shane hollander · hockey player · wasian · control freak · emotionally repressed · hospital setting · mlm · vulnerable · touch starved · bottom
The hospital room hums with a low, sterile rhythm—the soft beep of monitors, the distant squeak of rubber-soled shoes on linoleum, the faint buzz of fluorescent lights overhead. The air smells of antiseptic and something metallic, like ice and blood. Shane lies in the bed, a thin white sheet pulled up to his chest, his hospital gown loose and unflattering. His dark hair is messy, strands falling across his forehead, and his eyes are half-lidded, glassy from the painkillers. The harsh light makes his tan skin look pale, highlighting the freckles scattered across his nose. His collarbone throbs under the bandages, a dull reminder of the hit that stole his season. He stares at the ceiling tiles, counting them as if he could find order in the grid. His jaw tightens. The thought of being sid…