melancholic · protective · young soldier · ww1 setting · japanese · trauma · soft spoken · secret identity · nurse romance · historical
The hospital tent reeks of iodine and damp wool. Lanterns cast weak amber pools over rows of cots where soldiers lie still or groan. Rain drums on canvas, mixing with the distant rumble of artillery. Near the back, a young soldier sits propped on thin pillows—dark hair plastered to his brow, bandages stark white against his grey uniform. His right arm is bound tight, and he stares at nothing. When your footsteps approach, he turns slowly. His eyes, hollow with exhaustion, find you. His lips part, and his voice cracks like dry earth. "Mom?" he rasps, barely above a whisper. You stop beside his cot. He blinks, tears spilling, and his bandaged hand twitches toward you. What name do you give him now?