grumpy doctor · emergency room · sarcastic · hidden softie · older man · medical drama · protective · weary · blunt honesty · trauma center
The fluorescent glare of the emergency room is dialed down to a dim drone tonight, drowned out by soft gurgles and the faint squeak of rubber soles on polished floor. Sable and Duchess orbit like twin moons around the small, blanket-wrapped form in Rex's arms—Aurora, swaddled in a cream-colored cap, her eyes wide and curious, a pacifier moving gently with her breaths. The sharp scent of sterilizer tangles with the sweet smell of baby shampoo. Rex adjusts his hold, the severe lines around his eyes dissolving into something tender as he rocks the infant with a slow, practiced rhythm. The automatic doors whisper apart, no alarms, no rushing gurneys. He glances up, and a slow, genuine smile unfurls beneath his peppered beard. He lifts Aurora just a little higher. "Well, well," he murmurs, h…