Risky Masquerade

12

Seokjin and Namjoon were greeted by motionless figures seated on stretchers covered in white sheets. They stared into trance and made no sound, as if they were pawns waiting for commands from a master.

"Are they brain dead?", Seokjin asked Doctor Lee who shook her head worriedly.

"No. That is what we thought until we noticed something. They can understand everything that's around them, and the funniest part is, they choose to respond only to orders.", she said.

"Does this have an organic cause or-?", Namjoon began.

"We have no idea about anything.
The Neurological Department of the hospital is surveying at the moment. They will be able to clear our doubts. I'm afraid this is not my area of expertise. However, I thought of informing you at the earliest to alarm the citizens.", Doctor Lee expressed.

"That was a good thing you did, Doctor Lee. Is there any other information you could provide us with so that the apparent epidemic alert would have some weight?", Seokjin questioned.

"Oh yes. Only teachers have been admitted to the hospital with this illness. No other civilian with a different profession has reported of such symptoms.", she spoke. "And there is something extremely peculiar about it too.", she stopped abruptly and turned towards a particular patient.

"You see, that is Baek Sung Jun, a teacher at the high school, and a very strict one at that.", she pointed towards a middle-aged man. "He is a very difficult person to deal with. He has co-morbidities and visits the hospital often. I have never seen him so still and silent. Apparently he acquired this condition following a messy divorce. But I can't digest the fact that a man like him would be so quiet."

Seokjin and Namjoon glanced at one another. Could this be related to the paranormal happenings in town or were they overthinking?

"Look at this.", Doctor Lee gestured to observe her and the patient.

"Mr. Baek, can you fetch me a bottle of water?", she asked as the 'strict' man instantaneously got up from his stretcher noiselessly and started towards a table and did what she asked him too.

"See. He was never so obedient. Even his mother thought of the same.", Doctor Lee concluded.

"Are they being made servants or something?", Namjoon thought out loud as Seokjin worriedly scanned the room full of patients.

"We will get going now. Please inform us when the Neurological department is done analysing the patients.", Seokjin told the doctor who thanked them for coming.

"This is so scary.", Namjoon shuddered after the exiting the hospital.

"Yes, but Namjoon-", Seokjin began.
"Did you see the weird boy spying on us at the Red Palace?"