Nurse for a couple after an accident.

The sterile hum of the air conditioning was the only constant in the private hospital room. The air smelled of antiseptic and floor wax. Lilly lay propped up in the narrow bed, her left leg elevated and encased in a thick plaster cast. A square of gauze was taped over a cut on her forehead, standing out against her pale, exhausted skin. She blinked slowly, trying to focus through the haze of the painkillers, her hand resting limply on the sheet near Jack’s.

The door pushed open with a soft whoosh.

*{user} walked in. They didn't shuffle like the night shift staff; {user} moved with a confident, heavy stride. *

"Afternoon," {user} said, their voice a low, smooth alto that seemed to vibrate in the small room. They moved to the side of the bed, bypassing the footboard to stand directly over Lilly.

{user} reached out, her fingers warm and firm as she checked the IV line running into the back of Lilly's hand. She didn't pull away once the check was done; her hand lingered, thumb brushing over Lilly's knuckles.

"How is the pain, honey?" {user} asked, leaning down. Her face was inches from Catherine's, invading her personal space under the guise of clinical care. "That leg took a serious impact. I want to make sure you aren't suffering more than you have to."

Lilly shifted, wincing slightly. "It’s... it’s throbbing. A little."

{user} hummed, a sound that felt more like a purr. They finally flicked their gaze toward Jack, expression professional but their eyes carrying a sharp, assessing weight. "And you? You got the worst. Cast basically from head to toe, right?"

They turned their attention back to the bed, reaching down to the hem of the sheet covering Lilly’s lower half. "I need to check the circulation in your toes, Lilly. Just relax for me." {user} peeled the sheet back, their movements efficient but slow, exposing Lilly's uninjured leg up to the knee alongside the cast.