[Date: Early-December?? 2019.
Subject: Kai.
Location: Mount Sinai Community Hospital, Room 421]
My eyes burnt as the light assaulted them, bouncing off the sterile white ceiling and dusty counters. They watched me—mocked me. I gritted my teeth and bore the pain as I slowly turned—Like a rusty cog.
My nose stung first— then the beeping kicked in—Sharp, unending. They never stopped. It was like walking into a crowd of orphan birds…they all imprint on you, one by one, and call you, their dad.
An army. Each one pining to erase my sanity. Or bleed my ears dry. One or the other…
Welp. At least it reminded me where I was.
Who I was.
What I was.
The blankets weighed on me. Silk clung to my skin. I'm not human…
I'm a rock.
A goddamn rock.
With childcare.
If I wanted to be a rock, I'd have just asked medusa out. At least then she might help with the rent.
I could only bear with this realisation as the empty room seemed wider. More spacious.
Dammit.
----
Time didn't matter to the chicks; each beep was a second—and hell if I was gonna count them. I know I'm risking insanity—but going insane? Not on my to do list.
Already larping a stone. A divorced stone with orphans…
Soft footsteps could be heard from downstairs. Along with the gentle static of a TV being turned on.
A Children's nursery song, 'the bat on a mat' started playing.
Oh great. This again.
It's been constant these past few days. The same song along with the same child clapping and singing with energy I wish I had.
Orphans, huh.
They kept on chirping...
Imma name one Robin.
Nightwing.
Redhood.
Ora—
A breeze danced across the room as the door finally opened. It wrapped itself around my foot, waking me from my spiral. I shivered, tensed my core—tried to sit up. And fell back down.
No luck.
Just getting laughed at by a child, the bat and a mat.
Damn birds…
I could hear who the guest was. Just had to use my ultimate power—
a stethoscope.
Ha...
Steady breaths cut across the room.
The steady pulse of his heart.
The steady gush of his blood.
I know who you are...
It was the rhythm of its beat, not the smell—
Couldn't smell as well as I could hear—Not that I wanted to.
He walked up to me, my bed raised with an electronic hum. A blonde man, a hand on his clipboard whilst another held a button on my side. My gaze traced the buttons, I wonder which one will de-petrify my being.
He gave me a smile, and two more heartbeats pulsed in an out of sync rhythm. If my head could recoil, it would've. I reeled in my hearing, fighting off the dizziness with closed eyes.
At least I managed to get better at hearing, because, clearly, what I needed… Was improved hearing.
I could dull it now—enough not to be dragged into a concert, every time people designate my room as the official rave venue.
It's just still…
difficult to focus.
The two hearts drew closer. Blondie stood, scribbling in his notes and tapping his finger to the rhythm of the beeping.
He was DJ-Ing and didn't even know it.
Well, think on the bright side—
The sun's rays sneaked into the room, its gentle warmth offering a small reprieve from the coldness. Almost landing on my uncovered foot.
Yep.
Then the rays disappeared, muted by the fogging sky. The room turned dark again, with the only light source being the flickering light bulb. It retreated right before the warmth reached me.
Nope. Nothing.
Blondie opened his mouth. His voice came out as underwater sacrilege—weird, garbled and honestly? worth a solid 10/10 review on yelp.
My ears recoiled as his words slurred together.
Just needed to focus.
It was like tuning a radio—needed to find the right frequency anddd—
Lips flapped. A swallow. Teeth clicked. Tongue swished.
Ughh. way too much.
Dial it down
"—sical therapy."
Therapy?
Yeah. I'm gonna need that after what I've just heard—jeez.
Look doc. I'm not lost. I've just been cursed.
Cursed with a power too great to hold~
The lights hum too loud and The blanket keeps drifting from my touch.
Doc.
Everything just feels so...
Wrong.
Two people walked in. Both in white coats. One carried a cushion.
He approached me, cushion in hand. Hesitated—then awkwardly propped it behind my neck. He stepped back with a sigh.
I couldn't help but feel like I almost just died there…
Another heartbeat closed in, steady, measured. Unlike the chaotic mess that was now terraforming my sanctuary into a rave venue.
Look, I love that we're putting faces to the pulse. I just don't need to meet every heartbeat in a 30 mile radius.
Imagining the incoming paparazzi made my blood run cold—I shivered.
I'd rather drink blood.
Not a vampire. Just—an observation
The three doctors waited, not for me. Unfortunately, they don't seem to see the importance of waiting for a cripple. Or maybe they were waiting for me.
Huh…
Maybe they realise who's kingdom they've barged into. My throne room.
I could only contemplate how I would communicate with my new followers.
The rookie—I'm now bestowing upon him the title—adjusted my blanket, finally covering my foot. Protecting me from the eternal frost that came from the darkening sky.
If I could smile, I would've. Rook, you've done me a great service. May the kingdom stay peaceful with you as its defender.
