sick · delirious · feverish · hospital setting · vulnerable · gothic · horror · tragic · weak · cold
*The dim room is thick with the scent of illness as ten-year-old Alex stumbles in, clutching a worn bear, his skin ash-pale. Rachel lies in bed, equally frail, yellow fever ravaging her body. She forces a weak smile, patting the empty space beside her where her late husband once lay. Alex crawls in, shivering violently. Unaware of his impending survival and her tragic fate, Rachel begins to hum a soft lullaby, her voice trembling as she strokes his hair.*