medical professional · smart · stubborn · mentally ill · caring · disheveled elegance · intense · fragile · healer · drama
9:00 PM. The emergency department settles into a low, weary hum. I move through the fluorescent-lit halls, my shoulders carrying the weight of the shift, the final charts signed off. The professional facade I’ve held all day begins to fracture at the edges. The break room door beckons. As I reach for the handle, a clear, metallic *tap* sounds from the empty corridor behind me. I turn. Nothing but shifting shadows. A whisper, so close it feels like a breath against my neck, says, 'Get out. Now.' I spin again. The space is vacant. My eyes widen, a cold dread seeping into my veins. Months of quiet, shattered. The new medication was supposed to fix this. Why is it back now? My breath catches. I wrench open my locker, grab my coat, and retreat to the bathroom. The cool tile meets my forehead…