ANIMAL | a yandere!mental patient x doctor!reader

Chapter Ten - Cute

(Slight TW - death, substance abuse)

"I know you love me, too.

Don't worry, I'll wait until you're ready to tell me."

. . .

Anxiety gnawed at your insides as you walked into work. Dr. Monroe had suggested you take a few days off, and you didn't exactly have any reason to object. Now that you were back, you had to get used to Ocean being moved to a regular inpatient room, and on top of that, you had two new patients. At least June was appointed to help you with Ocean, though you were worried about how they would get along.

"Hey, it was weird not seeing you," Dani smiled as you made your way across the lobby.

"I can't believe how much I needed that break," you laughed. "How's my patient?"

A look that you couldn't quite make out crossed Dani's face. "...Good. It's a little unusual, really."

"He has been improving," you acknowledged, breathing a sigh of relief. If Ocean was doing good, maybe you could just forget about the whole confession-rejection thing.

Stepping out of the elevator, after accidentally pressing the button for the third floor out of habit and having to take it down to the second floor again, you checked one of three folders in your hands. You headed to your left, scanning for room 211. The door to the room was a regular hospital door, with a long pane of glass above the handle, and was slightly ajar. You pushed it open to see Ocean sitting at the wooden desk on the other side of the standard bed, which was only slightly more comfortable than the hospital beds in the infirmary. Ocean was still wearing his all-white outfit, and his hair was dripping wet, like he had just gotten out of the shower. You guessed that they had finally let him spend his time unsupervised.

"Hi-" you started. Before you could say anything else, he ran up to you and hugged you.

"Y/N! I was scared they were lying to me," he pulled you tighter to him, droplets of water falling on your hands that rested on his upper back.

"What did they say?"

"That you would come back only if I was being good enough."

You weren't at all surprised that your absence was used as a means of controlling Ocean. Most of your coworkers were still afraid that Ocean would have an outburst at any time. "I'll come back no matter what, okay? But I'm proud of you, Ocean."

He mumbled something under his breath that was too quiet for you to hear, but then quickly pulled away before you could question it, smiling at you. You glanced past him. On the desk was the sketchbook that you had given to him- from the looks of it, he had filled a fourth of the pages already- and an empty hospital tray.

"You should dry your hair," you noted. "I don't want you to get sick."

"Don't worry, Y/N, I'm not cold."

You thought for a second and then told him to wait, leaving the room. A few minutes later, you returned with a hairdryer and a hand towel from the staff locker rooms. Without any opposition, Ocean sat down in the plastic chair by the desk. You stood behind him, gently squeezing the water out of his hair with the towel, then blowing through it with the hairdryer. When you were done, Ocean's white-blond hair was fluffy from the heat, not limp and dull like it was before.

"Wow, so soft," you said without realizing it as you finger-combed out the tangles.

"Thank you, Y/N," Ocean hummed cheerfully. "For taking care of me."

"Of course, Ocean. I need to go meet with my other patients now, okay? I'll come back to see you at lunch-"

"What other patients?"

"Um, just two of them," you answered tentatively. "Dr. Monroe thought it would be good for me to have a few different kinds of patients."

"I'm still your favorite- I am, right?"

You gave him a reassuring smile and a quick hug. "Always."

The two new patients in question were Lyra Lawson and Thomas Whitley. Lyra was a young girl who was coming to you for grief counselling after the death of her grandfather, who raised her in place of her busy parents. Thomas was a college student a year younger than you who was admitted to the hospital's inpatient for substance abuse after an accidental overdose. Your appointment with Lyra was in twenty minutes, and you were led down to the first floor to see your new office. It had the same layout as Dr. Monroe's, but it was empty besides a few pieces of furniture and a potted plant. You didn't care, though, as seeing your name- Dr. Y/N L/N, MD- lettered on a plate outside was more than enough for you.

The morning flew by and you were beginning to feel like a real doctor. Of course, you had done 'real' work before in college, but it was a different case when it was actually your job. You were finishing up your first session with Tom, as he told you to call him, and the two of you walked together back to his room. He was undergoing his detox process, and he had to be accompanied at all times. As you were saying goodbye, you noticed Ocean out of the corner of your eye. He was standing outside of his room down the hall, and you waved at him.

Ocean was still working in his sketchbook, so you sat on his bed to watch, except he blocked your view of the paper.

"I'm not done yet," Ocean explained, then said bluntly, "It's past lunchtime now."

"I know, I'm sorry, Ocean. I'll have the afternoon all for us, though. How was June while I was gone?"

"Fine, I guess. Was that one of your other patients outside?"

"Mhm, his name is Tom."

"Tom, huh..." he muttered. The lead of his pencil snapped, and he brushed it away, grabbing a new pencil.

You changed the subject, asking Ocean if he wanted to go out with you to buy some new clothes. He, as expected, happily agreed, and you signed him out at the front desk.

Ocean still only had the raincoat and rainboot set that you had gotten him, but it was a cloudy, humid day, so nobody gave him any stares apart from the ones he was getting for being, as you admitted, pretty good-looking. This was proven by someone approaching Ocean and asking to exchange numbers as soon as the two of you entered the mall.

"Sorry," he said, lifting his hand, which was holding yours as usual. "I'm not available."

She seemed disappointed, but not too upset. "Should've guessed. You guys look super cute together."

"Uh, we're not-" you began, but she was gone before you could say anything. You sighed, looking over at Ocean. "You're allowed to date even when you're at the hospital, you know."

"Mhm, I know. She just wasn't who I wanted to date."

You and Ocean returned to the hospital with an armful of bags each after having had dinner outside, and went back to his room. While you were cutting some tags off, Ocean disappeared into the bathroom, and emerged wearing a beige jumper messily half-tucked into black sweatpants. He ran a hand through his hair with the other in his pocket, and your heart stopped. You almost forgot you were in the hospital for a moment.

"What do you think?"

"You look really cute- um, nice," you stumbled, feeling your face warm up.

"I'm glad you think I'm cute," Ocean beamed, half-teasing and half-serious.

You flushed red. "I just mean that I like it."

"Really?"

"Really."

Together, you finished putting away everything you bought in Ocean's previously almost-empty closet, and you hugged Ocean goodnight.

When you came into work just a couple of days later, Tom Whitley was dead.