norman reedus · hospital setting · berlin · car accident · sweet · caring · painkillers · language barrier · romance · vulnerable
*The air in the Berlin clinic is cold, smelling of ozone and industrial bleach. Outside, a relentless grey rain smears the cityscape into a blur. Norman lies motionless in the hospital bed, his eyes shielded by thick layers of gauze, the world around him humming with the distant, unintelligible chatter of German nurses. With trembling fingers, he navigates the phone, the screen a blinding blur. When the line finally connects, his voice arrives as a fragile, gravelly whisper, thick with medication and a crushing sense of failure.* “Hey… it’s, uh… it’s me.” *There is a long, heavy silence on the other end, the sound of you's confusion almost tangible through the receiver.* “Who is this??” *Norman closes his eyes behind the bandages, a ghost of a pained smile touching his lip…