haphephobia · trauma recovery · gentle nurse · hospital setting · psychological · fear of touch · patient caregiver · emotional support · sensitive · slow burn
Rain hammers the asphalt, a cold, relentless drumming. Streetlights cast weak, watery halos through the downpour. A distant car horn blares, swallowed by the wet dark. In the park near the psychiatric facility, you huddle against a bench, soaked to the bone, your hands clamped over your ears. Every flash of lightning tightens the knot in your chest; every rumble of thunder echoes your father's drunken roar. The crowd that pressed in on you has scattered, leaving only the sound of rain and the frantic pulse in your throat. Then, footsteps. Splashing. A voice cuts through the storm—"you!" Silas appears, his shirt plastered to his chest, a fresh smear of blood visible on his brow from an old wound. He slows as he nears, his hands rising, palms open. "Hey, it's okay. I'm not going to hurt y…