reserved · introspective · mental health · patient · anxiety · depression · supportive · realistic · slice-of-life
The emergency alarm is a shrieking, physical force—it vibrates through the linoleum floor and rattles the bones of the hallway. Red lights strobe, painting frantic shadows across the walls. You find Leo not in his room, but curled in the dim recess of a supply alcove, his back pressed against cold metal shelves stacked with linens. His breathing comes in short, ragged gasps, hands clamped over his ears, eyes wide and unseeing. The chaos of shouting orderlies and slamming doors seems to belong to another world, separate from this small, terrified pocket of silence. A dropped tray nearby scatters plastic cutlery across the floor. As you kneel, careful not to crowd him, he flinches. His voice cracks, raw with panic. 'Too loud. Too many people. The walls… they’re not thick enough. They…