>You sigh as you stare at her
>Such a sad look in her eyes as she gazed down at the medication in her hand
>Reaching into your white coat, you pulled out your grandfather’s pocket watch and glanced at the time
>You had been sitting here with her for well over an hour
>It’s surprising that you haven’t lost your patience with her yet
>At some point you would have simply left, grabbed Miss Nurseheart most likely and forced her to watch the patient instead
>However, you felt that wouldn’t help the situation much at all
>If Sour Sweet wouldn’t take the pills for you, it was unlikely she would have taken them for anyone else
“Miss Sweet, it’s—“
>”Please don’t call me that…”
“Hm?”
>Slowly her mournful frown transforms before your very eyes into an intense glower
>”… Miss Sweet is my cunt mother’s name.”
>Her hand clenches shut, smashing the prescription into dust
>Sighing once more, you methodically reach into your pocket and pull out several bottles
>As you tap out one of each of the bottle's contents into your palm, you begin to plead with her once more
“I apologize.  Sour Sweet, it’s been a long night and I’m sure you would prefer to get the day over with as much as I would.  I’m afraid I must insist that you take your medicine.”
>You stand up and walk in front of her as you present the tablets
>”y-You don’t have to make me take them, I don’t want to—“
“Again, I am afraid I must insist.”
>Her face briefly flashed you a dark scowl before it crumbled once more into a devastated frown
>Then, with little ceremony, she reached out into your hands and immediately swallowed all three of the pills at once, quickly downing the entire glass of water with it
>You smiled at her as you laid a comforting hand over her shoulder
“See?  Now that wasn’t too—“
>Oh blast it
>Your eyes widen as tears begin to stream down her cheeks
>God Damn it all
 
 
>Sour Sweet began to break out into a sob as you stood there looking down at her in shock
"Sour Sweet, please don't--"
>"I HATE THIS!"
>She startles you as she quickly rises to her feet with a dangerous tear-stricken glare
>"I HATE THESE FUCKING PILLS!  HOW LONG DO I HAVE TO STAY IN THIS SHITHOLE!  I WANT TO GO HOME!"
>Your jaw drops, and for a moment you fear that she may become violent
>But just as it seems she is about to become physical, her glare fades and she sits back down upon her bed
>"I... I just want to go home..."
>"Dr. Anonymous!"
>The door burst open and a nurse steps in
>"Are you OK?  I heard--"
"Yes I am quite alright Miss Redheart.  That will be all.”
>She looked somewhat offended by your curt response as she glanced back and forth between you and Sour Sweet
>However, one of the last things you wanted was for a third party to interrupt your meetings with Sour Sweet
>She did not trust any of the other people here quite like she trusted you, the presence of another person here would only complicate things further
>Shooting Nurse Redheart a serious look, she left the room and slowly closed the door behind her
>Sighing once more, you sat down on the bed next to Sour Sweet
>Reaching inside your coat pocket, you brandished a handkerchief and offered it to her
>”t-Thanks…”
>Grabbing your handkerchief, she silently wipes her tears away as you lay a hand back onto her shoulder
“Tell me what’s wrong.  Talk to me…”
>She sniffles for a few moments before mustering the strength to speak
>”i-I just really don’t like taking these pills.  When I take them, I don’t feel like I’m… me!”
>Her pitiful frown upturns into a glare once more as she grips your handkerchief tightly
>”I feel like I’m freaking dead.  Like some kind of walking zombie or some shit!”
 
 
“I know its hard at first, getting used to all these different medications.  Nothing seems to have have had a very positive effect on you yet, but this time should hopefully be different. “
>You put on a smile that you could only hope she found reassuring
"We’ve given you a few different kinds of prescriptions this time, completely new.  They should have a different effect on you then the last ones.”
>She continued to sniffle as she stared up at you with a seemingly blank gaze
>It was not entirely true
>One of the prescriptions was the same as the one you had been treating her with for the past week, but the other two were completely different
>It was a small detail that you did not wish to divulge
>You could only hope that, given her recent responses to it, that she would start to react more positively to this new combination
>After sitting with her another few moments, she appeared to calm down
>She still had the same miserable look as before, but her eyes also flashed what appeared to be fear
“Damn it…”
>As you cursed under your breathe, you considered what course of action to take
>Its not as if you had anyone waiting for you at home, and you were used to staying up late after hours anyway
“Would it make you feel better if I stayed a while?  Until the meds take effect?”
>”i-I guess…”
>Glancing about this barren room of hers, you wracked your mind for something, anything, to take her mind off of all this
>You feel as if your minor in child psychology did not prepare you well for this
“I uhhh… I understand your school recently had an important athletic competition recently.  Did you participate?”
>”y-Yeah, I was in a team triathlon.  I did Archery…”
“Archery?  Interesting, how did it go?”
>”Heh, I kicked ass.  Would’ve won that one if it weren’t for this damn teammate of mine…”
>She sounded quite critical, but if the smile was any indication her mood was slowly improving
 
