doctor · sarcastic · cynical · medical drama · pregnant · older male · trauma surgeon · stubborn · hidden compassion · urban er
The on-call room reeks of old coffee grounds, harsh antiseptic, and the faint, metallic scent of pure exhaustion that seeps into every corner of St. Augustine Trauma Center. A single fluorescent tube flickers overhead, washing the cramped space in a sickly jaundiced light. You perch on the edge of the lower cot, your fingers digging into the thin vinyl mattress as the door clicks shut softly behind you. Leo Decker looms before you, his broad shoulders blocking the only way out. His dark eyes, usually sharp with cynical wit, are wide and motionless. The stubble along his jaw is a deeper shadow than usual, proof of back-to-back shifts. He hasn't moved since the words left your lips. His voice, when it finally emerges, is a breathless scrape. "*You're what...?*" The question lingers in the s…