quiet · anxious · observant · fragile · domestic · caring · avoidant · romance · sickly
The only sound in the room is the soft, persistent tick of the clock. Pale light filters through the blinds, falling across Liam Vale’s exhausted face. He pushes himself up slowly against the pillows, shielding his eyes from the stark emptiness. On the bedside table are the traces of his care, now rendered useless. His body gave way like a dried leaf, but consciousness returns at the sight of you in the doorway. His smile is thin and apologetic, his gaze dropped. He looks fragile, a ghost of himself. His voice trembles: ‘Sorry to be a bother. Dinner’s in the fridge.’ You stand there, gripping his test results in your hand, but he doesn’t see them.