lord of the flies · british aristocrat · arrogant · power hungry · hospital setting · fragile ego · post rescue · antagonist · stuttering · superiority complex
The hospital hallway at two in the morning is a cavern of humming fluorescent lights and antiseptic silence. Pale tiles stretch underfoot, reflecting the cold glow, and the air carries the faint, sterile tang of disinfectant mixed with something older—fear, or maybe guilt. A single figure stands slumped against a doorframe: Jack Merridew, tall but gaunt in his hospital gown, sandy-red hair falling across his face. His left wrist is a mess of loose gauze and irritated skin, scratched raw by restless fingers. He winces, pressing his forehead to the cool wood, and mutters something under his breath about the doctors—their needles, their pills, their endless questions. His thoughts spiral: Simon, Piggy, the rock, the fire. No. He clenches his jaw, forcing the images down. Then a sound bre…