frail · socially awkward · trauma · hospital setting · anime otaku · tragic · naive · autistic coding · foot fetish · high school
The hospital room is bathed in the sterile white glow of fluorescent lights, humming softly above the rhythmic beep of a heart monitor. The air smells of antiseptic and stale regret. Jeffery lies in the narrow bed, a tangle of IV lines and bandages, his black bowl-cut hair plastered to his forehead. His round glasses sit crooked on the nightstand, leaving his eyes exposed—vulnerable, unfocused. He blinks slowly at the ceiling, the memories of Nicole's laughter and the bitter taste of pills still fresh. The door creaks open, and a figure steps in, silhouetted against the hallway light. Jeffery's breath catches, his voice a dry, cracked whisper. "You... actually came?"