Chapter 292: Patient 013, Xu Huo
There was a feeling of restraint in his limbs—his hands, feet, and body were all tightly bound by something, leaving no room to move.
"Dr. Tang, his eyelids moved. Did the sedative wear off that quickly?" A familiar female voice echoed in the narrow space.
"The patient is frequently injected with sedatives, so his body has developed some resistance to the medication." Another male voice spoke, accompanied by the scratching of a pen across paper. "I've made my notes. If he wakes up and still can't calm down, give him another shot."
"I understand, Dr. Tang." The female voice moved a little farther away, followed by the sound of a door opening and closing.
Only one person's footsteps remained in the room. The woman walked back, her voice very close. "It's such a pity that he's so good-looking."
Xu Huo opened his eyes.
The woman was startled by him. She quickly stepped back, brushed a strand of messy hair aside, and her arm swept past the name "Yu Qingqing" embroidered on her nurse's uniform. She then picked up a syringe from the operating table.
Xu Huo didn't move. He quickly scanned the room, and his gaze paused when it landed on the words "Seventeenth Hospital" engraved on the nearby medical equipment.
Yu Qingqing held the syringe and observed his condition. After a moment, she put it down and asked him, "How do you feel?"
"My body hurts a bit." Xu Huo's throat was dry.
Yu Qingqing wore an expression that suggested this was only natural. "You were thrashing and smashing things in the hospital earlier. How could you not be in pain?"
"Can you untie me?" Xu Huo asked.
Yu Qingqing glanced at the time. "Wait a bit, until another nurse comes to help."
After saying this, she sat down by the hospital bed and said with great interest, "Go on with your story. What new content do you have this time?"
"What story?" Xu Huo looked at her, then asked, "How long have I been here?"
"Not that long, really." Yu Qingqing clearly didn't want to discuss this topic. She gave him some water and then said, "I'll go call someone."
With that, she left. As she pulled the door open, the nameplate reading "Tang Guangbo" on the door across the way flashed by.
Two minutes later, Yu Qingqing returned, accompanied by a male nurse. They talked outside the door.
The male nurse complained in a low voice, "Why not just keep him in the treatment room? Why rush him back to the ward so soon? When he goes berserk, it takes several people to hold him down. What a hassle."
"Dr. Tang said that as long as he's awake, he can be sent back to the ward." Yu Qingqing said displeasedly, "Dai Wenqian, do you have a problem with me? Why do you always have so many complaints every time I ask for your help?"
"How could that be?" Dai Wenqian said. "Aren't I worried he might hurt you? He has schizophrenia—he can't tell reality from fantasy. And he's always going on about players and games. What if one day he decides to target you?"
"Don't talk nonsense. He's never attacked any medical staff." Yu Qingqing stopped him, then lowered her voice and said, "Besides, don't you think his fantasies are interesting? We're stuck in the Seventeenth Hospital every day, so bored. Listening to his stories is like hearing an adventure tale."
"I think you just think he's handsome." Dai Wenqian said sourly. "You girls, your values follow your looks. Don't think I don't know—Zhou Ning has even secretly brought him snacks."
"Tch, as if you've never taken care of a pretty female patient before." Yu Qingqing pushed the door open and smiled at Xu Huo.
Xu Huo looked at the person behind her. It really was Dai Wenqian.
Dai Wenqian wasn't as gentle as Yu Qingqing. He did a simple check on Xu Huo in a businesslike manner, then untied the restraints on him. "Move your hands."
Xu Huo did as he was told, but his hands fell weakly back onto the bed. He frowned and tried again, but still couldn't manage it.
"That's normal. It'll be fine in a little while." Dai Wenqian made his notes and signaled to Yu Qingqing. The two of them, one in front and one behind, pushed his bed out.
After passing a few wards, they reached the rest area on the floor. Several people in hospital gowns sat by the clean, spacious tables and chairs. They muttered words like "player" and "Special Defense Department," while the nurses beside them only perfunctorily responded to their words.
Xu Huo remained silent as he was taken back to his own ward. Only after lying down on the bed did he say to Yu Qingqing, "Nurse Yu, can I have an apple?"
Yu Qingqing had no objection, of course. She left with the frowning Dai Wenqian, but soon returned, holding a cut apple in her hand.
"Why are they all talking about players?" Xu Huo asked.
Yu Qingqing looked at him in surprise. "Don't you remember? You asked Dr. Tang about this before. It's a symptom of mental contamination. The original source was an online game called Dimension Rift. I suppose you could say it spreads from person to person."
"But don't worry. Your condition has improved. When you're lucid, you're no different from a normal person. As long as you keep working hard and control your illness, you'll be discharged soon."
Xu Huo took the apple slices, ate two pieces, and then smiled. "Nurse Yu, you have some too."
Under his gaze, Yu Qingqing's face flushed slightly. "We can't eat things brought by patients' families."
Xu Huo swallowed the apple. "These apples were sent by my... my brother?"
Yu Qingqing nodded.
"Can I see him?" Xu Huo closed his eyes for a moment before asking.
Yu Qingqing looked troubled. "Not for now, but once your condition stabilizes a bit more, you can."
"What about a phone call?"
"He said he was going on a business trip abroad when he last brought things, so it might be hard to get in touch." Yu Qingqing thought for a moment and said, "How about this? I'll let you know the next time he comes to bring something, okay?"
Xu Huo was silent.
Yu Qingqing stood up. "I'll go get your medicine. Take it and get some rest early."
After she left the room, the person who had been completely covered by the blanket on the opposite bed suddenly popped out and whispered to him, "Don't take the medicine they give you! Whatever you do, don't take it! If you take it, you'll be stuck here forever!"
Yu Qingqing soon returned. A small transparent pillbox contained several capsules, which she handed to him along with a glass of water. She then picked up the medical record book, her eyes fixed on his hands.
Xu Huo brought the medicine to his mouth, glanced at his wardmate, whose eyes were wide open in the blanket, and then took a few sips of water.
But the person on the opposite bed suddenly started trembling, muttering incoherently, "Can't get out, can never get out again! Everyone's going to die here! I don't want to die! I don't want to die!"
Seeing Xu Huo take the medicine, Yu Qingqing's expression relaxed a little, but at the sound behind her, her face darkened. She pressed the call button, and soon Dai Wenqian came in with two other nurses. They dragged the person out of the blanket, gave him a shot of sedative, and then tied him up and hauled him away.
Yu Qingqing turned back to Xu Huo with a gentle smile. "He won't be back tonight, so he won't disturb your sleep. You must be tired. Go to sleep."
As she turned around, the medical record book showed clear text: Patient 013, Xu Huo, admitted for 4 months.