Chapter 85
Yael opened his eyes with difficulty.
My vision was blurry, from complete darkness to gradual light, as if I had slept for a very long time, and my mind had gone blank.
There seemed to be something covering his face, and he felt a little uncomfortable. He took a deep breath, moved his fingers hard, and slowly regained his perception of his body.
"ah!!"
But before he could sit up, the nurse passed by the ward and took a look inside. She was stunned by the movement of this vegetative patient who had been lying in bed for a long time.
"You, you're awake? Duan Li, go get the doctor..."
Realizing something, the nurse immediately opened the door and turned on the light. After confirming that Yael was awake, she pushed her companion and asked her to run and call a doctor.
"What a medical miracle! You actually woke up?! Do you feel uncomfortable now?"
The nurse hurried to look at the machine, marveled at it, and recorded the patient's physical data.
It was the middle of the night and she thought someone had risen from the dead!
"Hey, it's okay..."
Yael opened his mouth, his voice a little hoarse. After regaining some mobility, he leaned on the bed that the nurse had raised, closed his eyes, and gathered his strength.
The doctor arrived quickly, did some basic checks, and began to talk about "medical miracles". He looked at Yael as if he was looking at a rare prehistoric monkey.
"You have been living here since you were declared brain dead. I come to check on you occasionally, and the results I get are always unexpectedly good."
As he listened to the patient's condition and kept talking, he saw Yael's expression change from distress to calm, and he even adjusted his state quickly, becoming more excited and confused.
"Your muscles show no signs of atrophy, and you don't have bedsores from lying down for so long... You don't look like a patient who has been bedridden for so long at all. Sometimes I even suspect that you are healthier than me."
Yael sat for a while, the discomfort gradually subsided, and he regained control of his body. Hearing this, he chuckled softly.
"Thank you doctor for your concern. Maybe I am just... lucky."
When his eyes were no longer sore and afraid of the light, he tried to open them, and the world had become clear again.
In front of him was an ordinary ward, with bright white lights and a lingering smell of disinfectant. He was sitting on a narrow bed, wearing a thin hospital gown.
The doctor in a white coat looked curious, "How did you wake up? Did you wake up suddenly, or was there some chance?"
"…It seemed like I had a very long dream, but when I woke up I couldn't remember the content of the dream."
Yael lowered his eyes and recalled the time from when he fainted to when he woke up. However, his memory seemed to be shrouded in a layer of mist, and no matter how hard he tried, he could not touch the reality underneath.
The doctor beside him sighed for a while, and after confirming that he was fine now, he also planned to leave.
"Whether you can sleep or not, I suggest you get some rest and we can talk about it tomorrow."
"If you feel any discomfort, just press the button. I will come and check it out again tomorrow."
After they left, the ward became quiet and dim again.
Yael followed instructions, lay down, covered himself with the quilt, and closed his eyes drowsily, taking advantage of the lingering sleepiness.
But then I thought of the long dream I just mentioned, and belatedly I sensed a hint of warmth coming through the hazy mist, as if I was feeling the warmth of the sun through the glass.
...It must be a beautiful dream.
*
"Doctor...really?!"
Yael was awakened by a burst of noisy noises. He opened his eyes with some difficulty. The noises around him quieted for a moment, and then louder shouts broke out.
"Hey! Hey hey hey—it seems to be really moving!"
He turned his head and a big face came over, with a pair of round eyes, "Brother! Brother, you are really awake!"
Yael barely fended off the close attack and cleared his throat.
"Really, I'm really awake. Don't get so close. I haven't brushed my teeth in a long time."
"oh..."
The junior student moved away a little with regret, but still looked at him curiously.
"Brother, this is a medical miracle. Even a patient diagnosed with brain death can recover on his own. You are this!"
He raised his thumb to show his admiration for the strongest of the strongest.
Yael couldn't help but laugh, and the slight tension disappeared silently. He looked up at the people around him, most of whom were classmates who had rushed over after hearing the news.