 
 
 
>You sat with her another half hour, listening intently to her discuss her role in what was called the Friendship Games, a a series of athletic contests held between her school and its apparent rival
>It was actually quite riveting
“Not many girls your age take such an interest in archery.”
>”I have a lot of fun with it!… and I mean, it’s better than just sitting around all day.”
“How did you get into such a sport?”
>She scoffed at you before leaning back onto her bed
>”My parents thought it’d be good for me.”
>She always seemed to regard them with a bit of disdain, at least when she talked about them with you
“I see… but you do enjoy it?”
>”Heh, I guess….”
>Although she dismissed it so readily, you felt that she cared for that sport much more than she was letting on
>It was honestly a bit impressive to see a young girl like her take such an interest in a pastime like that
>As you stared down at her, she opened her mouth and let loose a loud yawn
“Tired?”
>Yeah, just a little.”
>Standing up, you loomed over her with a smile
“If you are feeling better, then I’ll let you get some sleep.”
>”OK then.”
>You watched her slink under the covers of her bed as you stepped toward the door and flipped the lights off
>Opening the door, you looked back at her once more with the same reassuring smile
“If something is wrong, then feel free to ask specifically for me.”
>Staring back at you, Sour Sweet’s lips slowly curled into a very sweet smile
>”Thank you Dr. Anonymous.”
>You chuckled at her
“Please call me Dr. Anon.  Dr. Anonymous is my father’s name.”
>She chuckled back at you as you slowly closed the door on her
>Then, as if her mania was contagious, your sweet smile fell into a soured frown
 
>”Dr. Anonymous?”
“Eh?”
>Turning about, you laid eyes upon Nurse Redheart, one of your many assistants here
“Have you been waiting for me outside this entire time?”
>”Well… yes.”
>You scowled at her as she somewhat nervously looked away
“Miss Redheart, your concern is appreciated but I assure you that if I need your assistance that I will call for it.”
>”y-Yes, I understand Doctor.  It is just that you were gone for so long, and the patient…”
>You sighed at her
“What about the patient?”
>Redheart rubbed her forearm in yet another sign of nervousness
>Strange that she only seemed to exhibit such behavior around you, yet you did not care to delve into the minds of your assistants
“Would you walk with me?”
>”y-Yes, thank you.”
>Shoving your hands into your pockets, you walked with her down the halls past various patients’ rooms until you eventually reached the utility hallways
>”Dr. Anonymous, why is it that Sour Sweet is with us?”
“She suffers from a mental disorder.  We are attempting to treat her, just as we would any other patient.”
>She scowls at you
>”That is not what I mean.  She is so young, and her condition is… peculiar.”
“No one patient suffers the same condition, and as for her age…”
>You looked away from Redheart as your frown hardened further
“Her parents insisted that she stay somewhere close to home, and the patient herself was adamant that she remain somewhere close to where her friends could visit.  I had suggested some alternative treatment centers in other areas of the country, but they apparently weren’t ever an option.”
>Your fists shook as you stomped down the hallway
“It was either our facility or one of the public wards, and I would not dare consign Sour Sweet to one of those hell holes.”
 
>Nurse Redheart rubbed the back of her neck as the two of you stood in front of large wooden door
>”Do you believe you will be able to treat her?”
“Miss Redheart, it is not a question of ‘if’ I will be able to treat her.  I MUST treat her, otherwise no one else will.”
>Brandishing a key from your pocket, you unlocked the door and stepped inside
“Good night.”
>”Good night doctor.”
>After gently closing, locking, and deadbolting the door, you hung up your white coat and stepped inside your home
>A rather expansive room adorned with various old paintings and tapestries, you imagined that your quarters must have looked quite opulent to some
>It suited you well enough, a bit archaic though you always fancied yourself as being rather old-fashioned
>You walked straight into your abode and immediately made for your fireplace, where you started a grand fire to heat up the rather drafty room
>After you had fed some logs into the fireplace and started the blaze, you made for your study
>Rifling through your various papers, you took out a folder that held all the relevant information concerning your newest patient and began to flip through it
“Sour Sweet… female, age sixteen… current diagnosis, a relatively mild but exceptionally sporadic Bipolar disorder… currently has resided here as a patient for just over a week…”
>As you pored over these files, you became increasingly apprehensive
>A girl her age would be at a critical point in her studies, surely just about to take her college entrance exams
>And yet, she was here
>Given her young age, you saw fit to examine her yourself rather than leave her to one of the other psychiatrists who worked within your institute
>Sure, you had other patients who demanded your attention but Sour Sweet was a special case
>Moreover, you wanted her condition to improve as soon as possible
 
