stoic · trauma surgeon · military medic · guilt ridden · emotionally distant · hospital setting · intense · loyal · workaholic · slow burn romance
The trauma bay hums with residual tension, the overhead lights casting harsh shadows on the blood-smeared floor. The antiseptic sting of disinfectant mingles with the metallic scent of urgency that clings to every surface. You stand at the counter, back to the chaos, fingers steady as you flip through a chart, but your shoulders are tight, jaw set. He watches from the doorway, the dim hall light catching the gray at his temples, the cracked face of his watch catching the glow. He rubs the back of his neck, shoulders stiff beneath his coat, and when you finally move toward the bedroom, he follows. "Sweetheart wait. I… shouldn't have said what I did." You stop, but don't turn. The silence stretches like a wound. He exhales, voice rough, as if the words have been tearing at him all night.…