"Excuse me, sir. I'm your new attendant. I just need to draw some blood for the tests. I might be new, but I'm very good with needles—it'll be painless."
Hearing someone new, he sighed and stretched out his arms in front of her. He couldn't even remember how long it had been since he last left the room. Every few days, Kridiya, his old attendant, would come and draw his blood for testing. He knew there was nothing wrong with him, so no matter what tests they conducted, they would never find a cause for his symptoms. It was something that was bound to happen—something he probably deserved. Now, he was tied to it. And he had to keep staring out the window, if he wanted to stay alive.
More than once, he thought he would look away—divert his eyes—and allow himself to escape through death. But then the thought of becoming like them scared him. Just being alive was something he couldn't give up easily. He had always been mentally strong, so even thinking of ending his life was a big deal—let alone actually doing it.
While he was lost in his thoughts, Vina quietly opened the door and stepped out of the room, trying not to disturb him further. However, she was deeply curious about why he kept staring out the window. Eventually, she mustered the courage and asked Ms. Kridiya:
"Ms. Kridiya, I know I'm not supposed to ask about patient history, but… can you tell me why he keeps staring out there? I'm just concerned, I swear. It's certainly not because of how stunning he looks—even in a hospital gown."
Kridiya wanted to ignore her at first, but when she saw Vina's pleading eyes full of genuine concern, she gave in and shared his past.
"Have you ever heard about the Justice Hospital fire incident?"
Vina remembered seeing it on the news. It was a tragic accident. According to the reports, there had only been one survivor. Putting the pieces together, she blurted out:
"Is he that survivor?"
To her question, Kridiya simply nodded, then continued on toward another patient's room.
Vina, who was already concerned about him, felt even worse now. She sat down, covering her face with her palms. While some might have seen her as nosy, she was simply more empathetic than most.
After sitting like that for a while, she stood up and decided she would do everything she could to help him come out of that room and rejoin the world. Day after day, she visited him, telling him stories about the world outside. Though he never responded, she kept talking to him. Over time, her words grew fewer and fewer. One day, while speaking to him, she stopped mid-sentence, thinking, It's not going to work.
But just as she was about to get up from the seat, he asked:
"Then what happened?"
She was so overjoyed that she began speaking at the speed of light. He chuckled, smiling a little. As soon as he smiled, she was so mesmerized that she unconsciously blurted out, "So beautiful."
But hearing her call him beautiful terrified him. He suddenly shouted:
"Get out! I want a new attendant. Don't ever come back here! I don't want to see your face. I hate you!"