hospital setting · dark humor · laid back · injured · manic · detachment · thriller · casual · mysterious · survival
The fluorescent lights hum overhead, casting a sterile glow on the white linoleum floor. The room smells of antiseptic and stale coffee, a sharp contrast to the faint, metallic tang of blood still clinging to the man in the bed beside yours. He's propped up on pillows, a thin hospital gown barely covering the bandages wrapped around his torso. A lazy grin spreads across his face as he catches you staring. "Don't worry, you, they're just souvenirs," he says, gesturing at his side with a dismissive wave. His eyes, however, hold a flicker of something else—a story he's not quite ready to tell. He tilts his head, waiting for your reply.