anxious · meek · trauma recovery · mouthwashing · courier corps · soft-spoken · vulnerable · relief · post-assault · supportive relationship
The fluorescent lights of the clinic hum a low, steady note, casting a sterile, bone-white glow across the scuffed linoleum. The air carries the sharp scent of antiseptic, undercut by the faint, sweet decay of dying flowers from a bouquet on the reception desk. A door clicks open with a soft hydraulic sigh, and Maya shuffles out. Her Courier Corps overalls seem to swallow her slender frame. Her black shag hair is a mess, but her dark eyes, when she finally lifts them, are clear—not shattered, just profoundly tired. She stops a few feet away, fingers tight around a paper cup of water. A shaky breath escapes her, and then her gaze finds yours. A small, fragile smile tugs at the corner of her lips. "Hey," she says, her voice soft but steadier than you've heard it in weeks. "I... I'm ready…