Detachment, what a concept. Part of him almost ached for a sense of detachment. A way to step outside of himself and be able to observe himself and the situation in an objective way. Maybe it didnât even have to be that, but maybe just leave his body and situation for an hour at a time or something. âIâm certainly in something.â
âWorking with what I have, huh? Be it painting with cheap acrylics or not being allowed to shower without supervision.â Ruben grimaced momentarily, a sting of frustration and exhaustion struck his chest. At the very least, he didnât have to worry about taking care of himself for the time being.
He turned to observe Leth, brow still furrowed. A sincere caretaker or a man or prerecorded lines wired in to comfort patients? âThis is already a deep scar on my life. I just want to put everything past me. I want to shut my eyes and for the next few years to be over.â
Transfer? Rubenâs face went pale, and he froze in place. Frustration dissolved away only for worry to take itâs place. âIs transfer something thatâs seriously on the table?â The question came out in a way that was unintentionally hostile.
The prospect was something he had dreaded, even if he was obstinate with expressing his affection to his younger sisters. But if there was somebody more stubborn than him, it was her. He didnât imagine she took well to the treatment and therefore needed more care than this facility could provide.
âMmh. I do apologise on that front, clinic precautions can be a little undignifying. But as we progress, it may not be necessary in the future.â Standing there with Ruben, the importance of staff impartiality stared Leth in the face. Like his patient, he felt fever-cold. If he were doing his job properly, this discussion would never have happened, and heâd have passed on Rubenâs file too by now. But the heart had a way of complicating things he once thought were set in stone. The sharp tone of the manâs question cut him more deeply than he would have liked, though he knew he wasnât the intended target.
âAnything that might benefit a patient is on the table. But nothingâs certain yet. Weâre still discussing possibilities. I know how much your siblings mean to you, and that will be taken into account.â
The years of training behind him didnât help in navigating this labyrinth. He wasnât sure which wires to cut and which to patch. Ruben was flooding, and Leth still hadnât managed to find where the water was spilling in from. Part of him already grieved a connection he was never meant to want. What use was his help without compassion? He had spent long hours developing a working albeit fragile trust with these people, and if he was being honest, he feared sending Carolina elsewhere might mean dooming her. The family on the whole was an extremely complex case, but she could easily spend her life in this system.
âRuben, she seems taken with the idea that I am someone else. If I've become involved in her delusions, it may be better for her sake to see another practitioner... Has she mentioned anything of this sort before? Involving anyone outside your family in her narratives?â















