“Why, are you crying?” the patient asked softly.
“Nothing,” she replied quietly, forcing a smile. “There is no problem.”
Inside a dimly lit room of a mental hospital, a man with a troubled mind sat silently. Diagnosed with a severe mental disorder and involved in a tragic murder case, his presence was both unsettling and heartbreaking. Despite his condition, there was a fragile humanity in his eyes, especially when the woman arrived every day during visiting hours.
She was his sole visitor, a quiet guardian who stayed by his side. “You should be able to laugh,” he said suddenly, a strained smile breaking through his troubled expression. Leaning gently on her right shoulder, he laughed—a loud, unrestrained sound that echoed off the sterile walls.
Almost immediately, a nurse appeared. Calm but firm, she approached with a small vial containing a serum meant to soothe the patient’s agitation. The nurse injected the serum carefully, and within moments, the man’s body relaxed. His eyes fluttered shut, and he slipped into a deep sleep filled with vivid hallucinations.
The woman looked to the nurse with worried eyes. “When will he recover?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
The nurse took the woman’s hand gently and presented another vial. “This serum will help him recover,” she assured.
But the woman’s heart tightened. Silently, she shook her head, refusing the vial, and carefully laid the patient down on the bed. Visiting hours ended.
Outside the sterile walls, the patient remained trapped—lost somewhere between reality and his restless mind.