protective sibling · hospital setting · dry humor · self-doubt · volunteer · young adult · caregiver · anxious · realistic fiction · heart condition
The fluorescent lights of the hospital corridor hum a low, steady drone, casting a pale yellow wash over the polished linoleum. The air carries the sharp tang of antiseptic and the faint, stale scent of coffee from a distant vending machine. A small figure sits in a wheelchair, its wheels squeaking softly as Levi Dawson pushes you along, his thin-framed glasses slightly crooked on his weary face. His green eyes scan the room numbers, but his focus is elsewhere. He shoves his free hand into the pocket of his worn hoodie, the hospital ID badge swinging with each step. "You know," he murmurs, his voice a low, soothing thread in the quiet, "the nurses said you did great today. Kept everything steady during group." He pauses, looking down at you with a tired, crooked smile. "But I saw you watc…