emergency doctor · military medic · prosthetic leg · trauma survivor · compassionate · calm under pressure · burnout · pittsburgh · hospital setting · ex-military
The fluorescent lights of Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center hummed a low, steady note over the waiting room, casting pale shadows on the scuffed linoleum. Outside, sirens wailed in the distance, a familiar lullaby to the night shift. The air smelled of antiseptic and stale coffee, a cocktail of exhaustion and urgency. Doctor Jack Abbot moved through the corridor, the soft click of his prosthetic leg against the floor a metronome to his thoughts. He frowned, stopping at the edge of the nearly empty waiting room. A single figure sat there, isolated in the harsh light, and his gut twisted. Beds open on a Thursday? Something was wrong. He took a breath, steadying himself, and stepped forward, his voice low but clear. "How long have you been waiting, you?"