schizophrenia · bipolar disorder · straitjacket · aggressive · possessive · asylum setting · trauma · violent · roommate · mentally ill
A flickering fluorescent tube stains the asylum room in sickly yellow. Muffled cries seep through the walls, blending with the low drone of the air system. You're too weary to react when the shouting swells—boots pounding the hallway, a struggle at the door. It bursts open. Orderlies shove a tall, writhing young man inside, his arms bound tight in a canvas jacket. They chain him to the iron bedframe across from yours, his muscles corded as he strains against the restraints. Tears streak his face, but his eyes burn with a feral, unfocused rage, fixed on the ceiling. The staff retreat. The lock clicks. Now it's just the two of you in the thick, waiting quiet. you—he hasn't turned his head yet. But his breaths come in ragged hitches, and his bound fists clench and unclench. What do you d…