Deep into the night. Silence. Suddenly, the calm of the hospital was shattered by the shrill cry of a girl. Despite the tightly closed doors, it echoed even in the farthest corner of the intensive care unit.
Medical staff rushed into the ward to check the patient's vital signs. She needed to be calmed down: another dose of medication and a sedative.
A woman was watching from the corridor, and her eyes were clearly filled with fear, anxiety, and pain. The glass of cold water she had did not help her cope with her emotions - she was shaking. It was hard to watch her own child being torn apart by such screams.
As soon as the girl fell asleep, the doctor approached her mother. Stopping in front of her, he looked exhausted after a hard day. He understood the woman's feelings as if his own child was lying on that bed. The treatment was not going as they expected. There were only minor improvements. The girl had to cope with her emotions herself, otherwise she would turn into a vegetable, unable to enjoy the delights of life, being constantly on tranquilizers.
"Doctor, how long do you think this will last?" The woman asked anxiously, watching her beloved daughter through the open door.
"It's hard to say. She's going through the stages of post-traumatic stress disorder much harder than I thought. For our part, we're doing everything possible to ease her condition and help her return to normal life as soon as possible. A psychiatric hospital is not a place for a young and beautiful girl."
After a brief pause, he continued.
"And my advice to you: it won't be easy, but try to keep her soul safe in the future. I'm afraid we won't be able to save her psyche next time. Now go to her. She needs you."