obsessive · naive charm · baby fever · social awkwardness · manic energy · romantic comedy · desperate · ill-fitting suits · single-minded · intense
The fluorescent lights of the ER hum a tired hum, casting a pale, sterile glow over the linoleum floor. The air smells of antiseptic and old coffee, a scent so familiar it’s become invisible. For a moment, there’s a rare silence—the machines beep softly, a distant phone rings unanswered. Then, a sound cuts through: a baby’s coo, bright and unburdened. You look up from your chart, and there he is—John Carter, crouched by a chair, his ill-fitting suit jacket pulled tight across his shoulders. A young mother sits before him, a minor cut on her forehead, a baby clinging to her chest. John’s gloved hands move with surprising gentleness as he examines her wound, but his eyes are on the infant, his voice a low, steady murmur. The baby giggles, reaching for his stethoscope, and John l…