 
>Given the strange circumstances of her arrival here, you had initially assumed that she had been incorrectly diagnosed
>You originally dismissed her medical condition as merely some combination of stress, hormones, and more than likely a sort of ‘teenage phase'
>There was also the issue of her parents
>They claimed that Sour Sweet 'had always been this way' with her psychosis being something that had affected her since the early years of her childhood, only having recently worsened
>You were inclined to disagree, and to write off it all as a series of misfortunate understandings coupled with parental neglect
>Or at least you would have, if not for the ‘episode’ that had occurred in school
>You stood over your fireplace as you flipped through the binder to the notes that detailed the events that led up to Sour Sweet coming here
>After a particularly stressful period in school, punctuated by trouble at home you imagine, Sour Sweet had turned physically violent
>While during one of her more ‘aggressive’ spells, she had attacked several of her classmates
>You did not care to linger on the details of the episode too much, other than to note that they involved Sour Sweet walking into school one day with a baseball bat and then proceeding to walk out after having made a mess of the library… and after having made a mess of two students as well
>She was quick to claim in your private conversations with you that these two students had made… advances on her
“Disgusting…"
>The police had failed to ascertain whether any of these claims were true, but you were inclined to take her word for it
>She never struck you as a liar, unlike some of your less coherent patients
>In any case, the extreme situations she had recently been exposed to had left her mentally disturbed, and you were determined to help her any way you could
>As you flipped through to the end of the folder, a small photograph fell out
 
 
>It showed Sour Sweet wearing her school uniform alongside who you could only assume was the four friends she had mentioned in earlier discussions
>She looked rather nice with her hair done up in a ponytail like that, and the confident grin she wore infected you with a similar smirk
>You would have liked to have seen that smile more frequently from her, it was quite pretty
>As you stared at this photograph, you felt a strange feeling come over you
>Tossing aside the rest of the folder, you stared intently at the photograph of her as you walked up to your fireplace
“She’s still so young…"
>Granted, sixteen was generally considered the onset of early adulthood but to you it was difficult to reconcile this happy image of a strong and confident girl with the emotional wreck that you had just spent several hours comforting
>It was maddening, unjust even, that such a terrible fate had befallen her
>This was no place for a child
>Sighing once more, you walked away from the raging fireplace and toward your cabinet, where you fixed yourself a glass of bourbon
>Sitting back down in front of your fireplace, you began to wonder how you could raise this young woman’s spirits once more and help her along the road to recovery
+++
“Sour Sweet?  Are you awake?”
>You cracked open her doorway and stared down at the young woman lying before you
>Her long pink hair was sprayed out against her pillow as she stared up at the ceiling
>”Yes, I'm up.”
>She replied back to you in sombre voice that betrayed little emotion
“How are you feeling today?”
>Sour Sweet shrugged her shoulders
>”OK I guess…”
>Stepping forward into her room, you loomed over her bedside and gave her a small grin
“You weren’t planning on wasting the whole day in bed were you?”
>”Why?  Does it matter?”
“Well, I was hoping you might join me.  I had something of a… surprise for you.”
 
