Shen Yu's condition wasn't looking good. He gritted his teeth and continued to drag himself up the stairs despite the pain.
The hand gripping on the rod was tight, a net of green vein bulging at the back.
Short breath spilled out of his lips as he distracted himself by counting the floors.
He was on the seventh floor.
Then that meant there was five more floors.
Each stairs had fourteen steps. Five times fourteen.
That's about....70 steps.
Shit. So many!
Although he was complaining in his mind Shen Yu's eyes shone with a bright glint.
The young adult ran at full speed behind him was a dense number of twisted shadow and the red fog which had broken through the barrier on the first floor.
Shen Yu had no concept of time and it felt like forever until he finally reached the twelve floor.
He saw it. The old, rusty iron door was at the exit to the
Adrenaline poured into his bloodstream as he picked up the speed. All the noise ceased the moment his finger grabbed on the old dusty door knob.
The sudden switch made him pause and then he heard a soft, familiar voice from behind.
"Shen Yu."
Mom! His eyes widen, but he stopped himself in time from turning around.
"Shen Yu."
"Shen Yu, it's mom."
"Shen Shen....didn't you want to see me. Come with me." The voice continued, a bit desperate as he stood there doing nothing.
Shen Yu calmly turned the knob. He said sincerely. "I want to. I miss you a lot. But it's probably not the real you."
He opened the door and his eyes was assaulted with a heavy stream of white light as he stepped through. Then like a light switch that was flicked off it suddenly turned blank.
***********
Shen Yu woke up to the slow and steady beeping of a machine.
His eyelids was heavy and he took him some seconds to get them to fully open.
He first saw the drip connected to his hand, and then the familiar layout of an hospital room.
He was back!
Tears of joy sprang in his eyes.
The sound of the door opening made him turn his head, he then saw a nurse walking in.
She paused when she saw him, before hollering to someone outside the hallway. "The patient in room 206 is awake."
"How are you feeling? Do you feel any discomfort anywhere?"
Except his ass, every other place hurt.
Shen Yu opened his mouth to reply but could only let out a wheeze.
His throat was crisp dry. It was like a dessert that hasn't seen rain for more than a hundred years.
"Right. Water." The nurse quickly filled up a cup thoughtfully.
Shen Yu received it and downed it in one go. A second later his stomach let out a loud rumble.
The nurse smiled at him then said. "I will order something for you to eat. Wait a moment."
Shen Yu was so weak that he could only lie down.
Not long after a man in a white coat rushed in. He asked the same question as the nurse before
"Someone found you floating in the water. You had a blunt injury on your stomach and your legs were scratched by twigs rocks. It is a miracle you survive." Shen Yu could sense that he was trying to avoid the topic of how he got there in the first place.
It wasn't the first time that they saw someone who tried to commit suicide by jumping of the bridge. It was actually quite common that one would think.
The doctor looked at his patient who was still so young and sighed internally. He cautioned. "Rest well and you will be able to recover fully in a few days. If you have any troubles we are here to help you."
"Oh...okay." Shen Yu was about to relax when he remembered something. "Did I have anything on me? When I was found...."
"Yes! There is something like that. A notebook and a box." The nurse confirmed. "I kept it on bedside table next to you. Its in the drawer."
Shen Yu was immediately relived. He immediately searched the drawer and they were there was she had said.
Thankfully, unlike his worries the notebook wasn't wet. He then shifted his attention to the small music box.
Somehow he had brought it along.
"Thank you." Shen Yu whisper softly to the nurse.
The doctor asked him a few more question before leaving. Before he left he glanced back at the thin patient lying on the bed who was staring intently at the box in his hands.
Then he started to talk to it in a low voice that others couldn't hear.
So young and already mentally ill. The doctor sighed once more in his head.
Mean while Shen Yu who unknowing to him has been tagged as mentally ill was trying to see if he can contact Hau Lian, but even after calling her name several times there was no response.
Shen Yu was a bit worried. After all no matter what she had saved his life.
After a while of futile tries he set it aside the box and numbly ate the bland congee that was delivered to him.
Atleast it could fill his stomach.
"Shen Yu right." The nurse poked her head into the room and said. "There is someone here to see you."
Before Shen Yu could respond an unfamiliar man walked in.
He was tall, dressed in an all black suit and even had a black, sunglasses on.
Shen Yu nerves was tense. He didn't know why but this person gave him a dangerous feeling.
Almost like what was standing in front of him was not human, but something else.
"So you are the new district 23 watcher."