This Isn't Real (Part 2)

When Yuan Zishi woke up, he found himself in a hospital bed. His head was wrapped in thick bandages, and his left arm was in a cast. He tried to move, but even the slightest motion sent stabbing pain through his body. He wasn't even six yet—how could a child barely over five endure such suffering?

The pain brought tears to Yuan Zishi's eyes. His little face was full of grievance, and he instinctively called out, "Dad, Mom." But his voice was hoarse and low, as faint as a mosquito's buzz, and could not attract the attention of the medical staff in the hospital.

It hurt! His throat burned too. After trying to call out several times, Yuan Zishi gave up. He could only silently shed tears, hoping his parents would come see him soon. Just then, he heard medical staff talking outside the ward. "This child has been unconscious for two days already. Who knows when he'll wake up?"

"Perhaps waking up will be the true beginning of his suffering. His parents both died in the car accident. The police investigated and found that he had no other relatives who could adopt him. Once he's discharged, he'll be sent to an orphanage."

"He's so young, and he's already lost his parents. How is he supposed to live from now on?"

Yuan Zishi listened hazily to the conversation outside the door from his hospital bed. Although he was only five, he already had some understanding of death. He just wasn't sure whether the medical staff were talking about him. My parents are dead? When his grandfather passed away, he remembered his father saying that death meant going to a very, very faraway place and never coming back. Had his parents also gone to a very, very faraway place? Had they