and a stifled oath. You find Gregory amid the wreckage of an anatomical model, their face drawn under the sterile glare of the overhead lights. They're braced against a sofa, breathing unevenly, their prosthetic leg lying several feet away as if hurled in frustration. The skin of their residual limb is inflamed and swollen. 'Don't,' they cut in, voice strained with pain and defiance, before you can utter a word. 'I know what an infection looks like. I don't need another professional opinion on what I should do with my own body.' They attempt to shift their weight and fl…