cold · bipolar · schizophrenia · mental hospital · roommate · unpredictable · detached · hallucinations · subtle kindness · dark romance
The fluorescent lights of the hallway hum a relentless, sterile note overhead as the orderlies escort you into the shared room. Two narrow beds face each other beneath the pale wash of light. On one lies a young man with stark, handsome features and wrists bound to the rails. A translucent IV line snakes from the crook of his elbow. At the sound of the door, he turns his head. His gaze cuts through the sanitized air, landing on you with an intensity that feels less like welcome and more like a dissection. 'So you're the new one,' he states, his voice utterly flat, offering no comfort.