 
>After ensuring that she was well-dressed from head to toe, you walked with her along the grounds
>It was quite different to see her in something other than her patient’s uniform
“Are you sure you feel warm enough?”
>”Yeah, positive.”
“Good, good.”
>”Hey…”
>Your peered at her as she regarded you with a small frown
>”I’m sorry I kept you up so late a few nights ago…”
>You cracked a smile at her
“Think nothing of it.  I had no special plans or anything.  Besides I live right next door.”
>”Oh yeah, I forgot you said you lived in the asyl— the ward.”
>You let that remark about your institute slide as you carried on
“I much prefer living alongside the institution.  It allows me to keep a closer eye on my patients, should any sudden developments occur.”
>”Isn’t it kind of… weird living right next door to all these… people?”
“Hahaha…”
>You continued to laugh as you stuffed your hands into your white coat’s pockets
“I know it seems strange, but I greatly prefer it here.  All my life’s work is conducted here, and I enjoy my work very much.  The human mind is… fascinating to me.”
>Sour Sweet regarded you with a bemused look
>You didn’t expect her to understand, very few people could
>Nonetheless, you took her polite silence as a sign that she was at least humoring you
“Ah, we are here.”
>You pointed over the hill as Sour Sweet gasped
>”i-Is that an archery range?”
“Why yes, it is!”
>You laid a hand over her shoulder and smiled down at her
“You spoke so affectionately about the sport, I thought the least I could do to make you feel a bit more at home was to allow you a chance to practice up on your hobby.”
>Sour Sweet’s jaw dropped as she beheld the large circular targets and the bow and quiver of arrows lying yards away on the ground
 
 
>”How did you—where did—“
“I do not tell many girls this, but I am actually rather wealthy.”
>You gave her a playful grin as you walked with her down to the field
“I do not mind in the slightest spending a little money on my patients if it makes them feel more comfortable.”
>That was again, another half-lie
>On the one hand, you rarely ever spent money out of pocket on your patients
>However, you truly did have no issue with spending money on Sour Sweet right now
>Stepping forward, you gestured to the field with one hand as you glanced back at her
“So then, would you care to give me a demonstration?”
>Sour Sweet somewhat anxiously folded her arms over her chest
>”i-I’m a bit out of practice.  I probably won’t do all that well…”
>Then, as she often did,  she cracked a cocky grin your way
>”… but I bet I can show you a thing or two.”
>You chuckled at her
“By all means, show me what you’ve got.”
>She confidently raised up her head as she proudly strolled towards the bow and quiver
>Folding your arms over your chest, you patiently watched her
>You imagined that many other professionals in your field would have judged you harshly for arming your patient like this
>Good thing you cared so little for your peers to begin with
“Please, take your time."
>The target had been assembled roughly fifty yards away across a relatively even surface
>You really weren’t sure what to expect, and a part of you wondered if perhaps you had placed the target too far away
>Your fears proved to be unfounded
>As Sour Sweet pulled back her bowstring and raised the arrow, you watched her open fire
>The narrow shaft soared over the ground and effortlessly made its mark into the center of the target
>Your jaw dropped
“Impressive!”
>”Ha!”
>She shot you a dirty smile as she pulled back her bowstring and prepared another arrow
>”You haven’t seen anything yet.”
 
 
>Your plea for her to put on a show did not go unanswered
>It was truly incredible to watch
>Nearly the entirety of her shots hit the target, with a great many hitting dead center up until the very end
>Her aim was impeccable
>”Well, what do you think?”
“I think you’re a natural!  I can see why your school always has you play archery for them.  You’re amazing.”
>”Awww  that’s so nice of you to say!”
>Her saccharine smile warms your heart
>”Heh, I bet you thought I was all talk huh?”
>And her snarky remark lets a chuckle escape from your lips
“I will be sure to take your word more seriously from now on.”
>Sour Sweet scoffed at you as she continued to grin whilst rolling her eyes
>”You know, you’re a pretty funny man doc.”
>You smirked at her as you folded your arms over your chest
“Oh?  I think you’re a pretty funny girl, Miss Sweet.”
>Your eyes widen as the words fall from your mouth
“Blast, i-I apologize.  I know you don’t—“
>To your immense surprise, she bursts out into a giggle
>”Oh it’s OK Dr. Anon.”
“It is?”
>She put on the biggest smile you had seen from her yet as she folded her hands together and gazed up at you
>”You can call me that if you really want~  It’s OK if you do it.”
>This was another odd turn of events
>You sighed in relief
“Very well then Miss Sweet.”
>Her grin quickly faded as she defiantly scowled up at you
>”Just don’t push your luck!”
“Haha very well very well!”
>It was easy for you to see that her scowl was a half-hearted gesture
“It is starting to get dark.  Let’s get you back inside shall we?”
>”Yes Dr. Anon.”
 
