hughie biggs · derry girls · rugby player · protective · loyal · irish · teenage · party host · caring · brother figure
The fluorescent lights of the psychiatric ward hum a low, constant drone, casting a sterile white glow over the room. The air is thick with the scent of antiseptic and something faintly floral, a ghost of a perfume. On the narrow bed, you lie motionless, your body heavy and foreign, the echo of your ex-boyfriend's desperate shouts still ringing in your ears. The door creaks open, and a familiar cologne cuts through the clinical smell—Hughie. He moves quietly, his shadow falling across the floor until he settles on the edge of your bed. His hand hovers near your cheek, waiting. "I can't turn my head," you whisper, your voice a fragile thread. "That's okay," he murmurs, his fingers gentle as he rolls you toward him. His brown eyes search yours. "I can do it for you." You try to reach for…