The senior sister in the same laboratory had red eyes. When she saw him looking at her, she turned around and wiped her tears.
"It's good that you woke up. Fortunately, I didn't give up and chose to let you stay in the hospital."
"Yeah, you didn't have any family, and the situation was really despairing. Fortunately... we have survived the disaster now, and we will be safe and sound from now on."
The senior brother put the fruit basket and flowers together, said a few words of comfort after hearing what he said, and after confirming that he had woken up, he called the mentor to tell him.
Yael sighed, and an apologetic smile appeared on his pale face, "I'm sorry to have caused you all to worry."
The junior student waved his hand and said casually.
"Why are you saying sorry? Brother, you died suddenly because you were too dedicated to your job. You've already made the headlines as an inspirational figure in school. You're a well-known figure!"
Is he already famous?
Yael coughed softly and was about to ask about the experiment when the door of the ward suddenly opened and a somewhat familiar figure walked in quickly.
"Teacher."
"The tutor is here!"
As soon as he appeared, several greetings rang out reflexively. Yael followed their gaze and saw a familiar face that was suppressing his excitement.
He couldn't help laughing, but before he could even call out the word "mentor", he was hugged tightly.
"Hello..." Long time no see.
The old man with half-white hair looked excited. Seeing this once dazzling student again, he couldn't hold back his tears and patted Yael's shoulder hard.
"Good! It's good that you're back! I knew you weren't destined to die!"
A sour feeling rushed up his nose. Yael blinked and tried hard to hold back his tears. He hugged him back tightly, his voice a little hoarse.
"Yeah, I'm finally back."
After a period of chaos, the ward finally returned to peace.
"Don't worry about the cost of treatment. After the school learned about your situation, they organized a trickle-down fund to cover the cost of your surgery and hospital stay. There is still some money left."
After asking about Yael's situation and confirming that everything was fine, the tutor told Yael everything that had happened in the past few days and helped him fill in the gaps.
"As for research funding, the university has re-approved funding to fill the original gap, and the project is now doing very well."
"After that, you can rest and recuperate. You can take a year or two off from school. When you have fully recovered, come back to school. I will see if there is a suitable project and then assign you to it."
The situation is better than expected.
At least everything seemed to be frozen before he fell into a coma, and his life hadn't changed much, which was enough for him to be grateful.
"Okay, I understand...thank you."
Yael's shoulders relaxed, and he met his instructor's concerned gaze. He looked around at the crowded classmates and couldn't help but smile.
The sense of strangeness and helplessness that had lingered since I woke up dissipated silently in this bustling atmosphere with the smell of fireworks.
The senior sister saw his hidden confusion and spoke to him in a comforting voice.
"Everyone is about to graduate, and you are the only one who needs to start over. But there is no need to rush in life. Many of your classmates choose to continue their studies. You can study for a lifetime."
"Yes, yes, hey, brother, I'm suddenly very curious——"
The junior student started chattering and took over the conversation, and began to ask Yael questions about things that he didn't know in normal times.
"Are you conscious when you are lying in bed? Can you hear the noises outside? Do you dream? Or..."
Yael was a little helpless, but still said seriously.
"I probably wasn't conscious. I have no memory of this period. I might have dreamed about it, but I forgot it as soon as I woke up."
They chatted for a while, during which time the teacher's wife brought some nourishing soup. After washing up and eating the soup and meal, it was soon afternoon.
"Here is a cell phone and some money. Take your time to cultivate. There is no rush!"
The junior student stuffed everything into his hands, all of which were necessities for reintegrating into society.
Yael quickly took it and said with a smile, "Okay, thank you."
"Bye, I'll come see you tomorrow."
A group of people left the ward one after another. The junior student who was walking behind wanted to close the door, but when he looked up, he was suddenly stunned.
Yael sat quietly on the bed, looking over here with a frown on his face.
