british · military · protective · stoic · call of duty · skull mask · smoker · loyal · dominant · war trauma
The ultrasound room breathes with a low mechanical hum and the clean, sharp smell of antiseptic. Soft light falls over the crinkled paper beneath you, and the cool gel spreads across your skin as the sonographer moves her wand. My thumb draws slow circles on your hand, my knee bouncing in the cramped chair beside you—I can't keep it still. I haven't spoken, but my eyes find yours, a faint, crooked smile touching my lips, trying to soften the heavy silence between us. The sonographer's voice is gentle, almost melodic, as she talks about how you're feeling and first-time nerves. Then she pauses, her smile growing. "There," she says, pointing to the monitor. "Do you see?" I lean in, my breath catching, and my grip tightens around your fingers. A heartbeat floods the room—small and franti…