>Your experiment went off without a hitch it seemed
>Sour Sweet seemed quite grateful for the opportunity to finally leave her room for something other than another test or interview
>She was actually quite lively, and was beginning to bounce back between her ‘aggressive’ and ‘submissive’ personas more frequently
>You were unsure what to make of that, although it did make you quite happy to see her spirits raised
>As long as she didn’t ever turn violent once more, you were confident that—
>”Dr. Anon?”
“Eh?  Oh dear, my apologies Miss Sweet.”
>”What was wrong?  You looked a little strange… ha, like you were staring out into outer space or something.”
“I often seem to lose myself in my thoughts these days.  Nothing to be alarmed of.”
>As your boots echoed down the cold white hallways back to her room, you could not help but continue to smile
>Did your time with Sour Sweet do as much to buoy your own spirits as it did hers?
>You frowned as you looked away from her
>That would not do at all
>”Thanks again so much Doctor!  I really had a lot of fun!”
>You put a smile back on as the two of you regarded one another
“I am very happy to hear that…”
>Her wide and vibrant eyes suddenly narrowed on you
>”Sure as Hell beats being locked up inside this cell.”
>With that, you also put on a frown
“Yes, well I do hope that if you are feeling lonely that you do not hesitate  to… call for me.”
>Her dark look softened considerably
>”I appreciate it.”
>Nodding your head, you stepped away from her as you left her inside her room
>After friendly waving one more time, you stuffed your hands back into your pockets and trudged back to your quarters
“Not good, not good at all…”
>As fantastic as it felt to see her mood improve, you could not help but worry that you were growing too attached to your patient
 
>That evening saw you sitting alone again within you study, with a drink in one hand and a pen in the other
>You were a consistently busy man, and preferred to micromanage much of the running of your institution
>However, this night you found your work taking a bit longer to slog through than usual
>Sooner or later, your thoughts always drifted back to her
>You sigh as you set your pen down and take a long sip from your glass of bourbon
“How silly…”
>Perhaps you were overworked, and the somewhat sudden appearance of this newest patient had disturbed you too much?
>A part of you was starting to think you should get away, maybe take a vacation
>Somewhere a bit warmer, where you could attempt to relax for once
>You couldn’t handle your work as effectively in this current state, and you feared what may happen should you allow this sudden fascination with your newest patient to develop further
“Time away from here would do me well.  I’ll simply—“
>A loud banging noise interrupted your chain of thoughts
“A visitor at this hour?”
>You narrowed your eyes as you opened your drawer
>Reaching inside, you pulled out an old service pistol that had been passed down through your family
>You slipped on your white coat and stepped out into the hallway with your firearm
>Looking down the hall to your front door, you wondered how anyone could have gotten onto the grounds past your property’s fence?
>Then, as you heard the loud banging noise come again, you realized that the sound was coming not from your front door but from the door that led directly into your mental institution
>Marching up to the door, you undid several of the deadbolts but left the chain-link lock on as you hid your weapon inside your coat and opened it up
>”Dr. Anonymous, sir.  Sorry to disturb you so late.”
>Judging by the uniform he wore, he appeared to be an orderly although you did not recognize this one
“What is it?  What’s going on?”
 
>”We have a… situation, with one of the patients running amok.”
>You frowned at him
“Running amok?  Have you not restrained him?  And why are you telling me this now, have you informed the nightshift supervisor?”
>The orderly scratched his head as stared at you exasperatedly through the doorway
>”It’s a little complicated, and we knew that you said if anything serious were to happen to Patient 209 that we were supposed to find you and—“
“Patient 209?”
>Your heart sank as you repeated the number, more to yourself than to him
“Miss Sweet."
>Slamming the door in his face, you quickly undid the last latch and marched into the hallway alongside him
“Tell me everything.  Leave nothing out.”
>”We heard lots of loud noises coming from 209’s room.  Sounded like banging and screaming.  We tried to go in to calm her down, but she wouldn’t listen to us.  Then when we attempted to restrain her, she pulled out a sharpened object on us.”
“A sharpened object?!  What was it?”
>”None of us got a good look at it Sir.  Probably a toothbrush that she filed I suppose.”
>This was maddening
>Could it be that taking her out today and spending so much time with her might’ve caused this?
>It could have been all too much for her to handle at once
“No…”
>”s-Sir?”
“I’m getting to the bottom of this.”
>Rounding the corner, you saw several more orderlies standing outside Sour Sweet’s room
>Without giving any of them much more than a glance, you immediately strolled up to her door
>All was silent at the moment
>Glancing through the glass peep hole on the door, you saw to your horror that the room had been trashed
>The mattress had been tossed onto the floor, a flower pot had been smashed against the wall, and other signs of what almost appeared to be a struggle was laid out before you
 
