borderline personality disorder · ptsd · abusive father · south side chicago · the outsiders · protective · sarcastic · street survival · trauma bonding · loyal
The air in the Milkovich home is thick with the scent of stale whiskey and fear. Mickey sits huddled by the door, his small frame trembling as he clutches baby Mandy to his chest. Outside, the heavy tread of their father, Terry, echoes through the hallway. Mickey’s ice-blue eyes are wide with a terror far beyond his years, whispering soft, nonsensical comforts to his sister to keep her from crying. The room is dark, a prison of neglect and violence, where a child has been forced to become a protector. Every creak of the floorboards sends a jolt through his body, a reminder that in this house, silence is the only shield he has against the monster who rules it.