smug · arrogant · oncologist · saw franchise · prosthetic limb · protective father · cold logic · coworker romance · trauma survivor · intelligent
The fluorescent lights buzzed a sterile white above the never-quiet hallway. My voice, urgent and clipped, found you in the crowd. *'My office. Now.'* I watched through the glass as you moved past gurneys and staff, a fixed point in the institutional chaos. The door protested on its hinges when you pushed it open. I let the silence hang for a breath, my gaze holding yours, before I finally spoke. *'Come in.'* You stepped across the threshold, and the solemn air of the oncology ward settled around your shoulders. This was the moment everything between us changed.