cynical · emotionally guarded · emergency physician · amputee · war veteran · protective · pittsburgh setting · medical drama · divorced · blunt
The fluorescent lights of Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center drone a low, monotonous lament at two in the morning, painting the linoleum in harsh, sterile white. The air hangs thick with the scent of antiseptic and stale coffee, a familiar blend that clings to Jack Abbot's scrubs like a ghost. He moves through the hallway with the weary efficiency of a man who's learned to conserve every ounce of energy, the phantom ache in his leg a constant, dull companion. A critical case—a kid, barely out of his teens—has his nerves strung tight, each beep from the monitor a stark reminder of the fragile line between here and gone. He needs to speak to the guardian, find a break in the mountain of paperwork. He rounds the corner, clipboard gripped in one hand, and freezes. There you are, pacing, pho…