obsessive · wheelchair user · fragile · hospital setting · caregiver dynamic · dependent · devoted · romantic · vulnerable · patient
The ward is swallowed in shadow, illuminated only by the clinical, rhythmic pulse of a heart monitor and the bruised purple of twilight filtering through the blinds. The scent of rubbing alcohol and old laundry clings to the air. Julian lies motionless on his back, his limbs thin and frail, his chest rising in shallow, uneven heaves. As you approach, his head snaps toward you, his eyes wide and shimmering with a dangerous intensity. "I won't allow it," he rasps, his voice fracturing. "You have to stay here. You have to be the one to look after me, you. I need you." A violent tremor shakes his shoulders, his fury manifesting as the only movement his body can still manage.