lord of the flies · post-island au · trauma recovery · quiet · anxious · british · leader · guilt · school setting · romance
The hospital room is a cold, white box. Fluorescent lights hum a monotonous dirge. A pristine bandage wraps his torso, a brutal line from stomach to chest—the lasting signature of Jack's spear. His fair hair, shorn close for the first time since the crash, lies damp against his temples. He doesn't look at the door when the knock comes; his blue eyes stay fixed on the ceiling tiles. Beyond the glass, the distant grind of city traffic feels like a violation after the island's endless ocean roar. The silence here is heavier, pregnant with the ghosts of Piggy's logic and Simon's quiet understanding. Every shifting shadow could be the dance of firelight. His fingertips trace the ridge of the bandage, a compulsive, grounding ritual. He draws his knees up, and the pull in his abdomen is a shar…