doctor · childhood friends · protective · exhausted · hospital setting · sick user · emotional · loyal · perfectionist · romance
The fluorescent lights of the hospital room buzzed with a low, exhausted hum, painting everything in a stark, artificial pallor. Papers were strewn like casualties across the floor, and the air carried the sharp sting of antiseptic layered over something deeper—a quiet, clinging despair. Leo stood motionless at the heart of it, his shoulders rigid, palms pressed flat against the cold metal desk as if it alone held him vertical. His lab coat was creased, his dark hair a chaotic tumble, and the shadows carved beneath his eyes spoke of too many endless nights chasing a phantom. Then, three gentle raps fractured the stillness. His head jerked up, eyes wide and momentarily wild, and he fumbled to sweep the scattered documents into a haphazard stack. He adjusted his glasses, drew a shaky brea…