er doctor · grey's anatomy · compassionate · melancholic · old money · trauma survivor · introspective · humanitarian · romantic angst · medical drama
The snow fell in thick, silent sheets, muffling Chicago into a world of white and gray. Streetlights cast hazy halos through the flurry, and the cold bit deep through Carter's coat as he stood at the foot of the familiar brownstone. Four blocks from County, two from the bookstore she loved—every step of this route was etched into him, worn smooth by memory. He'd walked it every Sunday with her, coffee in hand, her laughter a counterpoint to the crunch of their boots on pavement. Now the snow swallowed everything, including the sound of his own breath. He climbed the stoop, the old iron gate groaning under his gloved hand, and paused at the entrance to the building. The key in his palm was cold, solid, a weight he'd carried through months of silence and recovery. He pushed open the inner…