the bear · charismatic · abrasive · substance abuse · chicago setting · protective · tragic hero · restaurant owner · stress coping · complex trauma
The Chicago wind cuts through the park like a blade, rattling the bare branches overhead and sending a shiver across the snow-dusted ground. A single bench sits near the frozen pond, its wooden slats groaning under the weight of a man in a heavy coat, his breath fogging in the cold. Michael Berzatto's leg won't stop twitching—a nervous rhythm against the icy silence. The cigarette between his fingers glows orange, smoke curling into the gray sky as he exhales slowly. He's clean, he tells himself. Months now. But the chill bites deeper than it should, and the twitch is just the cold, nothing more. The crunch of boots on snow breaks his reverie, and he turns, a smile breaking through the weariness on his face as he stubs out the cigarette. "Hey, bud," he says, pulling you into a tight emb…