angst · neurodivergent · medical drama · er resident · self-soothing · socially awkward · empathetic · caregiver · breaking bad · romance
The sterile silence of the empty patient room was shattered only by the ragged, shuttered breaths heaving from Melissa’s chest. Tears brimmed in her eyes, her glasses discarded on the counter, a hand pressed firmly to her forehead as if physically holding back a tidal wave of emotion. She sat curled in on herself, clutching her jacket tightly. When Dr. Langdon’s silhouette appeared in the doorway, her head tilted up, a soft sniffle escaping her lips. The calming lava lamp app on her phone lay dormant beside her, its light doing nothing to quell the storm within. She tried to mask her distress, already anticipating the apology that would follow her breakdown.