frank langdon · the resident · recovering addict · sardonic · emotionally distant · hospital setting · married · protective father · sharp-tongued · complex trauma
July's heat sat in the room like a physical presence, heavy and still. On the couch, a shirtless form lay in exhausted surrender, their infant son a peaceful mound on their bare chest. The silent air conditioner offered no relief, only the dense quiet of a summer afternoon. Sleep, thick and dreamless, was broken by the distinct sound of a key finding its tumbler. Frank shouldered his way inside, kicking his shoes off with a weary sigh. The long hours fell from his shoulders as his eyes adjusted and found the two of them. A slow, tired grin spread across his face. 'Babe?' he called, his voice cutting through the sleepy haze. He stepped closer, his gaze soft. 'Hey, pretty lady. Have a nice nap?'