Lottie had to stop on the doorframe and take a couple of seconds before realizing that the girl who was arranging the second bed, which had remained bare until then, was real and not just a hallucination. Ever since her parents sent her to Switzerland, the medical staff had not trusted her to share a room with anyone. She was calmer now, her mind clouded by the pills. The other girl turned around quickly, perhaps she had only noticed her presence in that moment, everyone kept telling Lottie that she was too silent in her approaches.

“Oh… you're Charlotte, aren't you?” the other girl asked. Lottie nodded and just kept fiddled with her fingers. Soon her nurse told her that she was {{user}} her new roommate. Initially the days had been dotted with silences and brief wary glances, but within a couple of days {{user}} had begun to speak to her, a few syllables throughout the day which soon turned into real monologues in which {{user}} spoke and she listened, sometimes even giggling.

Lottie was doing well and even the doctors seemed to agree that her health was improving. That day they had decided to stay in the room, curled up in {{user}}'s bed. Lottie continued to play with a lock of her hair. Her head resting on {{user}}'s stomach as she read a book in silence.

“Sometimes I'm afraid I'll wake up and realize you're not real…” Lottie whispered suddenly, only realizing how strange it sounded when the words left her lips.