CH 16

Countless Fear Is the Result of Humans’ Own Imagination

“No serious wounds, nothing debilitating…” The Chief Physician says, concluding of Lone Wolf’s wounds, as he straightens up to talk to Butcher, “he’s done a skilful job.”

Butcher is not surprised. It was the Doctor, after all.

Instead, he is more concerned about something else, “but if so, then Lone Wolf…”

He looks at Lone Wolf, still incessantly shaking, and thinks he doesn’t look fine at all. In fact, he looks as shaken as can be.

The Chief Physician takes his surgical gloves off as he glances at Lone Wolf’s demeanour once more, and adds, “he’s traumatised.”

“He doesn’t feel that mentally fragile, though.” Butcher mumbles. Yes, the scene was scary to watch, but he didn’t actually have any bad wounds now, did he?

“What are you on about how mentally strong he is?” The Chief Physician yawns, “clearly, that Doctor is the bigger issue here.” Then he pauses as he recalls something, and asks Butcher, “he’s a surgeon, is he? Good with scalpels?”

Butcher thinks, and corrects his description, “not just good, but it’s an art how he uses it.”

The Chief Physician cares not for art. He weaves his way through the waves of rumours he’s heard, “and, has studied neuroscience as well?”

Butcher looks at Lone Wolf, and recalls how Lunatic follows Jiang Yiyi around without fail, determining, “definitely to an advanced degree, sure.”

“And, you’re keeping such a talent on the second floor?” The Chief Physician asks Butcher, impressed, “are you actually bored of how mundane life on the second floor is right now?”

Butcher knits his brows and tries to put on a tough act, “the application for transfer is already being processed. The evaluation will probably be done soon.”

“Too late.” The Chief Physician looks back at Lone Wolf on the patient’s bed. His shaking has made the bed creak at uncomfortable frequencies, nonstop.

“He only has light physical injuries, but I would refrain from saying anything on his mental state.”

Butcher turns serious, “you mean…”

“What do you think that man will do with his enemies?” The Chief Physician turns back to face Butcher, “let me rephrase that. Do you take him to be a good person?”

Butcher observes Lone Wolf once more.

On the bed, his shaking is, rather not fear, but some sort of subconscious response from his body. He doesn’t look like he was mentally scarred…

“Can you give a formal diagnosis? If he is actually mentally unwell, I can write a report up…”

“Butcher, how can you still be such a sweet summer child after all these years?” The Chief Physician rolls his eyes at him, “you should have written an application for transfer in the very beginning.”

“But I do have a duty to investigate first. They might have misjudged on the other floors…” Butcher explains, his scary appearance looking sorry, “the third floor is actually dangerous. If I made a hasty wrong call, that’s another life too…”

“Lone Wolf?” The Chief Physician cannot be arsed to argue with him. He calls out to Lone Wolf instead.

Lone Wolf’s eyes move from the air to the Chief Physician.

“How are we feeling?” The Chief Physician takes out his notebook, and asks with a business tone.

Lone Wolf just stares blankly for a couple of seconds, like he is still coming back to life. Then he licks his parched lips, “it hurts.”

“Anything else?” The Chief Physician notes his response, and reminds him, “do you realise that you are shaking nonstop right now?”

“I am… shaking?” Lone Wolf looks at the bandages all over his body to no avail. He repeats himself, “it hurts.”

“You already got your numbing ointment.” The Chief Physician writes something on his notebook while repeating with a poker-face, “the pain should have been relieved by now.”

“I…” Lone Wolf is still shaking. His dulled mind finally gets through the Chief Physician’s words. He repeats, “it hurts…”

“So is he still shaking actually because of the pain, but not fear?” Butcher, scrutinising Lone Wolf’s expression, wonders.

The Chief Physician’s look is inscrutable to Butcher right now.

