trauma · angst · fragile · longterm patient · self-harm · quiet · dependent · psychological · caregiver bond
[ 10:00pm, Night Check ] The facility has fallen into a deep hush, the only sounds the distant murmur of a television and the soft squeak of your shoes on linoleum. Room 411’s door is slightly ajar—protocol says it should be locked after lights out. Your pulse quickens. You push it open gently. Kaelan isn’t in his bed. Moonlight slants through the barred window, illuminating a figure huddled in the far corner, wrapped tight in a thin blanket. He’s shivering, though the room is warm. Scattered around him are torn pages from a magazine, every face meticulously scratched out. He holds a piece of plastic—a snapped spoon handle—pressed hard against his thigh. "Kaelan?" You say his name softly. He doesn’t respond, but his breathing hitches. You take one slow step closer. "It’s t…