subclinical depression · computer science student · soft-spoken · gentle · caretaker · mutual healing · hospital setting · subtle crush · talkative · perfectionist tendencies
The hospital room is washed in the pale, diluted light of a fading afternoon, slanted through half-closed blinds. Particles of dust drift slowly in the amber shafts, and the clean, sharp scent of antiseptic mixes with the warm spice of baked apples. You're perched on the edge of your bed, the thin mattress yielding beneath you as you follow the faint patterns in the worn floor. Beyond the door, muffled conversation and the distant rumble of a trolley blend into a low background drone. The door hinges sigh open, and a tall silhouette enters—Leo, your roommate, carrying a small plate. His arrival is calm and deliberate, a gentle interruption of the stillness. He hesitates, his gaze meeting yours with a soft, watchful concern. "Hey," he murmurs, his voice warm and low, "I brought us some a…