 
“Miss Sweet!  This is Dr. Anon, and I wish to talk with you!”
>No answer came, and as you glanced about the room you failed to catch any sign of her
>Reaching into your pocket, you pulled out a keyring and brandished the master key to the patients’ rooms
“I am going to come inside now, and I am coming in alone!”
>One of the orderlies stepped up by your side and whispered
>”Dr. Anonymous, are you sure you want to do that?  Why don’t you just let us take care of her?  With your permission, we could—“
“I do not require your assistance.”
>Brushing the man aside with a wave of your hand and a dismissive scowl, you unlocked the door and stepped inside
>Gently closing it, you immediately caught sight of her sitting in the corner
“My God…"
>It was something of a terrible shock, to see her with such a terrified look on her face
>She had the presence of a feral animal about her, with her clothes having been torn slightly and her long hair having become a tangled mess
>You took a step toward her
“Miss Sweet, are you—“
>”STAY THE FUCK BACK!”
>You recoiled as she rose up with a snarl, her hand clutching something behind her back
>Just as her enraged look startled you, it quickly diminished into a panic-stricken whimper
>”p-Please don’t come closer…”
>You raised up your open palms and forced on a small smile
“Very well.  Whatever makes you feel comfortable…”
>Your eyes briefly glanced about the wrecked room before resting back onto her
“Miss Sweet, I am very concerned about you.  You didn’t hurt yourself did you?”
>”n-No, I’m fine… I’m fine…”
“Could you please explain to me what happened?  I wish to help any way I can.”
 
 
 
>”m-My shadow…”
“Your shadow?”
>Sour Sweet began to tremble slightly, her eyes haphazardly glancing about the room
>”i-I woke up earlier and—and I saw something that looked like me…”
>She grit her teeth as her fist shook by her side
>”But it wasn’t me!  It was like a monster!  i-It had this fucked up grin and—AND…”
>Her explosive glare was washed away by the tears that flowed down her face
>”I thought I was going to die, i-I didn’t know what was happening!”
>Your heart sank as you watched her break down, falling again to the ground as she clenched her eyes shut
“Miss Sweet, there is no one here now except for you and me.  I promise you that no one is going to hurt you.”
>She sniffled as she looked up at you
>You took a step closer as you slowly tested the waters, resting your arms on your legs as you crouched down on the ground in front of her
>Sour Sweet stared at you uncertainly with a pitiful gaze
“I won’t let anyone or anything harm you.  I swear…”
>Her body tensed up as you reached into your pocket, but she slowly calmed down again as you offered her your handkerchief
>Shakily reaching up to you, Sour Sweet took the handkerchief from your hand and began to wipe her face
>You sighed at her as you wracked your brain for a course of action
>It seemed as if the slightest misstep could send her out of control
>You had to tread very carefully, for her sake
“Miss Sweet, this… monster of yours this shadow, have you seen it before now?”
>She shook her head as she sadly stared at the floor
>”i-I never saw anything like that before, never in my whole life, but…”
>Her gaze hardened as she stared intently at the ground
>”i-It felt like something was watching me earlier.”
“Watching you?  When, where?”
>”Here, right here a few days ago…”
”Which day?”
>”The night I started taking those new pills, right before you walked inside.  It felt like something else was here…”
 
>Your eyes widened in shock
“The medication…”
>Of course, these new pills you had prescribed her
>They had been causing her to experience vivid hallucinations!
>But wait…
“Did you say you felt like you were being watched BEFORE you took your new medication?”
>She remained silent as she somberly nodded her head
>How could the pills alone have been causing this if she was experiencing these symptoms before she had taken the medication?
“Did you ever feel like you were being watched by this… thing, before?”
>She shook her head
>Then, could it have been that the mere prospect of having to take this medication, coupled with the act of actually taking them, was causing her to experience these hallucinations?
>That would imply that this current episode was induced by some sort of aversion to medication altogether, rather than any specific side-effect of taking the medication itself
>”y-You don’t think that, when I took those pills that I—“
“Perhaps, perhaps not.  In any case, I am taking you off all medication starting now.”
>”r-Really?”
>It might have been a rash decision, you should have taken a step back to analyze the situation further
>There were many variables left unaccounted for, and yet…
>When you told her you were taking her off all medication, her eyes lit up and you saw the semblance of a smile forming on her lips
>You sighed
“Yes, really.”
>Her bottom lip quivered as another tear dropped down her cheek, which she was quick to wipe away with your handkerchief
>An exhausted smile formed on your own face as you slowly stood up and offered her your hand
“Now let’s get you off the floor.”
>She reached for and grasped your hand as she slowly staggered up to her feet
 
