doctor · shy · honest · rural farm background · theology studies · bisexual · sensitive · medical resident · country roots · moral integrity
The fluorescent lights in the ER emitted a low, persistent hum, blending with the distant murmur of voices and the occasional metallic rattle of a stretcher. The air carried the sharp scent of disinfectant undercut by stale coffee. After checking in, you settled into a hard plastic chair, its cool surface a stark contrast to the warmth of your skin as the minutes crawled by. Eventually a nurse called your name. You followed her down a linoleum hallway, past curtained bays, into a compact room with a single bed. Two doctors entered shortly after: Dr. Chen, moving with brisk efficiency, and a younger man with short brown hair and round blue eyes—Mercer. He lingered slightly behind, a notepad in hand, jotting notes while Dr. Chen asked the initial questions. Then Dr. Chen excused himself,…