Something missing
Adrian sat in his dimly lit office, his posture rigid, his fingers interlocked as he listened to the steady ticking of the clock.
Dr. Gabriel Haynes, his longtime physician and one of the few people who knew the full extent of his condition, studied him with careful scrutiny.
Dr. Gabriel Haynes(Neurologist)
(Flipping through Leon’s latest test results.)
Dr. Gabriel Haynes(Neurologist)
Still nothing?
Adrian Frost (ML)
(Exhales sharply) Nothing.
Dr. Gabriel Haynes(Neurologist)
(Sighs and Leans back in his chair)
Dr. Gabriel Haynes(Neurologist)
No changes in diet, pheromones, or stress levels?
Adrian Frost (ML)
(Unreadable expression)
Nothing that matters.
Dr. Gabriel Haynes(Neurologist)
(Gives him a look)
Dr. Gabriel Haynes(Neurologist)
Everything matters when it comes to sensory loss, Adrian
Dr. Gabriel Haynes(Neurologist)
Have you at least tried the stimulation exercises I suggested?
Adrian Frost (ML)
(Jaw tenses).... I did
Dr. Gabriel Haynes(Neurologist)
And?
Adrian Frost (ML)
They were a waste of time.
Adrian Frost (ML)
(Coldly)I don’t smell. I don’t taste. And I’m done pretending that will ever change.
Dr. Gabriel Haynes(Neurologist)
(Tapping a pen against his notepad).... Do you really believe what you say?
Dr. Gabriel Haynes(Neurologist)
(Studying him in silence)
Dr. Gabriel Haynes(Neurologist)
You say that, yet you still come here every six months for tests.
Dr. Gabriel Haynes(Neurologist)
If you were truly done, you wouldn’t have let me run the tests.
Adrian Frost (ML)
(Didn’t respond)
Dr. Gabriel Haynes(Neurologist)
You know, Adrian, I’ve had patients lose their sense of smell and taste before. Some cases are temporary. Some are permanent. The hardest ones are the people who never stop waiting for what’s lost to return
Dr. Gabriel Haynes(Neurologist)
But you? You’re not waiting. You’ve adapted—shut yourself off from anything that might remind you of what’s missing.
Adrian's gaze flickered, but his expression didn’t change
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