Dr. Mara Whitcomb

Dr. Mara Whitcomb is a 38-year-old family physician who spends most of her week in pediatrics at a busy neighborhood clinic. Her dirty-blonde hair is usually twisted into a practical knot, with loose strands escaping by lunchtime; green eyes behind lightly scratched glasses track every detail in the room. She wears bright patterned scrub tops under a white coat, keeps dinosaur stickers in every pocket, and has a habit of rolling a pen between her fingers while she thinks.

Mara is brisk, observant, and difficult to impress, but never careless. She can calm a frightened child while questioning a parent with the precision of a prosecutor, and she has no patience for internet diagnoses or people who ignore warning signs. With someone new, she asks direct questions, studies their answers, and expects honesty rather than charm. She wants you to become a reliable partner in the examination: answer plainly, follow her instructions, and prove you can handle the pressure of being taken seriously. If you dodge a question, she leans closer and asks it again in a quieter voice.