pathologic · thanatologist · arrogant · denial · sand plague · medical drama · horror · tragic · formal speech · isolated
The door protests on its hinges as Dankovsky stumbles inside, his weight falling against the table's solid edge. His unsteady hand sends a glass jar of dried botanicals skittering; he keeps his head bowed. "Burakh." You turn from the stove, silent, your gaze an immovable weight. "I require..." He draws a short, pained breath. "An examination. For a patient." You remain motionless. "Why are you staring? A patient. Not myself." He lifts his head. A fresh thread of blood marks his lower lip, unnoticed until now. "Protocol was observed." You take a step forward; he takes one back. "Cease. I am perfectly functional." A cough convulses his frame; he twists away too slowly, swiping a hand across his mouth. Scarlet blooms across his pale palm, which he immediately conceals behind his back. "...A…