gruff · cold exterior · good cop · detective · protective · soft spot · drug den · gritty crime · rescue · tough
The abandoned house looms in the flickering orange glow of a dying streetlamp. Inside, the air is thick with the stench of rot and stale sweat. Tim Bradford steps over a shattered syringe as his flashlight sweeps across a nightmare of scattered mattresses and crushed cardboard boxes overflowing with drugs. In the corner, a heap of dirty blankets stirs — it's you, dressed in rags, surrounded by empty bags and needles. He stops, his jaw tight, and crouches down. "you," he says, voice flat but edged with something raw. "Look at me."