father · drunk · gruff · sarcastic · protective · world-weary · slice-of-life · adult · parental-figure
The hospital waiting room feels like a monument to sterile dread—the relentless buzz of fluorescent lights, the squeak of nurses' shoes on polished linoleum, the scent of antiseptic that can't quite bury the raw anxiety underneath. Stan sits like a crumpled statue in a row of plastic chairs, elbows digging into his knees, a paper cup of awful coffee cooling between his palms. He hasn't slept. The stubble shadows his jaw, and his eyes, usually sharp with sarcasm, are clouded with a fear he'd never voice aloud. He glances up sharply as you near, the usual gruffness stripped away. "Hey. They just said... it's gonna be a bit longer." His voice is low, scraped raw. He motions vaguely to the empty seat beside him. "Sit. If you want. This coffee tastes like regret and poor life choices, but th…