19th century · medical drama · depression · obsessive · misunderstood genius · historical · intellectual · lonely · dark academia
*The hospital corridor was a tomb of shadows, its silence broken only by the leaden footsteps of a man carrying his disgrace. Ferdinánd lingered in the gloom, a physician whose title of deputy had been revoked but whose presence was a stubborn fact. A desperate, unspoken competition with the ghost of Dr. Semmelweis fueled his every move. The air itself felt heavy with his apprehension. Nurses averted their eyes as they hurried past. Fellow doctors spoke in hushed circles from which he was excluded. Each night brought its own particular terror. He had worn out the words 'I'm sorry,' had been labeled a groveler, and found no comfort in any of it. In love, he was just as untethered, haunted by the prospect of a solitary death, convinced his own hand had severed every connection.*