Volume 5

299 The Oriole Behind

It was the same everywhere.

An interesting thought struck me.

If there was someone else, who existed like I did, in this ‘third plane’, would this space eventually fill up and would we have a whole new set of rules that were different from the real world and the Split Zone?

The answer was obvious. As long as something existed, there would be competition and there would be rules.

Another thought struck me just as I was planning to go back to the lady’s car.

Crack in space, crack in space, crack in space…

This was just a crack in space, but does that mean that I might not be the only one in here?

Those trapped in the crack in space couldn’t go to another dimension nor return to where they came from. But nobody said no one else would be here.

I didn’t know if I ended up here because I turned around on that endless path, but I couldn’t be sure that there really wasn’t anyone else who was here either.

I got myself a little excited at the thought. Though I recalled what Li Qing said about how I’d be in eternal solitude in this crack in space, the possibility of a second, a third or even a fourth person being here with me gave me a glimmer of hope.

It was also at this exact moment that I realized how terrifying it would be if I were to exist forever, not able to age or die.

A tiny hope that this might not be my future made me jump for joy.

Before I knew it, I was back in the car.

The boy was still sitting there with a blank expression.

I was a little worried about the boy when I remembered that the doctor mentioned he had sustained injuries to his organs. He was wasting time here instead of getting treatment, and he wouldn’t be doing anymore after getting duped by that lady and the doctor. Would his life be in danger?

What could I do though? I couldn’t help him out at all. I couldn’t even tell him anything.

This was how it was when you’re in a different space.

The boy was still staring out the window. Though I knew he wouldn’t be able to hear or see me, I still stretched out a hand towards him and said, “Go get checked again. The lady and that doctor lied to you. Your organs have been damaged after the accident.”

The boy turned back all of a sudden and stared straight at me.

I took my hand back in shock.

My heart was racing. Does this mean he can actually see and hear me?

That glimmer of hope fizzled just as quickly.

The door opened behind me as the lady returned.

I floated to the back seat. I didn’t want to come into contact with a woman who engaged in nefarious deeds with an evil doctor.

The lady was glowing with a natural blush on her face. Fanning herself, she said, “It’s pretty hot today. Where do you live? I’ll send you back.”

I thought the boy would either reject her offer or just give her an address, but I didn’t expect him to ask her for the diagnosis. “Where’s the… diagnosis?”

The lady was obviously as surprised as I was. She didn’t anticipate the question at all. A rigid smile appeared on her face after she paused for a stunned second. “Oh, I’m sorry, I think I left it behind actually. Were you planning to keep it? Should I go get it back for you?”

She passed the bag of vitamins to the boy as she answered.

The boy looked at the bag in her hand and said, “There’s no need to. No use keeping it if there aren’t any issues.”

The lady seemed to heave a sigh of relief as her smile returned. “Yes, that’s right. It’s no use keeping the film when there isn’t any issue. Here, take these. Where do you live? I’ll send you back.”

The boy took the bag and said, “It’s a coincidence that I live nearby. I can walk back on my own. You don’t have to send me back.”

The lady said, “Do you need me to go with you? Are you sure you’re going to be okay on your own?”

The boy shook his head. “It’s fine.”

The lady did not insist any further. “Okay, take care of yourself. Be careful when crossing the road.”

The boy nodded and left with the bag of vitamins. He walked along a tiny street beside the hospital and disappeared into it.

After making sure that the boy had left, a smug smile appeared on the lady and she took out a recorder from her pocket.

She had recorded everything. In case anything happened to the boy in future, she’d be able to use this as evidence to prove that she had indeed brought him for a check-up, and that the doctor did not diagnose any problem and the boy had said he felt fine himself.

That fake x-ray film had also been thrown away. The evidence had been gotten rid of.

What an evil individual.

I guess the recorder wouldn’t have recorded that little ‘incident’ that happened in the clinic.

No longer wanting to be in this woman’s vehicle, I left the car.

I didn’t know what to do after the vehicle left. I had just witnessed the ugly side of humanity in the world I used to live in. It didn’t matter if I disagreed with such actions, it no longer had anything to do with me now. I couldn’t even interfere if I wanted to.

Unlike those who were standing at crossroads in their lives, I didn’t even have to consider my options, because there literally was nothing for me to do at this point.

Just when I wandered around wondering where to go, the boy appeared before me again.

He had turned back some time ago, and his eyes did not look as empty as they had been before.

There was this light in them, as if he had a clear goal in mind.

He walked into the hospital with confident steps.

I decided to follow him into the hospital.

There were many people in the hospital, and being a child, the boy was not conspicuous. He looked around as if he was searching for something.

I followed closely behind him.

As if finally spotting what he was looking for, he walked towards a trash bin in the corner. He began looking through the trash for something.

After quite a while, he frowned at not being able to find what he was looking for. He then ran towards the stairs. I was still following closely behind him.

He began searching for something along the third floor corridor. This time, I had a tiny inkling of what he might have been searching for.

He smiled as he finally found that fake x-ray film and his diagnosis report in a trash bin along the corridor.

This was the first time I saw him smile.

He folded them and returned to the ground floor. He then made a call on his cell phone.

That call didn’t seem to have been picked up, but the boy put the phone back into his pocket and stood near the entrance as if waiting for somebody.

I didn’t know what he was planning, but things felt like they were going to get interesting.

I waited patiently with him since I had nothing better to do anyway.

A male carrying a large bag who looked to be in his mid-twenties appeared after some time. The boy’s eyes shone as he saw the male, handing over to the male whatever he had in his hands.

“Is this the fake diagnosis?” The young male asked.

The boy nodded quickly in response.

The young male patted him on his shoulder as he asked, “How’s your body? Is it serious?”

The boy smiled. “I’m in a lot of pain.”

A look of worry appeared on the young male’s face. “And you’re still waiting for me here? Go get a proper look, come on, I’ll take you.”

The male took the boy to get a proper check this time.

“There is organ damage that might possibly be life-threatening. You should stay for further checks.” This was what the doctor said.

The boy pulled the male out of the clinic.

“Big brother, I’ll leave things to you. You have to make sure justice gets served for my mother. The police said we can’t record others in secret, so my option was to look for you. This is the recorder I’ve stuck on the lady, and it has evidence of how she and that doctor are in cahoots with each other. They are why my mother is still in hospital to this day. Please help me.”

The boy pleaded with a sorrowful look.

The young male sighed. “Don’t worry, as a reporter, I’m supposed to be helping people like you. Come on, I’ll help you with all the hospital paperwork.”

Hearing his answer, a smile appeared on the boy’s pale face.