He puts his notebook away, “anyway, I’ve already told you what I needed to. It’s up to you whether or what you do.” He pauses, “but, as coworkers, my advice for you is to never let Lone Wolf and Doctor see each other again.”

“What? Why?” Butcher is chasing after the Chief Physician as he leaves, “what was that look of yours supposed to be? At least tell me more details…”

The Chief Physician hurries into his office, then slams the door in Butcher’s face.

Butcher comes to an abrupt stop before hitting the door. He wipes his face.

“Oi brats! Where are y’all slacking about?” Butcher has the button on his radio down, “tighten the perimetre for the next few days. I don’t want to see any trouble around at all!”

“Lin Yi, is the Doctor in confinement yet?”

“On our way…” Lin Yi’s casual tone comes in slowly, “your orders?”

“Doctor’s confinement is lengthened to the day his transfer is approved. He’ll head right to the third floor.”

“Are you sure about that?” Lin Yi sounds still nonchalant, “you do at least need an appropriate reason for such a lengthy sentence.”

“I am the reason on the second floor.”

“Oh, I see.” Lin Yi does not retort directly, but continues to remark offhandedly, “Lunatic has only recently become more stable. Are you sure you want him off the leash for the next few days?”

There is a few seconds of radio silence.

“If you’re sure about that, I have nothing more to add.”

More radio silence.

“I wouldn’t be so sure Starfleet would have nothing to add, though.”

Lin Yi waits patiently for a couple of seconds.

“Three days confinement.” Butcher turns the communication off.

Lin Yi shakes his head, and wonders once again how bad his luck truly was, to have ended up picking Jiang Yiyi from the crowd of fools and prisoners around?

“Done?” Jiang Yiyi asks, calm as always.

Lin Yi glances at the other prison officer who is escorting Jiang Yiyi to his confinement.

“Three days confinement.”

“That’s a little hasty.” Jiang Yiyi makes a comment with disinterest.

Lin Yi glances at the other prison officer once more. He merely walks expressionlessly beside the, seemingly ignorant of their conversation.

“Just don’t overdo it…” Lin Yi’s tone fades.

Jiang Yiyi is looking at him with those peaceful eyes, making him stop his chatter.

The prison officer scans his card to open the door to solitary confinement, then looks at Jiang Yiyi.

Jiang Yiyi stops looking and enters the cell.

“What did you think I was going to do?” Though the door blocks off the view of Jiang Yiyi’s eyes and expression, his voice remains level, “don’t overthink things.”

Lin Yi notices the prison officer has eyes on him. Observing, or perhaps, wondering what he will do.

He doesn’t think he recognise him anywhere. What area is he in charge of?

Wonders Lin Yi.

After a brief pause, Lin Yi answers the question, “I’ll try my best.”

Jiang Yiyi says nothing more. Lin Yi leaves with the prison officer.

The cell is quiet.

Solitary confinement on the second floor is slightly worse than on the first floor——No chairs are provided.

Without chatter, all that is left are cramped darkness and boundless silence. Truly, a solitary, confinement.

Jiang Yiyi sits on the ground. He reads through his biography once more.

He might not have played this game in particular, but is it normal for a video game to only feature a character biography as a UI element?

In theory, there ought to be other interactive elements.

That said, given how suspicious this whole game has been since the very beginning, new anomalous properties are no surprise.

Jiang Yiyi searches around, and fails to find any supernatural existence around outside of his biography. He stops.

Darkness and silence envelop him in no time——A familiar feeling of reassurance.

Jiang Yiyi, with his back on the wall, stares into the dark. The lightless black appears to keep some terrible monstrosity happen, appears to be some abyss beyond exploration.

Countless fear is the result of humans’ own imagination.

After staring a few seconds into the dark, Jiang Yiyi becomes sleepy.

He yawns. Before drowsiness overtakes him, he dedicates some seconds to productive thought.

He should bring an end to Lone Wolf’s and Lunatic’s affair.

Time is certainly running short.