The dazzling sunlight danced on the young man's hair and collar, and the young man's thin outline seemed to be covered with a layer of light white duck down, making him look like he was glowing.
Those fleeting times did not leave any trace on him.
The black hair and eyes, as well as the fair skin, were exactly the same as in my memory, like a well-preserved ink painting that would return to life as new once the dust was shaken off.
It was as if he was not diagnosed with brain death and had been lying in the dark hospital bed for so long, but was left in the cracks of time, escaping all the turmoil and waking up safely.
Seeing him looking over, Yael looked a little puzzled, smiled and waved, "Bye?"
"…Bye, I'm leaving!"
A strange feeling flashed through his mind, but the junior student didn't pay much attention to it. He soon grinned, waved his hand and closed the door.
Bang.
The door was closed gently, and it seemed as if the whole room was shaking slightly, leaving the room alone in silence.
Yael looked at the door in a daze, lowered his eyes for a while, took out his previous mobile phone from his arms, and pressed and held it to turn it on.
The phone was fully charged and could be used normally, except that WeChat was a little stuck due to too many messages. After clearing all the messages, it ran much smoother.
He tried it and found that it was out of service. He wanted to recharge his phone bill, but found that his bank card was locked for some reason and he had to go to an offline store to unlock it before he could use it for payment.
You need to unlock the card after you are discharged from the hospital.
Yael looked through it again and found the landlord's information. He learned that his things had been packed into the storage room and the original house had been rented to someone else.
...Now I really have no place to live.
He sighed lightly, but realized that this was actually a better result.
The ward was quiet and the only sound was breathing.
From last night until just now, he was surrounded by many voices, sighs, surprises, various inquiries and concerns, basically filling up the entire space.
Although it felt very warm and noisy, it was only then that Yael had some alone time to start thinking about other things.
The past can no longer be retrieved, and the road ahead is still unknown, but it is also full of light and hope.
He should have done as his mentor and senior sisters advised, and stopped thinking about anything else, focused on taking good care of his body, and then continued his studies.
No matter what, continuing to study is a good way.
But inexplicably, there is always a faint voice hidden in my heart, which only pops out and calls out when it is quiet -
Don’t forget… don’t forget *%$ah…!
Yael pinched his brows, trying to distinguish the vague sound, but he couldn't hear it clearly. After a long time, he could only give up with doubt.
But it was this slight difference that made him unable to accept the road before him, and hesitant at the crossroads when he woke up.
I always feel that...if I just ignore it, he will regret it.
Forget it, let's take it one step at a time.
*
Yael spent a few days in the hospital and was confirmed to be in good health and ready to be discharged.
He sent a group message announcing his discharge, expressing his gratitude and saying there was no need to visit again.
"Leaving?"
The doctor recognized him and greeted him, then emphasized again, "Young man, take care of your body in the future, especially don't stay up all night. It's enough to come to the hospital just once."
Yael coughed softly, "Okay, I'll pay attention."
No hospitalization for three years, once you are hospitalized, stay for three years.
He had slept enough in the hospital and didn't want to lie on that hard bed anymore.
Yael didn't have much luggage in the hospital, so after completing the discharge procedures, everyone could leave immediately with a small bag.
As I pushed open the hospital door, the noisy sounds outside suddenly hit me in the face.
The hustle and bustle of traffic and the crowds of people are scenes that have been engraved in my bones for more than 20 years. I feel a sense of familiarity as soon as I see them.
Yael was stunned for a moment, almost timid for a moment.
"Handsome boy, do you want to leave? Don't block the door."
An old man in a vest and shorts patted him on the shoulder, and when Yer turned around, he looked him up and down again.
"What a handsome guy! My vision is right."
Yael quickly opened the door completely and stepped aside to make room for him. "Sorry, you go first."
The uncle walked out, and he finally opened the door of the hospital, trying step by step to walk from the shadow under the eaves into the lively sunshine.
The sunlight was brighter than he had imagined.
