Not Anymore

chapter 12.

"Ping! Ping!"

"Poor guy has been lying here for almost a week now," one nurse said. "The skin on his entire back is already scalded."

"No one has come to see him in all this time," the other added.

"What an unlucky man."

Two nurses stood inside a small ward, separated by a curtain from another bed. A man's figure lay prone on the hospital bed, his back exposed, bandages wrapped around him like a mummy. Nearby, an EKG machine hummed slowly. Tubes ran from his body, and a gas mask covered his face.

Outside, a doctor stood holding a clipboard. A man faced him—tall and heavily built like a tank. He wore a godfather cap, which he removed and replaced as he listened to the doctor's explanation.

"Mister Ansh, your friend's condition isn't good," the doctor said. "We've tried everything we could, but I still can't understand why he hasn't woken up yet."

The big man closed his eyes and opened them again.

"How bad were the burns on his back?" Ansh asked.

The doctor released a deep sigh. "Second-degree burns, at least." Ansh breathed a sigh of relief, but upon noticing the doctor's expression still looking dire, he frowned. "Is there anything else?"

The doctor sighed once more. "Look, Mister Ansh, your friend's body was—it's still very weak. Something caused by overexhaustion and lack of rest. His organs are failing, especially his kidneys. He was admitted here a few years ago with kidney problems, but it seems he never had them properly treated. That might be why he's still not waking up. It's a gamble whether he'll pull through."

Ansh's eyes widened as he breathed heavily. "Is there anything that can be done?"

"The bill is rising too fast," the doctor said. "If it isn't settled, the hospital might take some..." He paused. "Rush measures."

"It's okay, doctor. I'll settle the entire bill after we're done here."

The doctor nodded. "This man seems to have had quite a hard life."

Ansh didn't respond, but his massive hands clenched into fists.

At that moment, a nurse rushed out of the room. "He's awake!" she yelled. "The patient is awake!"

Ansh and the doctor reacted immediately, rushing into the room. They screeched to a stop as they noticed the figure who had been lying prone now wrestling with the other nurse.

"Sir, please, you shouldn't move," she pleaded. "Your wounds aren't healed enough. Please, sir." But the man wouldn't have it.

He raised his hand toward the gas mask and winced. "Ouch." Slowly peeling away the mask, he took a deep breath as his eyes adjusted to the light. His nose crinkled at the stench of medicine.

"This is a miracle," the doctor said, stepping closer to examine Chris.

Ansh followed, his eyes tearing up as he saw the state his friend was in.

As Chris's eyes adjusted to the light, he halted upon noting the towering figure before him. He opened his mouth to say something, but no word came out.

"You fool," Ansh squealed.

"Aa...an...a," Chris struggled, but still no word would form.

"I was gone for a month and this is the way you welcome me?" Ansh mumbled, his voice breaking.

"I...I..." Still nothing.

The doctor and nurses watched the exchange.

"Mister Ansh, let us examine him first, then you two can—" Ansh nodded.

He bent down and sank his face into his palms. "How can this happen? This is..."

As the doctor examined Chris, he let out a sigh. "He looks good, but after you recover, you need to have your kidneys checked."

"Why can't he talk?" Ansh asked in desperation.

The doctor shook his head. "I think it's just an emotional state. When he calms down, the words will come automatically."

"Thank you, doctor."

The doctor nodded and hurried toward the door. The two nurses followed.

Ansh stood there silent, his eyes locked onto his friend. Chris had his head lowered. After a while, he slowly raised his head and glared at the towering figure of Ansh.

"Are you just going to stand there the whole time without saying anything?" he asked, the words feeling almost alien to him.

Ansh huffed. "I was waiting for your voice to come so you can explain to me what kind of bullshit all this is about."

Chris's head hung down. "It's uh..."

"Stop mumbling! Yell it out to me. What the f**k have you let be done to you, you f*****g i***t?" he yelled.

"Hey, keep it down! There's another patient sleeping here," a voice cut through from the other side.

"Damn, you're even admitted in a shared ward? What kind of game is this?" he still yelled.

"Please, sir, I'm going to—" But Ansh was too pissed off to heed what the other person was saying.

"I heard you, damn it! We're leaving this shack of a ward." He called out to the nurses.

Chris watched him in bitter worry.

As soon as the nurse came in, he blurted orders at her. "Where is the best room in this hospital?"

The nurse looked hesitant before she answered. "It's on the fourth floor, but..." She trailed off.

Ansh gritted his teeth and stepped toward her. She backed away.

"Say it," he growled.

"The entire VIP floor is booked for two weeks," she said.

Ansh huffed. "By who?"

"Ansh, please..." Chris began, but a stern look from Ansh and a "You don't get to speak" kept his mouth shut.

"Who is—" He yelled, and it appeared the person on the other side had had it with him.

"Sir, can you keep it low?" she yelled, drawing the curtains away, only to be met by a sight that made her words evaporate.

"What?" Ansh mumbled, glaring daringly at the nurse.

"No, nothing, sir. Please just—"

But he cut her off. "I told you I heard from the start, so stop nagging me."

The nurse threw a desperate look at the other nurse, but she looked away. She bowed and slowly put the curtain back.

"Now, where were we?" Ansh turned his attention to the first nurse.

"It's, uh, Miss Walters," the nurse blurted out. "She booked the floor to treat her boyfriend."

That managed to silence the big man. Ansh slowly turned his attention to Chris, who met his eyes and shook his head.

He didn't say anything more about the issue. Slowly and with peculiar deliberacy, he whispered to the nurse, whose expression showed fear, though she didn't know the anger bubbling inside him.

"What's the best ward you have right now?"

She hesitated before responding. "It's on the third floor."

He nodded. "Wrap him up and take him there. I'll settle the bill first. Meet you at the lift." Without delay, he walked off.

Silence echoed through the room for a while before Chris shook his head and muttered, "I'm tired. Help me lie down."

The nurse responded immediately. After assisting him to lie down, she headed out of the room.

"I'm sorry, Ansh," Chris said, closing his eyes.