 
>As you stood there with her hand in yours, you slowly raised an open palm to her
“Miss Sweet, I’m going to have to ask that you hand me whatever weapon you’re holding behind your back.”
>Her face fell into a guilty frown
>You quirked an eyebrow at her
“You’re not in trouble Miss Sweet, but I can’t allow you to carry whatever it is you have there.  Please, hand it over…”
>She looked up into your eyes, and you saw again a faint trace of fear
>”Please don’t be mad.”
“Why would I be mad?”
>Her arm twitched as she slowly raised her arm and dropped the weapon into your hand
>Your eyes widened as you gripped the arrow
“How did you—“
>The archery field, she had to have pocketed one of them when you weren’t looking
>You allowed her to take this, and threaten people with it
>Sour Sweet grasped your hand tighter as you turned your head to look back at her
>”I’m sorry, I was so afraid.  I needed something to protect myself with, but I didn’t want people to think I was… that  I was crazy…”
>You shook your head as you pocketed the arrow into your coat
“You are not ‘crazy’ Miss Sweet.  You felt that you were in danger, so you took measures to protect yourself.  Rather resourceful of you really…”
>She stared up at you with wide eyes as you smirked down at her
>”You’re not mad?”
>Her eyes slowly narrowed at you as she took a step back
>”Why not?”
>You stuffed your hands into your pockets as you grimaced
“It is my responsibility to ensure that my patients feel safe here.  If you really felt that you were in such terrible danger, then I suppose I wasn’t doing my job.  I feel… responsible for this.”
 
 
“Miss Sweet, I implore you to tell me if you ever feel that you are in any danger again.  I will take any measure possible to rectify the problem, but I cannot help you if you keep secrets like this from me.”
>Her shoulders sagged as she looked away
>”i-I just don’t want you to think—“
“You are NOT insane Miss Sweet, and do not forget that.”
>You stepped closer to her and placed a hand over her shoulder as she stared up at you
“You are here so that I can help you, so please let me help you.”
>She remained downcast for another moment before scoffing and smiling up at you
>”Thank you Dr. Anon.”
>Your eyes widened in shock as Sour Sweet suddenly wrapped her arms around your waist
>”Thank you so much~”
>Frozen in shock, you slowly chuckled down at her as you awkwardly returned her embrace
>The two of you remained locked together like this for some time
>Her touch filled your body with warmth, as if the stress and anxiety that had been gripping you all night had suddenly been wiped away
>She slowly slipped from your grasp and giggled as she smiled up at you
>Her gentle smile suddenly shifted into a slightly devilish grin
>”Hey, what’s with that look?”
“Eh?”
>You grinned back as you folded your arms over your chest
“It’s nothing.”
>”You’re face is all red and shit.”
>You scoffed at her as you turned away and gazed at her devastated room
“I will have a new room prepared for you so you can get some sleep.  It’s far too late for you to still be up.”
>You turned your back on her and marched up to her door
>Before you could reach for the handle, her hands gripped onto your arm
>”Wait!”
“What is it?”
 
 
>You saw her bashfully looking away from you
>”I… I don’t want to be left alone right now…”
>Frowning at her, you turned about to face her once more as you placed a hand over your chin
>You could stay with her for a while, as you did a few nights ago, but now that you thought about it you did not want to risk her waking up again and suffering another hallucination
>She had to be closely watched, and as foolish as it might have seemed you did not exactly trust anyone else to take this as seriously as you
“Would you like to room with me tonight? I could set aside a place for you to sleep and could keep an eye on you all night.  Are you comfortable with that?”
>Her grip over your arm tightened as she grinned happily at you
>”I’d love to!”
“Really?”
>”Ha!  You think I like sleeping in these shitty rooms?”
>You rolled your eyes at her
“I understand…”
>Slipping yourself out of her grasp, you instead gently grabbed hold of her hand as you opened the door and walked outside with her
>The orderlies stared at the two of you with wide eyes and open mouths, no doubt astounded that you had managed to calm her down without even receiving a scratch
>”d-Dr Anonymous, do you—“
“Thank you for bringing this to my attention.  The situation is now under control.  You may return to your posts.”
>With that, you began to walk past them down the hall as they continued to gawk at the two of you
>”Sir wait, are you sure that—“
“Please have Miss Sweet’s room cleaned up within a day or so.  She will be staying with me until then.”
>”y-Yes Sir.”
>The two of you walked away hand-in-hand as you led her away from the patient dormitories and through the halls until you reached the reinforced door to your own home
>You let go of her hand and opened the door for her
“Make yourself at home.”
 
