In the reflection of the bathtub, she noticed a strange movement: something writhing beneath the young man’s skin, as if hidden darkness had come alive under his pale, translucent flesh. She recoiled, unable to believe her eyes, but there was no ignoring it.

— Wha… what is that? — she whispered, stepping back instinctively.

The young man looked at her, and in his eyes, she saw not fear, but something alien, cold, and almost conscious. It seemed that over the long years of immobility, some entity had taken residence inside his body, now impossible to hide. The nurse felt a cold sweat running down her back, her fingers trembling uncontrollably.

Something moved again in the tub — small, but distinct — a shadow inside him trying to escape. She could not believe what she was seeing, her heart racing uncontrollably.

— It’s okay, it’s okay… — she whispered to herself, trying to stay calm, but her instincts screamed: run.

Then she heard a faint, distinct whisper, coming from the very room:

— Help…

She froze, unsure what to do. The young man’s lips moved slowly, but the sound was not his voice — it was strange, as if another consciousness was speaking through his body. The nurse felt a horror more paralyzing than any physical pain.

Her mind wavered between fear and duty. She saw a human body, but could not ignore the alien, incomprehensible presence inside. Every cell screamed to flee, yet she knew she could not abandon the patient.

At that moment, the young man slowly lifted his eyes and looked straight at her. His gaze was empty, yet piercingly alive. The nurse felt in them an endless pain and a silent plea for salvation. She realized: this was not just a man paralyzed by his body — something terrifying had taken refuge inside him, unable to leave the living world.

Summoning her remaining courage, she continued to wash him, trying not to look at the strange movements under his skin. But each time her hands touched his arms, it felt as if not only muscles but something living, foreign, and dark stirred beneath. She felt a cold that penetrated to her bones and understood: if anyone saw her in this state, they would think she had gone mad.

Then something unbelievable happened. The water in the tub began to cloud, turning into a dark, viscous substance. She recoiled, but the young man suddenly spoke for the first time in years — though not with his own voice:

— Save… us…

She realized that this call was not just to her, but to a world that had long turned away from him. In that moment, she understood that this job was not merely caring for a sick person. She had become a witness to something no one should ever see.

The nurse felt a strange mix of fear and determination. She knew: if she could get through this, she would become not just a nurse, but the only hope for someone long imprisoned within his own body… and something dark within.

She took a deep breath, moved a stool closer, grabbed the sponge, and carefully began washing him again, knowing that what happened next could determine not only her job… but the salvation of someone who was no longer simply human.