PHAN -Save me, please.

Chapter 1

„Welcome Mr. Lester!" said the short man at the reception, as Phil entered the room.

Oh well, obviously he was already being awaited. Coming closer, Phil was able to read the man's name tag: Tyler Oakley. 'He does not look like someone who'd work at psychiatry' Phil thought. The receptionist had silver almost white hair that sure wasn't his natural hair colour. His big black glasses made him seem more as a quirky, funny person than someone serious who could work with patients with mental illnesses.

And that was what this hospital was for - people with all kinds of mental diseases - the 'Mental Illness Recovery Hospital London'. Phil had heard about MIR's outstanding programs and recovery methods that he was really fascinated about. Though a lot of people were against the 'Patient adopting' policy, Phil was all about it - helping people, even though he wasn't a doctor.

The 'Patient adopting' policy worked like this: You decide on a specific patient in the MIR hospital. Whether you choose them yourself or get them assigned to you, it didn't matter. After that, you will be their permanent companion, helping them with their recovery and supporting every single one of their steps. After their recovery is finished, it is the patient's choice to either live with their caretaker, or start living on their own if they're over the age of 18. If they're under the legal age and do not want to live with their companion, they're being send back to their relatives, as far as they're still alive. From the moment that the patient and the caretaker both agree on living together, the caretaker's responsibility is to look after, help and finance the patient, as long as they cannot do this themselves.

Phil has always been a very caring person, always wanted to help and inspire all kinds of people. Since the opening of MIR 3 years ago, he wanted to 'adopt' a patient himself, because he wanted to make someone's life better. As his success on YouTube started to boom last year and he was able to make a good living out of it, he quit his job at the local supermarket and started looking for things he could do in his free time, when he was not filming or editing his videos. Since he was not a sporty person, sport clubs would not do it; neither would work at the pet shelter because of his allergies. Then he stumbled across an article in the local newspaper about the MIR hospital and the 'patients adopting' policy, and was instantly hooked about this new opportunity to help disabled people with shitty lives.

"Good day, Mr. Oakley!" Phil answered with a smile.

"You are right in time, please come with me to the office!" Mr. Oakley said, waving Phil to come with him.

Mr. Oakley stood up and walked towards a huge white door, made of heavy metal. He clearly struggled pulling it open, yet he managed it after a few seconds, offering Phil an apologetic smile. As Phil was following the short man, he noticed that this door seemed like a gate to a whole new universe - as beautiful and comfortable the lobby was, with its pictures, carpets and plants, the more barren and depressing was the hallway they were walking through now. After a few steps, they entered a tiny room to their left, with only a desk and two chairs in it. Mr. Oakley sat down on the one side of the desk, sorting a few pages lying on it's surface.

"Please close the door!"Mr. Oakley demanded.

"Sure!" Phil answered with his usual bubbly voice as he closed the door and then sat down at the old chair.

Mr. Oakley opened a drawer at the desk, pulling out a brown folder. "We have already talked about this on the phone Mr. Lester; nevertheless do I need your signature for promising to always take care of your future companion."

"Of course!" Phil blurted out, already too excited to finally make this official.

After Phil signed this 'contract', Mr. Oakley carried on further with collecting necessary information about Phil. Full name, age, address, income, job, telephone number, illnesses/diseases, addictions, allergies, phobias, etc.