Yael narrowed his eyes slightly, stretched out his hand to block it, and walked out of the hospital, but suddenly felt a little dazed.
The intersection in front of him was familiar yet unfamiliar. He was still in the same city and in an area he was more familiar with, but a lot of things had changed in the past three years.
The shops, houses, roads, etc. have all been renovated, which is completely different from the vague memory.
For some reason, Yael felt as if he were in another world.
“Beep!”
A taxi stopped beside him and honked twice. He quickly took two steps back to indicate that he was not taking a ride, and the taxi quickly drove away.
"That seems to be No. 17 Middle School. The old buildings should still be there. Let's take a walk around and get familiar with it."
Yael looked around, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he walked towards the place that still remained in its original state.
It was almost time for school to be over, and the stalls outside the middle school gate were already ready, waiting for a group of hungry kids to rush out and then selling them at a discount.
"Starch sausage! Pretty boy, do you want a starch sausage?"
"Bobo chicken! Bobo chicken for one yuan a skewer! Delicious and tasty Bobo chicken~"
He walked under the tree, and soon he felt that the sunlight was not so glaring. He originally thought of buying something to eat and unlocking his bank card after filling his stomach.
The oil in the pot is sizzling, the golden egg liquid is soft and fragrant, and a wide variety of ingredients are skewered on bamboo sticks, waiting to be selected and put into the pot...all of them are delicious enough to easily attract the greedy worms.
"Bo Zai Gao! Two yuan for one, five yuan for three! You can choose your own flavor!"
When he was in **, a lot of his memories were about the delicious food of his hometown.
**?
Yael was stunned for a moment, a thought flashed through his mind, but he couldn't grasp what that vague ** was.
He stood there in a daze for a long time, and happened to stop beside a stall selling bo zai gao. The enthusiastic proprietress waved to him.
"Handsome! Our cakes are especially delicious. There are many flavors. Do you want to try them?"
Yael came back to his senses and subconsciously looked towards the stall. Sure enough, he saw colorful and various flavors of Bo Zai Gao, which looked particularly crystal clear and beautiful.
"This one is passion fruit flavor, this one is blueberry, strawberry, green bean, osmanthus... you can have any flavor you want, three for five dollars, very cheap!"
"Look at this."
Yael was so engrossed in watching that he subconsciously reached out his hand, but he only pulled invisible air. His desire to share was also stuck there like his hand.
He was stunned for a moment, looked at his hands in confusion, and then turned to look at the crowd.
Just now...who did you want to invite to watch it with you?
Yael doesn't have any close friends, not for any other reason, but because he enjoys being alone. He usually goes everywhere alone and has long been accustomed to it.
The subconscious desire to share just now was abnormal for him.
But he had no idea how he was influenced and with whom he developed this new habit.
But I can't deny that when I stretched out my hand and pulled nothing, it felt like a hole was pierced in my heart. It felt empty and painful when the wind blew.
"Handsome, do you want more? This is really delicious, the taro paste is so juicy!"
The proprietress was a little confused, but she continued to promote the Bo Zai Gao enthusiastically, and following Yer's gaze, she took out the strawberry one.
"I want one strawberry, one passion fruit, and one taro paste."
Yael pursed his lips, ordered three flavors, took out some cash given by the instructor from the small bag, and handed over a twenty-dollar bill.
After walking a distance with the plastic bag in hand, he took out the passion fruit and took a bite.
It should be the passion fruit juice that was added. It had a very pure sour taste, which made Yael frown in confusion and eat it while enduring the sour taste in his teeth.
...He didn't like sour food, but he ordered it subconsciously.
Maybe it’s because that non-existent “person” likes to eat it.
Well, it could be a ghost.
He sighed and let his mind clear for a while, but he still couldn't get rid of the fog and could only suppress it for the time being.
Passing by a store, he bought some toast for tonight's dinner. Then, Yael quickly found the bus stop and figured out the location of a bank according to his memory.
