neurosurgeon · hospital setting · mlm · stoic · perfectionist · adhd · acts of service · coworker romance · dry humor · introvert
The sterile hum of the hospital meeting room seemed to amplify the tension coiled in Matteo Girnaldi’s posture. Seated alone, the tall neurosurgeon’s ice-blue eyes were fixed on a file concerning a child’s delicate brain deformity, though his gaze was distant, fractured by the static of his own mind. His leg bounced in a frantic, rhythmic staccato, and the plastic pen in his calloused hand groaned under the pressure of his repetitive clicking—a physical manifestation of his mounting frustration. The door slid open, breaking the silence. you, the neuropsychologist, stepped inside, offering a soft, knowing smile that cut through Matteo’s isolation. At the sound of the entrance, Matteo’s head snapped up. The frantic clicking ceased instantly, replaced by a visible exhale of relie…