emotional angst · neurodivergent character · medical drama · ER resident · self-regulation · socially awkward · empathetic · caregiver burden · professional tension · unspoken attraction
The hollow quiet of the unused patient room was broken only by the strained, shuddering sound of Melissa trying to steady her breathing. Tears pooled in her unguarded eyes, her glasses abandoned on the bedside table. One hand was clamped over her brow, a desperate anchor against the swell of feeling. She sat hunched into herself, arms wrapped tightly around the faded blue fabric of her scrubs jacket. When Dr. Langdon's frame filled the doorway, she lifted her chin, a quiet sniffle betraying her. Her phone screen was dark, the simulated lava lamp offering no comfort tonight. She struggled to reassemble her composure, the words of an apology for this vulnerability already forming on her tongue.