Chapter 4 - The Patient

The patient on the fifth bed of the general ward had now managed to regain consciousness.

All the other beds were empty. The big tube lights on the ceiling were flickering. He looked around with a confused look on his face, the deserted ward looked like a scene straight out of a horror movie. Slight beads of sweat started to form on his bandaged forehead. His right arm folded in straps. The bitter smell of the medicine burnt his nostrils and trigger a deep aching in his head.

He had been lucky enough to get relatively superficial thrashes on his forehead because the nature of the accident was so horrific that his lack of brain damage landed him on the list of miraculous survivors. However, doctors were not certain whether he had suffered any brain injuries given that his injuries seemed superficial and they couldn't run CT scans because those are pretty expensive and nobody was here to pay the hospital bills.

Now, the doctors were waiting for him to regain consciousness to test their theory. "Hello Defected Host, finally you woke up from your deep slumber." He heard a voice in the room.

Jake swept his eyes across the hospital room. There was no one. He tried to look under the bed but his right arm hurt like it had been broken into multiple pieces.

"I should have died," Jake uttered out of frustration.

"You are given a chance in life and I am your task panel; If you want to skip life. Repeat the similar statement and you can die immediately." Jake heard it again and this time a screen appeared in front of his eyes.

Stats:

Race: Defected Human

Right after reading the first line, Jake wanted to curse. He disliked this word called defected. "I think I might have been cursed," he silently started thinking to himself just before a nurse entered the room. He shut his mouth looking at the screen silently wishing for it to disappear. And it disappeared. Jake almost could not hide his astonishment but he didn't want to end up in psych ward so he contained his emotions to himself.

"Ah! You are awake; let me just go through your vitals quickly also I will have to check your sensory and motor reflexes."

The nurse checked his vitals thoroughly to report the doctor. As soon as she left the room; Jake blinked again thinking about the task panel. He was curious about this new plight called task panel.

"I am not plight; I am your saviour. You can test it; the nurse will return back with an injection, later your right arm will be severed by the doctors." The deep robotic voice echoed in his head.

Jake was yet to understand the changed circumstances when he felt that someone was about to enter the room. He fell on the bed as if unconscious. The nurse was ordered to give injection to the patient so that they could continue the procedure. Already three days had passed and the patient was only a burden for the hospital bed.

"What should I do with this injection; the patient is unconscious again." She sighed to herself. She went back. Jake clearly heard her words. He opened his eyes. There were few injuries on his leg but he could walk. "I should leave before the nurse brings the doctor." This time he did not ignore the words of the task panel. Coming out of the room; Jake hastily left the premises of the hospital.

He remembered that Patina's dead body was still in this hospital, however, it was more important to know what happened to her and why did she commit suicide? She was one of the most efficient player according to the words of the task panel; he was given a chance.

Limping and holding the loose straps around his arm; Jake finally reached his house. Few people out of sympathy asked whether he wanted them to send him to a hospital to which he blatantly refused. Now, he was hundred per cent sure that the doctors wanted to sever his arm. His face was wet with the continuous stream of tears; a mix of emotions and pain was mixed inthose salty tears.

The pain was beyond his limits of endurance. He needed to take a strong painkiller otherwise he would succumb to death due to the immensity of the pain. Jake limped around looking for the medical box; he took painkillers for fighting the pain. The tears kept flowing and he remembered the task panel. A screen immediately appeared in front.

Stats:

Race: Defected Human

Level: None

Skill: None

Reputation: 0/100%

Endurance: 1/10%

Achievement: None

Goals: Unlock one by one

Secondary Stats

Level One: Heal pain

Level three: Heal injuries

Level Seven: Unlock Shop

Reach the peak of reputation: 100%

Congratulations: You completed your first task; Escape from the hospital

Exp earned: 20 (needed 80 for level one)

Reading all of that made him feel as if his fate felt bad for him. Maybe there was some warmth in his cold qismet. He could see a sliver of hope in his present circumstances. Something deep in the cobwebs of his heart told him that this taskpanel was not a figment of his imagination. And one more thing which he understood clearly was that only level up could improve his health and for this needed to earn the Exp. He was going to follow tasks for the Exp.

But exhaustion knocked him out straight up.

…

The owners of the reputed companies read various punishments written down by the court. They could imagine their worst time was near.

"It is clear like crystal that our present companies would exterminate eventually. The only suggestion is to save the damn face. Do any of us have an idea about it?" the owner of the first company said desperately.

He could not let his assets fall under the hands of the protestors.

"So all of us want our assets as well as the face?" The fifth one chuckled.

They looked at him as if he had grown another head.

"I wanted the same." He immediately felt their anger rise so he raised his hands and shoulders surrendering.

The third owner who was silent for a long time voiced, "I have a suggestion and it will definitely meet both requirements. We should create a temporary game portal and conduct the last game thread for the players of our all servers. I mean taking players from all five games and let them battle for thirty levels. Only one team will succeed and we can close our companies after that." His idea peaked their attention even though they couldn't fully comprehend his words.

"Who will spend money? How it would work for the entire game plan?" The first owner called Kyle asked curiously. "Five of us will invest and earn a hundred per cent of the investment in return; this way there is no need for compensation or an apology press conference. The protestors will be satisfied after the game ends and the companies close. In fact, we can giveaway some bucks during the game plan letting the players focus on the newer game and forget the previous matters." The sharp brain Gueman owner of the 'Sovereign Rulers' explained.

"My plans are that you all should shuffle your servers and select your teams from all over the world; every member of the team will be given money for every level game. A total thirty-six teams will appear on the main screen for the last battle between the gamers of our companies.. People only care about money; you already know that." Gueman continued and Loch Ronan interrupted, "Are you sure that it would work?"