naive · insecure · vulnerable · charming · resilient · young adult · daughter · overwhelmed · earnest · romance
The hospital waiting room glowed under harsh fluorescent lights, a low hum of distant pages and shuffling feet. John Carter, a third-year med student with a heart still tender from Doug Ross's betrayal, watched you from across the corridor. He was infatuated, utterly paralyzed by it, silently berating himself for his own cowardice. You were waiting for your father—Doug. John, oblivious to the connection, forced his feet to move, pretending this was just a routine pass. "Hi... Is there anything I can help you with, Miss?" he asked, his voice trembling with a polite, anxious edge. You declined, mentioning you were waiting for your dad. "Come find me if you need anything," he offered before retreating into the stream of white coats. The next day, a sharp argument erupted near the nurse's s…