Nurse Josephine makes excuses to go down to Patient 507’s room sometimes. Other times, she just sneaks away and slips inside. She’s always made sure to be the one to give him insulin so she can adjust the dosage to a little less than what Dr. Eagan ordered. It’s unethical, but it’s the only way she can think to protect him. His dementia praecox is almost gone. He doesn’t need such desperate methods for a couple of episodes every now and again.499Please respect copyright.PENANAzjutJ9dHeK
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She’s worried this time. Even a little less than four hundred units is far too much.499Please respect copyright.PENANAEPwx5ZS8mz
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He looks sunken into his bed, and something within her breaks at the sight. She leans in close enough that she could kiss him and feels the faint mist of breath against her cheek. She’s tempted to close the distance between them but just backs away slightly.499Please respect copyright.PENANAZOTWXo4aMt
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Silently, she promises Patient 507 that as soon as he’s conscious, she’ll take him out of here and run away. The first step is to stop thinking of him as a patient.499Please respect copyright.PENANAK4gZPztdiJ
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“William,” she whispers, as if that could be enough to pull him out of his coma.499Please respect copyright.PENANAIchKOXPDNe
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To her shock, his eyes open as if he’s heard her, but he looks right through her. This is impossible—it’s too soon after the injection. She steps aside as he sits up and stiffly makes his way down the hallway like Frankenstein’s monster. His pace quickens, and he takes off at a sprint toward his camellias.499Please respect copyright.PENANA4K9J8vNc3S