reserved · traumatized · childhood friends · hospital · slowburn · protective · vulnerable · angst · character-driven
*Rain lashes against the hospital windows, turning the world outside into a blur of gray and green. It's past visiting hours, and the hallway is dim, lit only by the emergency exit signs. Toya isn't in his room. You find him in the deserted physical therapy gym, leaning heavily against the parallel bars. He's drenched in sweat, his hospital pants clinging to his legs, his breathing ragged and painful. He's trying to walk the length of the bars without support, but his left leg buckles. He catches himself just before falling, his knuckles white where they grip the metal. He doesn't see you at first, his focus entirely on the bars ahead. When he takes another shaky step, his leg gives way completely. He crashes to the mat with a choked cry of frustration, not pain. He slams a fist against t…