“Crunch—”
The bus wobbled to a stop in front of him, making a deflated sound, and the front door slammed open. Yael hurried up and reached into his small schoolbag to take out two dollars.
……etc.
Where is the change you just got back?
The more Yael flipped through the paper, the more confused he became. He had indeed received change from the boss just now. Originally, there were ten-dollar bills and five-dollar bills, and he had even specially given the five-dollar change.
"Beep, two yuan."
While he was searching, a capable short-haired lady got on the bus. She first swiped the QR code, glanced at him, refreshed the code, and swiped it again.
"Beep, two yuan."
Yael was stunned for a moment, then realized that this sister had swiped the card for him, and he blurted out, [%￥#.]
Wait, what the hell is he talking about?
Yael blinked and came back to his senses, and quickly added, "...Thank you!"
The short-haired sister was a little confused, but still nodded to him and turned around to sit down.
There were many seats on the bus, and Yael chose a window seat.
The glass and seats were warmed by the sun, and the scene outside the window was swaying backwards.
He saw many familiar scenes. The outline of the city became clearer from blurry, gradually filling in the gaps of those years.
The feeling of joy and comfort grew continuously, falling from the fleeting air to the solid ground.
It should be so. It should be so.
It’s like a baby returning to the mother’s womb, curled up in the warm amniotic fluid, with every cell expressing the joy and harmony of returning.
He truly belongs here, body and soul.
But Yael could clearly feel that he was suppressing his desire to share and confide.
The shape of that tree is very strange, like a rose.
I'm a little hungry and want to eat some bread... but I forgot to buy some water, so I'll definitely choke if I eat it dry.
Ah, school is over. The students here have to wear blue and white school uniforms every day, and they take turns wearing the same outfit.
The kiln chicken here is especially delicious, with a pure flavor, tender and juicy...but it's a little expensive.
It was as if there should be a "person" sitting next to him at this moment, patiently listening to all his rambling thoughts and giving concise and gentle responses.
She will arrange everything meticulously and won't let him just have a perfunctory dinner. She is sometimes taciturn and sometimes talkative, but she is lovable no matter what.
It is the other half of life and soul, unforgettable and indispensable.
After realizing that he couldn't suppress this emotion, Yael naturally let it go, feeling the strange feeling flowing through his body, as if it was enveloping him like the sunshine.
He was missing her, but he was not thinking about the world in front of him wholeheartedly. It could even be said that the two kinds of missing were half and half, with neither side being less than the other.
Yael opened his mouth, wanting to call out the name that was in his mouth, but he could never cross that line.
He took a deep breath and leaned against the glass window somewhat tiredly.
…never mind.
*
After unlocking the bank card and recharging the phone bill and data, the phone was finally able to function again.
It was getting darker and the night was as cool as water.
Since he couldn't go back to his previous rental house and had to wait until tomorrow to get his things, Yael decided to stay in a hotel temporarily.
Click.
The door of the hotel was closed, and Yael fell onto the bed exhausted. He closed his eyes and rested for a while before he finally recovered some strength.
After lying in the hospital for so long, the body was still somewhat damaged. This body has become much thinner than before, and you can even feel the bones clearly when you touch it.
The clock hanging on the wall of the hotel was ticking.
The door to the small balcony was not closed. The evening wind blew up the smoky gray curtains, which flew over the glass bottle with dried roses on the table and then flattened out again.
The setting sun slowly lost its last bit of heat, and the light in the room became dim.
“…”
Yael opened his eyes silently and looked out the window at the sky in a trance, feeling a little confused for some reason.
He finally went home.
But it was not as peaceful and joyful as I had imagined.
He himself didn't know what the reason was. His memory deceived him but could not deceive his conscious reactions and emotions.
During his coma, he had a beautiful dream.
Or...really experiencing a new journey in life?
The author has something to say:
Yeye: Oh no, it seems like there is a ghost wife during the coma (thinking)
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