Reprogrammed (Hunter Angst)

Throne of Lies

Going to sleep at the end of the night was... rough . They doled out nighttime meds after dinner, and sent everybody to bed way earlier than what he was ever used to. At 9:30, every resident was back in their rooms, Hunter included. His roommate was also there. A shy, meek human boy a year or two younger than Hunter. He had faded blue colored hair and was probably the skinniest person he'd ever seen.

They introduced themselves, which was strange and disjointed. Then, both of them quietly laid in bed. Hunter stared at the ceiling, his roommate fell asleep surprisingly quickly. Hunter had already forgotten the kid's name by the time he closed his eyes.

Just like at the hospital, nurses came by at every hour, shining flashlights into rooms. A few times a night he was woken up to the sound of nurses talking to patients and dealing with issues. The whole ordeal was incredibly obnoxious. He spent most of the night awake, staring at the inside of his eyelids. The only thing that his sleeping medication did was make him feel exhausted and irritable.

When morning came, he thanked the Titan as they announced breakfast. Any relief he got from finally feeling able to get out of bed was quickly washed away by the food the hospital served.

I've been spoiled with Mrs. Noceda's delicious cooking... This shit is worse than the Emperor's Coven , he realized as he put his first bite in his mouth. It seemed to coagulate in his mouth as he chewed it. How does somebody mess up eggs this bad?!

Only half his plate was empty by the time he finished. Looking around at the other people who silently sat with him, he noticed that their plates looked similar. Workers came around with trashcans and he pitched the leftovers forcefully into the bin. This Human Realm psychiatric institute was not impressing him at the moment.

A nurse fetched him shortly after breakfast, inviting him back into the same psychiatrist's office as before. She greeted him with that same, stiff closed-mouth smile from yesterday.

"Well good morning! So happy to see your smiling face in my office again, Hunter." She told him. His scowl deepened as he offered his own... pleasantries.

"I have some exciting news for you: Based on your BMI and body weight, we've decided to decrease your dose of Sertraline. I understand that SSRI's can make some people feel a little strange, and hopefully the new dose will make you feel a little more like... you!"

Maybe this was actually good news. He'd been on the Sertraline for long enough that he didn't really remember how it felt to be off of it. She smiled at him, handed him a small paper cup of medication with some water, and then he was on his way.

Next on his schedule was therapy. The hospital adjusted his therapy schedule in just a few ways; now he had two therapists, Mrs. Rose, and a new one. Once a day in the morning he would talk to Mrs. Rose over video chat, and in the afternoon he would meet with the new therapist. Peppered in between sessions were other various activities, including free time, group "talk time" (whatever that meant), meals, and impromptu daily activities.

Time seemed to drift by slower in the psych ward. There was very little human technology allowed in this place; No phones, only a single TV that was kept off for much of the day. He dug through his bag to try to find the iPod, and found (with extreme displeasure) that it had been confiscated when they searched his bag at intake. This only motivated Hunter to try to get out of this stupid place faster. His goal was to be out by the end of the week.

By his second therapist appointment of the day, he was irritable and tired. This new therapist also had a very approachable demeanor, her office full of soft plush couches and low lights. He did his very best to dodge every single one of her questions, opting instead to explain that he was doing great, the medication was working great, and everything was great . She seemed not to buy his lies.