Soul Fire (GUARDIAN BL)

Chapter 21. "Hospital talks... revelations"

The monotonous noise of the machine has become something Zhao have been very used to for two days straight, since he never left Shen's side who was still unconscious. He sit next to Shen's bed looking for any sign of movement in him as Shen lay quietly there with eyes closed on the hospital bed in the most vulnerable state, body was more pale and fragile than ever in a pale blue gown, with an IV next to flowing into his arm, tubes of all sorts were coming from his arms.

His condition was no critical but no better. Seeing the love of your life on death bed, isn't as easy as it sounds. It was hard for Zhao to breathe.

He keep on matching Shen's breaths to the beeping of the machines that surrounded the bed. The heart monitor was beeping at a steady pace, the only indications of Shen's heartbeat, his existence. His chest moves slightly as he breathes but that's it.

Zhao's legs were already numb. Curiosity slowly pried open his swollen eyes to meet a dismal view of the hospital room. A room which is a concrete pen with a window the size of a biscuit tin lid. It has a stagnant smell, like it's cleaned with plain water instead of disinfectant. The bed sits low to the ground, as the mattress worryingly thin.

Its walls are simply cream, not peeling or dirty, just cream. Every surface was dustless.The floor is slate grey. Above the ceiling is the light too bright for his eyes after the darkening gloom outside, Zhao find it abrasive, enough. This place certainly isn't run by risk-takers and he guess he should find comfort in that since he really hate hospitals. Above every door is a large plastic sign, dark with white lettering- no fancy fonts, just bold and all-caps. It's so new and spotless, he feel like the whole building must have just gotten beamed from some-place dirt is outlawed.

Zhao can hear nurses were unhurried and they moved with a serene purposefulness from room to room on their rounds. But what caught his attention most is that there is no decoration at all save the limp curtain that can separate Shen's bed from the three others in there. It was perhaps once the kind of green that reminds people of spring-time and hope, but it's faded so much that the hue is insipid.

Seeing the room Shen is to take he immediately understand why people take flowers to hospital rooms. Despite the technological lives there is something in the natures that requires natural beauty as part of the healing process. Humans aren't robots, they aren't "units" to be fixed; Shen isn't there for a quick oil and filter change. In nurses and doctors efforts not to offend they succeed in not inspiring or lifting the spirit. He know every place is on a budget but is a cheerier shade of paint really that much more?

He sighed heavily and pull out a book. He hated the visit to hospitals, they were not his favorite places to come. Not in the mood for today and the book recommended by Zhu Hong is not Zhao's usual taste.

But he carry on and read it. As he sit there with his nose buried in the book filled with descriptions he doesn't fully understand, he heard a door open and close and a small gasp. Looking at the door he saw Chu and Guo and the woman, without knocking as they barged into the room only to face Zhao sitting beside Shen's bed.

The chief looked angry. "What the.." he boomed causing little Guo to quivered, afraid of the Chief's rage.

"How many fucking times do I have to keep reminding???Don't you have any manners to knock the door before entering the room?" Zhao said aloud not caring if Shen wakes up because of him making loud noises.

Zhao really have a deep hatred for those people who enter a room without knocking first. For him a room is a private sanctuary no one is allowed to enter without a permission. It's one of his regulations in the SIU. He just made exemptions for one special person only.

"Why should I knock? This isn't Chief Zhao's room." Chu replied in a not-so-innocent voice and went near the corner.

The man's expression is priceless. As if he's never been scolded by anyone before. He regains his composure and remains silent, but not before muttering something along the lines of, 'No one talks to me like that.'