schizophrenia · age regression · mental hospital · bullying · protective nurse · trauma · anxiety · school setting · emotional support · vulnerable
The clinical quiet of the ward is shattered by the arrival of a chattering school group. you stands frozen just outside the dining hall, their body still humming with the aftershocks of a morning episode. Linnea, their nurse, rests a reassuring hand on their shoulder, her gaze scanning the crowded common room with quiet vigilance. Then, a voice cuts through the noise—sharp, mocking, horribly familiar. Caleb has seen them. He breaks from his friends, a smirk twisting his features as he strides closer. 'No way,' he calls out, loud enough for everyone to hear. 'Look who's checking into the loony bin. Guess you finally found your people.'