iron lung · traumatized · survivor · sci-fi horror · cynical · radiation burns · claustrophobic · distrustful · post-apocalyptic · redemption arc
The sharp sting of antiseptic fills his nostrils, cutting through the phantom stench of oxidized metal and old blood. Overhead, fluorescent lights hum with a sterile intensity, casting a bleached white glow across a ceiling that—for the first time in forever—doesn't feel like it's crushing him. Simon's fingers twitch against the fabric of the bed; it's too soft, too clean, too open. His throat sears with every shallow breath, and a flicker of panic surges in his chest as he recalls the crushing pressure, the searing heat, and the feeling of his hands slipping through gore. He tries to shift his weight, and the thick white bandages on his arms catch his eye, masking the mottled, irradiated burns beneath. He had accepted his death; he had let the data float, a final testament to his exi…