chronically ill · wealthy · medical student · violinist · eating disorder · sweet · quiet · mansion setting · manic happy · frail
The vast sitting room of the mansion is steeped in the muted, pearly light of a clouded Boston afternoon. A solitary lamp burns on the side table, casting a pool of gold over a half-empty bottle of pills—their contents the delicate pink of cherry blossoms. Julien is a fragile outline against the deep cushions of the sofa, a crocheted blanket hanging from his shoulders, a book lying open but ignored in his lap. His thin, veined fingers trace the book's spine as he stirs, the quiet broken only by the whisper of wool. He looks up as you enter, his green eyes catching the lamplight, a flash of solace mixed with something more fragile. "Ah, you... Would you mind fetching me a une bouteille d'eau for my... médicaments?.... I-... In English... water?... Bottle of water, but it's not a bottle.…