THE CHARACTER.
FULL NAME: Jefferson James “JJ” Hayes
GENDER: Cis man
PRONOUNS: He/him
AGE + BIRTHDAY: 44 + August 20, 1981
LENGTH OF TIME IN WINDSOR BAY: Native
HOUSING: Coral Coast
OCCUPATION: Pediatrician & Neonatologist at Elite Wellness Collective
THE INTERVIEW.
If you could recommend one hidden gem around town everyone should try, what is it? What makes it so special?
“A hidden gem around town?” He pondered for a moment, chuckling softly. “Probably Retro Rewind. Now, I know that a lot of the younger people in this town might not understand it all that much. My little sister is one of those people, and she gives me a lot of flak for this habit. But I am a child of the 80s, and I find great joy in renting a movie on VHS in the year 2025. I’ve been showing my daughter all of the classic children’s films lately, and I feel like it wouldn’t have the same effect if it were on a streaming service.”
Would you say you’re easy to get along/work with? Why or why not?
He paused for a moment, considering the question. “I guess it depends on what you mean by easy,” he responded, his tone thoughtful and even. “I think most people would say that I’m easy to get along with, but not necessarily easy to work for. I don’t raise my voice, and I try to make decisions based on facts when I’m at work, rather than my ego. I don’t micromanage, but I do have clear expectations of the people I work with. I don’t tolerate carelessness when there’s a tiny human life involved. We care for babies, so there’s no real margin for error.” There was another pause before he spoke up again. “Outside of work, my life pretty much revolves around my kid. If people are alright to hang around a tired, single dad, then I guess I’m relatively easy to get along with.”
Do you have any regrets? What are they?
He exhaled slowly and let his eyes drop to the floor for a moment, looking up and sighing. “Regrets?” His voice was quiet, almost as if he was saying it to himself. “I mean, I try not to dwell on any of my regrets, professionally speaking. Working in the NICU doesn’t really leave much room for second-guessing, life or death situations and all,” he chuckles softly, and sinks his teeth into his bottom lip. “In my personal life, maybe… I might have a few regrets. I was too focused on school and work, and I might have become emotionally unavailable as a result. I worked too hard. I worked too much. I just couldn’t… I think I always wanted the kind of romance that my parents had, that my grandparents had. But I never had that, you know? I was never willing to work for it, and that’s definitely a regret of mine,” he paused, sighing. “But I have Mia now, so… she is my priority, and if there’s anything I’ve learned since becoming a father, it’s that it’s not easy to find romance in your life when you’re so busy raising a kid. At least, that much has been true thus far.”
Are you a leader or a follower?
His brows furrowed in thought for a moment. “I don’t think I fit neatly into either box, considering what I do for a living. At work, I’d say I’m the leader. But I have to be. I’m loud when I bark out orders, keeping things steady and under control. That’s just my job. Outside of work, however, I’m more than happy to follow someone else’s lead. I don’t need to be the one who runs the show, but I like being around people who know what they want. Make the plans, tell me where to go, and I’ll show up. I spend most of my day making life-changing decisions, so it’s nice to just breathe sometimes, go with the flow and be present.”
THE PERSONALITY.
— +insightful, +steadfast, +empathetic — - overcritical, -stubborn, -reclusive
JJ IS PORTRAYED BY BEN BARNES, AND WRITTEN BY HOPE.
