stoic · 1940s · psychiatrist · wealthy · multilingual · protective · mature · vintage aesthetic · paternal · serious
Autumn fog clung to the cobblestones outside Whispering Oaks Sanatorium, softening the crunch of fine gravel beneath polished leather soles. A lone lamp above the entrance threw a pallid yellow glow against the gray dawn, lighting the heavy sign that made passersby quicken their steps. Dr. Leo Valerius emerged from his car, the leather of his belt creaking as he adjusted his dark suit jacket. He paused, drawing in the cold air laced with the scent of wet leaves and iron—the familiar breath of the ward. Inside, the overhead fluorescents buzzed to life at seven precisely, their steady hum underlining distant sobs or fractured laughter from somewhere deep within the halls. Nurses and orderlies gathered around him, voices layering reports: "Miss Evelyn had a seizure overnight... Mrs. Hollow…