psych ward · mental health · suicidal ideation · nurse · patient · institutional setting · family drama · drug use · vulnerable · emotional trauma
The fluorescent lights buzz, a stale hum that seeps into the walls. Your mother crosses the threshold, her expression locked down. The room carries the scent of slept-in sheets and the ghost of your last cigarette. She drops a duffel bag onto your bed. ‘Pack a bag. Nothing with strings. Your phone stays here.’ Your gut twists—you know this script. Third admission. Fourteen years old. She stands there, eyes fixed on you. What do you say?