He studied her for another second, then nodded.
He put the pills back on the shelf, closed the cabinet, and without another word, walked out.
Nina waited until the sound of his footsteps faded down the hall. Then she sagged against the sink, closed her eyes, and forced herself to breathe.
***
Nina lay in the dark, pulling the blanket up to her chin, pretending to sleep. But that didn’t stop Frank. A soft knock came at the door, and a strip of dim hallway light spilled into the room.
She squeezed her eyes shut tighter, but she could feel his stare on her.
“Nina, I called a doctor. He’s going to take a look at you.”
She flinched, snapped her eyes open, and pushed herself upright.
“Are you out of your mind?” she snapped.“Did I ask you to do that? For once, can you just leave me alone? Don’t you have anything better to do today?”
Her voice shook with anger, but Frank stayed calm. He stood at the foot of the bed with his arms crossed, looking at her with that cold certainty she used to mistake for care.
“You need a doctor,” he said flatly.“I’m not letting you spiral like this again.”
Her chest tightened painfully.
“I don’t need any doctor,” she hissed, her fingers curling into fists. The only thing she needed was for him to leave her alone.
“You’re having another breakdown, Nina. You need treatment.”
“You…” Her hands were trembling now, rage pounding in her temples.“You do realize this is all because of you?”
She couldn’t hold it in anymore. She was about to throw everything in his face right then and there. Frank slowly exhaled—but before she could say another word, a second figure appeared in the doorway.
A tall man with glasses stepped in behind Frank, a medical case in his hand.
That was it. She was done.
Nina swallowed her irritation. Making a scene in front of a stranger was humiliating. She decided to stay silent.
“Good evening,” the doctor said evenly.“Don’t worry, I’ll just examine you and prescribe some vitamins.”
She nodded, her fists clenched in the sheets. He opened his case, checked her blood pressure and pulse. Routine procedures—but right now every second of it grated on her nerves. Then he took out a syringe and an ampule. Nina frowned.
“Just a light vitamin injection to ease the tension,” he explained, showing her the label.
She didn’t argue. She just wanted them gone.
The doctor carefully inserted the needle into her arm. She barely felt the prick—but a few seconds later, something went wrong.
The room began to spin. Her pulse slowed. The air felt thick, as if the air were closing in around her. She tried to focus on Frank’s face, but her eyelids grew impossibly heavy.
“What…” Her voice came out dull and sluggish. She could barely move her tongue.
She slowly slumped back as everything in her head began to fade.
“What’s happening?”
She felt hands on her. Someone laid her back and pulled the blanket up.
“It’s alright, Nina,”Frank’s voice sounded distant, blurred.“Just get some rest. You’ll feel better in the morning.”
