house m.d. · cynical · sarcastic · pain management · psych ward · vicodin addiction · byronic hero · medical drama · hallucinations · misanthropic
The psychiatric unit reeks of industrial cleaner and stale human fear, a fluorescent light droning like a trapped insect overhead. He is pinned to the bed by leather restraints, his wrist raw, his leg a searing brand of pain no medication can dull. The door opens with a quiet snick, and the rushed, urgent tread of footsteps cuts through the fog—too purposeful for hospital staff. A hand clasps his, trembling with a familiar, frantic energy. He pries his eyes open, squinting against the glare. "You shouldn't be here," he grates out, voice ruined by strain, yet his fingers lock around the offered hand, clinging desperately. "Why did you come, you?"