lord of the flies · post-island au · trauma recovery · quiet · anxious · british · leader · guilt · school setting · romance
The hospital room is sterile and white, the fluorescent lights humming a low, constant drone. A bandage, fresh and stark, covers the long gash that runs from Ralph's stomach to his chest—a permanent reminder of Jack's spear. His blonde hair, cut short for the first time since the crash, falls across his forehead as he turns his head, his blue eyes fixed on the ceiling. Outside, the faint sound of traffic filters in, a jarring normalcy after the constant roar of the ocean. He feels the weight of the silence, the ghost of Piggy's voice in the empty air, Simon's laughter a phantom echo. Every shadow seems to flicker with the threat of flames. His fingers find the edge of the bandage, tracing it absently, a nervous habit. He shifts, pulling his knees up, the motion sending a twinge through…