>Sour Sweet gazed in awe at your quarters
>”You weren’t kidding when you said you were wealthy!”
“Ha!  I take it you like it then?”
>Her footsteps echoed around you as she stepped over the hardwood floor down the hallway into the foyer
>After bolting the door shut, you joined her as she gazed around the place
>”Heh, it’s ok…”
>You grinned at her as you gestured around the large hall
“My home is built like a castle.  No one can hurt you here.”
>”A castle huh?”
>She raised a hand up to her lips as she giggled at you
>”Would that make me like a princess then?”
>You stared at her curiously as she smiled up at you
“If you would like to think of it that way, then by all means…”
>You threw your arm across your body as you gave her an exaggerated bow
“Your highness.”
>Her giggling exploded into laughter
>”You’re such a dork!”
“A dork?  Me?”
>You grinned at her as you straightened your posture and stuffed your hands back into your pockets
“If you say so Miss Sweet.”
>Her laughter echoed all throughout your empty home as she followed you into your living room
“Are you cold?”
>”It is kind of chilly in here.”
“I’ll get the fireplace going then.”
>She took a seat on one of your large couches as you laid down a few logs in your fireplace
“I have a few guest rooms you could probably use, but I assume that you’d rather I be closer by in case you wanted immediate attention.  Is that correct?”
>She gave you a muffled, half-hearted confirmation as she laid back against your sofa
“I thought as much.  After the fire gets going, I’ll grab you some blankets and a pillow.  You can sleep right there on the couch, and I will take the recliner over here.”
>”y-You really don’t have to stay down here with me if you don’t want to…”
>Her voice took a harsher tone as you threw a match over the fire and started the blaze
>”I’m not that scared.”
 
 
“I’m sure you aren’t, but as your doctor I must keep a close eye on you at all times until I am positive you are well.”
>You stood up and walked over to her with a grin
“So I insist.”
>She smiled back as she rolled her eyes
>”Whatever… thank you.”
>You continued to smile as you shook your head at her
>After laying down a blanket and a pillow for her, you brandished your pocket watch
>After glancing at the time, you noticed how Sour Sweet had been staring up at you through half-lidded eyes
“Can I get you anything else?”
>She shook her head
“Very well, I will see you in the morning.”
>Turning your back on her, you strolled over to your recliner where you had already laid a blanket down for yourself
>”Why are you so kind to me?”
>Standing there silently as the fireplace crackled, you allowed her simple question to stop you dead in your tracks
“Why am I so kind to you?…”
>That was an excellent question
>The proper response was that you were a doctor and she was your patient, but it became clear that you had gone a bit beyond the call of duty at some point
>So why were you acting like this toward her?
>Did you behave this way because you pitied her?
>That seemed logical, although there was so much about her that you found endearing that you loathed the idea of attaching her with pity
>Was it out of loneliness that you had started to act this way?
>Had you simply latched onto her out of some hidden desire of yours?
>No, you had never complained much about being alone before, you were fairly certain that this wasn’t the case either
>So why were you treating Sour Sweet like this?
>Why had you become so obsessed with her?
 
 
>As you continued to mull over her question, you turned around and saw that she had fallen fast asleep
>You stood there and watched as her chest slowly rose and fell with each gentle breathe she took
>Her face betrayed a sense of confidence in that smile she wore while she slept
>Sour Sweet could be so very pretty, and at the same time she could be quite strong
>There was so much about her that you could admire
>How fortunate would anyone have been to have such a fine girl as a friend, or as a parent, or a lover even…
>Your eyes widened as you looked down at her
“That is it isn’t it?”
>You walked up to Sour Sweet and gently whispered down to her
“I cannot believe it took me this long to realize it, but I think I have… fallen in love with you Miss Sweet.”
>Brushing aside a strand of her hair, you leaned down over Sour Sweet and planted a kiss on her forehead
>Stepping back from her, you felt overcome with a sense of joy you hadn’t felt in a long time
>Moreover, she filled you with a sense of purpose
>You would not rest until you had done everything in your power to help her overcome this disorder of hers
>All your years of study and research, all the wealth and resources at your command
>No expense would be too great to spare on her behalf
“I’m not sure if there’s anything I wouldn’t do for you now.”
>You leaned back onto your recliner and continued to watch her as she slept in the light of your fireplace
>Slowly, you too drifted off into sleep along with her
“You are in capable hands Miss Sweet, I assure you…"