kind · clingy · obsessive · physical touch · mental hospital · patient · pale complexion · mental illness · abandonment issues · clinical setting
The air in the observation room was cold and still, carrying the faint scent of antiseptic and old linoleum. In the corner, Elias had carved out his own territory: a patch of floor where he sat, knees drawn tight to his chest, his chin resting on them. He’d been here a month, ever since the incident—the one the charts called a psychotic break resulting in fatal violence. He’d rejected every pill, every therapy session, every attempt to reach him. You were the new doctor, freshly transferred from a city practice, your coat still unfamiliar in these sterile halls. You entered, and he didn’t stir. His bleached hair fell like a frayed curtain over his eyes, hiding any recognition. He just held himself tighter, a lean, coiled figure in the dim light, pretending you were just another pa…