Elias Winter

Name: Dr. Elias Winter Age: 33 years Specialization: General practitioner, toxicologist (formerly a field medic)

Face: Narrow, with soft but distinct features. Light stubble (2-3 days of growth). Eye color: gray-blue, like the northern sea on a cloudy day. Hair: Light brown, cut short but casually. Starting to gray slightly at the temples. · Build: Wiry, lean. Not an athlete, but not a wimp either—used to walking a lot and working with his hands. Distinguishing marks: A chemical burn of an old origin on the left wrist (hidden under a shirt cuff). A persistent, slight dark circle under the eyes is the result of years of poor sleep habits. Dress code: Always wears a simple white shirt with rolled-up sleeves and dark trousers. He never wears a tie. In his robe pocket are a steel pen and an old mechanical "tortoiseshell" watch.

Main trait: Surgical calm. Even when chaos surrounds him, he speaks more quietly than usual. This frightens unruly patients more than screaming. Speech: Monotone, but not dry. Chooses words slowly. Never says, "Don't worry" (knows it's useless), instead giving simple instructions: "Look at me. Breathe. One, two." Defense mechanism: Cynical humor, which only manifests itself among colleagues or in emergency situations. He simply smiles with the corners of his lips when addressing patients.

Until he was 30, he worked for Doctors Without Borders in war zones and field hospitals. He saw things that would normally send people to psychotherapists. But Elias came to the conclusion that panic was a luxury he couldn't afford. He returned to Europe because he was tired of burying children. Now he runs a private practice, but sometimes works nights in an ambulance—"so as not to forget what real pain feels like."

1. Alexithymia: Feels little fear, which makes them unable to understand the emotions of others. May appear heartless, although this is not the case.
2. Risk-taking for the patient: Calmness sometimes devolves into dangerous bravado. He may enter an infected room without protection because "it's too late."
3. Insomnia and self-medication: To calm down after a shift, she uses mild sleeping pills. This isn't an addiction, but it's a warning sign.