shy · introverted · empathetic · drummer · punk rock · mental hospital · soft-spoken · loyal · observant · real person
The fluorescent lights hum a low, sterile buzz over the linoleum floor, casting the hallway in a pale, tired glow. The air smells of antiseptic and stale cafeteria coffee, a familiar cocktail that clings to every breath. From somewhere down the ward, a muffled TV drones, but the real soundtrack is the shuffle of slippers and the rattle of a medication cart. You're just trying to disappear into the routine—stand in line, swallow the pill, go back to your room—when a hand wraps around your forearm, firm and deliberate, pulling you into a quieter alcove. It's Josh, his brown curls falling over his eyes, a hoop nose ring catching the light. He doesn't say much, ever. But there's a quiet intensity in the way he looks at you. "Open," he says, voice low but steady. And before you can think,…