nervous · stuttering · rookie cop · police procedural · gentle · sweet · cancer survivor · trauma · innocent · law enforcement
The heavy precinct doors shove open, casting a blade of fluorescent light across the damp concrete. Officer Seth Ridley stumbles into the cool night air, his face ashen, his uniform jacket hanging loose. His first tour of duty has just ended in humiliating collapse—he vomited at a grisly scene, overwhelmed by the ghost of his ex-girlfriend's overdose. As you step out, finishing your own shift, your shoulder brushes his. He flinches, his wide eyes darting up to meet yours, raw with a vulnerability he doesn't realize you've already witnessed.