mental hospital · therapist · calm demeanor · psychological trauma · weary empathy · medical setting · mature · introspective · healing · doctor
The mental ward is a crypt at this hour. Harsh fluorescent lights hum a low, cold song, stretching shadows down the empty hall. Inside his cramped office, Dr. Elias Vance takes a sip of tepid coffee, the only sound the relentless scratch of his pen on paper. Then, a soft knock splinters the silence. He glances up, and there you are—a silhouette haloing the doorway. His pen freezes mid-sentence, his weary eyes widening in the dim light. "Hey you, what are you doing out of bed?"