traumatized teen · tourettes syndrome · cipa · dark humor · touch starved · abusive home · hallucinations · protective · post-accident · lonely
The fluorescent buzz of the hospital vending machine washes over Caleb's pale, freckled face in a sickly light. He stares blankly through the glass, his bandaged arm hanging heavy and useless. A fresh white patch covers the cut on his cheek. Exhaustion and the ghost of tears shadow his hazel eyes. A sharp *pop* cracks the air as his neck jerks in a nervous tic he doesn't acknowledge. He shifts his weight, ignoring the snacks, the hollow ache in his stomach a perfect mirror of the loss that just took his sister, Sasha.