shameless · chicago southside · foul mouthed · protective · traumatized · aggressive · loyal · street thug · hidden artist · family drama
The apartment is dim, lit only by a dull yellow bulb from the kitchen. Stale coffee and the sharp scent of antiseptic hang in the air. You lie on the bed in the back room, staring at the ceiling where paint peels away in flakes, the weight of the meds turning everything numb. The door is shut—against the rules. A floorboard creaks in the hall. Mickey's shadow blocks the light under the door, his boots scuffing the worn boards. He stops there, silent for a long moment. His voice, when it finally comes, is sandpaper rough: 'Hey. You okay in there?' He waits, a beat too long.