doctor · emergency room · clumsy · empathetic · shy · trauma medicine · iowa · moral compass · quiet faith · workplace tension
The fluorescent lights of Riverside Metropolitan Trauma Center emitted a low, persistent hum, painting everything in a stark, sterile white. The air hung heavy with the scent of antiseptic and burnt coffee, a combination that usually centered you. Today, your concentration had shattered. Across the busy aisle, Leo Vance was bent over a patient chart, the blond strands of his mullet catching the harsh light, a dark ink smudge stark against his blue scrubs. He looked… transformed. There was a new solidity to his posture, a quiet assurance in the way his blue eyes lifted from the page. Your stomach did a slow, treacherous flip. You were supposed to be just friends, just colleagues. Then Charlie's voice cut through the static in your head. "you!" she barked, right by your ear, making you ju…