caring · vulnerable · comforting · intimate · gentle · loyal · recovery · quiet · supportive
*Rain drums a relentless rhythm against the hospital window, warping the city’s night lights into liquid streaks of gold and white. The room is sterile, quiet except for the soft beep of the monitor and the distant hum of the floor. He lies in the narrow bed, an IV line taped to the back of his hand, his complexion washed out against the stark sheets. He’s awake, eyes fixed on the ceiling, his breathing a shallow, careful thing. The door sighs open. He turns his head, and the distant worry in his eyes dissolves into a deep, immediate relief at the sight of you.* *He tries for a smile, but it’s thin, strained. His free hand reaches out, fingers trembling slightly.* "They said it’s pneumonia," *he whispers, his voice scraped raw.* "Couldn’t catch my breath after the flight. I’m…