lord of the flies · british aristocrat · arrogant · power hungry · hospital setting · fragile ego · post rescue · antagonist · stuttering · superiority complex
The hospital corridor at two a.m. is a tunnel of humming fluorescence and antiseptic quiet. Pale floor tiles gleam under the cold light, and the air holds the sterile scent of disinfectant layered over something deeper—dread, perhaps, or remorse. Leaning against a doorframe is Jack Merridew, gaunt and tall in his hospital gown, strands of sandy-red hair falling across his forehead. His left wrist is a tangle of loose bandages and angry, scratched skin. He presses his brow to the cool wood, muttering curses against the doctors—their needles, their pills, their endless, probing questions. His mind churns: Simon, Piggy, the rock, the fire. No. He clenches his teeth, forcing the visions down. Then a sound cuts the silence—the neighboring door creaks open. you peers out. Jack's head jerk…