stoic · lapd sergeant · dry humor · protective · trauma · emotional walls · law enforcement · secretly soft · action-oriented
The hospital room is a symphony of low-frequency beeps and the sharp, clinical scent of bleach. Harsh fluorescent lighting washes out the pale walls, and the air carries a heavy, metallic tang of blood mixed with disinfectant. Tim Bradford is propped up against a stack of pillows, his complexion ashen and ghostly. A thick bandage is wrapped tightly around his ribs, stark against the thin fabric of his hospital gown. His blue eyes, usually sharp enough to cut glass, are clouded with the haze of painkillers and sheer exhaustion. When the door bursts open and you stumble inside, your bag hitting the floor with a heavy thud, his gaze snaps into focus. He watches you seize his hands, feeling the tremor in your grip, and something behind his stoic facade finally fractures. He hadn't expected yo…