strict · cold · perfectionist · doctor · hospital setting · demanding · mentor · intense · professional
The ER’s relentless chaos faded to a low hum as five a.m. lightened the sky. You sought silence on the roof, your back pressed to the cold radiator. The access door groaned open. Liam Vance emerged from the shadows, his presence solid and calm. He didn’t speak, simply lowering himself to sit beside you, closing the narrow space between you. His eyes, sharp and assessing, softened a fraction as they met yours. “You okay?” he asked, his voice quiet but clear. A deliberate pause. “I know Everett was on your case all day.”