I imagined him, kneeling in ceremony as I bestowed upon him the title of Knight. His messy brown hair coiled into a bun—dignified and proud.
The whole throne room clapped in celebration—Only to dissolve, the crying of a child from a floor below brought me back to reality.
Bat and a Mat has finished I see...
An awkward lull filled the room, the steady pacing of footsteps getting closer each second. That, along with the beeps, blondie's tapping and the erratic heartbeats. Made the room feel like a stuffy rock concert.
Couldn't headbang even if I wanted to…
"So—" Started a female voice—Echo. "She's late? Should I—"
Her name is now Echo.
She gestured vaguely, her body half-leaning towards the door. Ready to ghost at any moment.
"No." Blondie grumbled, looking at the clock. "She should be here soon."
Blondie didn't seem too pleased. His face wore a rare frown; he clicked with his tongue and returned to his notes.
"Well. This is a first huh," Rookie glanced over, tried leaning on the counter—missed—nearly taking a set of tools with him. He fumbled, chuckled, then readjusted like nothing happened.
The tools survived, no workplace casualties today.
But Rookie? Rookie would need a firm reminder on noble etiquette. A knight should know to present themselves better after all.
Blondie glanced at him, Smiled, and returned to his notes with a sigh. Trying to burn whatever he wrote into his soul before the step-anator arrived.
Speaking of—
It had almost arrived. The steps reverberated across the halls; the air practically shivered through the cracks of the door.
Echo hummed, fiddling with a latex glove.
"It's weird. I never thought I'd be able to meet the mystery child." she muttered.
The glove fell. She fumbled, anxiously reaching for it.
Grabbed it—But It slipped right through her fingers.
She rushed to pick it up, buried it in her pockets, and stared at the floor, refusing to meet the others' gazes.
She seemed to shrink in size.
An interesting power…
Note to self: If in need of an archer, don't pick Echo. Surveillance and info gathering only.
"Neither did I." Rookie piped, his form looking over me as if meeting a long-lost celebrity.
As he should, I'm just a national treasure…
No autographs though, my hands don't work like they used to before.
I tried to raise them, but they only shook weakly. Point proven.
"He looks better than I expected," Rookie muttered, hand on his chin. Echo joined him in observing me.
looking down at royalty...
How disgraceful. I can't behead my loyal followers can I?
Blondie put his clipboard down with a thud. Gathering the attention of the other two, "Kai has been in coma for 2 years now," He joined the two in looking over me.
"Good morning," He smirked subtly.
Wait. He knew I was awake?
"How'd you know if he can hear you?" Rookie glanced at blondie, his messy hair bouncing and defying gravity.
Blondie nodded curtly toward the beeping machine.
"EEG rhythm suggests that he's awake." He said, "Can't say for sure yet, so we've gotta keep an eye on Sleeping Beauty here until she arrives."
They're monitoring my brain?
Crazy...
Wait. Sleeping Beauty? You dare address your king that way, peasant.
Rookie and Echo both looked at each other, Echo facepalmed, her neck turning a dark shade of red whilst Rookie merely nodded sagely.
"Right, almost forgot," Rook muttered. "Of course we have an EEG machine for a coma patient. You should really use your brain more Sabrina." He addressed Echo with a false name.
Echo—Sabrina? Nah, Echo glared at him and aimed her glove at him.
"One more peep from you" She warned, her ears practically steaming like a boiling kettle.
"AHHH!," Rookie screamed in mock fear, his hands prostrated in the air as if to defend himself.
Blondie let out a small chuckle, before setting his eyes back on me.
"Hey Kai, how'd you sleep?" He leaned on the bedframe as if expecting me to answer.
I slept well thank you, still waiting on my—
Hold on... What was his name again?
"Can't believe how well you're recovering." His knuckles tightened on the bedframe. "Way better than I predicted." He muttered, brows furrowed in thought.
Ugh. Joke ruined.
My brow twitched.
His shoulder was smacked by echo, who was currently getting gloves thrown at her.
Blondie glanced at the two, a smile on his tired face. Then he chided them.
Small drops of ice hailed outside. A creeping coldness infiltrated through the windows.
The sudden change in atmosphere went unnoticed by the three.
But a shiver crawled up my spine. My gut lurched.
I swear I could hear boss music being played—
I focused on the sound—
I wish I didn't...
The Bat on a Mat was playing.
Goddam—
Footsteps Boomed, they inched closer.
Almost too close.
Click.
Everything seemed to drown in them.
Clack.
Rhythmic Beeping. Distant chatter. Soft humming.
Click.
All faded into white noise.
Clack.
The heels stopped. The door creaked open.
A strong smell of lavender filled the room. Easing my pending headache.
Echo, Rookie, even Blondie stopped what he was doing.
The air thickened.
Outside. Snow replaced hail.
Blondie pat Rookie's shoulder. Rookie nodded, leaving the room as the figure entered.
The door creaked.
And the breeze whirled.
She had finally arrived.
…
Huh…