The Monster in the Hospital Room

Xiao Xiao felt a little heavyhearted, but that only strengthened his resolve to do whatever he could to help.

So even after being clearly rejected, he still couldn't bring himself to simply give up.

"Uncle, Auntie, I know you might not believe me when I say this."

"But I might know why Lin Zhenzhen's face turned out this way."

"Really?!" Lin's Father and Lin's Mother exclaimed in unison.

"It's only a guess, so I'd like to go in and see Lin Zhenzhen." Xiao Xiao was uncertain himself, but he couldn't let it show. His expression was earnest and sincere.

"Oh, oh, a guess..." The light in Lin's Mother's eyes quickly faded.

She was clutching at straws in her desperation. If even the doctors were helpless, how could a child like him possibly know what to do?

"All right."

"Huh?" Lin's Mother looked at Lin's Father in surprise. As far as she was concerned, Xiao Xiao was only using this as an excuse to visit Zhenzhen. She appreciated his kindness, but didn't want her daughter to suffer even the slightest shock.

Lin's Father pressed his dry, chapped lips together. His voice was hoarse. "The boy means well. What if..."

What if what? Lin's Father didn't finish. Perhaps even he felt that this "what if" was far-fetched.

"Anyway, we're only giving it a try."

"Only giving it a try." Lin's Father's voice grew softer as he repeated the words. Was he trying to convince Lin's Mother, or himself?

"But..." Lin's Mother started to say something, then looked at Xiao Xiao and swallowed her words. Suspicion and disapproval were plain on her face.

"Xiao Xiao, do you really have an idea about what's wrong with Zhenzhen?"

Before Xiao Xiao could answer, Lin's Father hurriedly cut in. "Never mind. If you want to go in and see her, then go ahead."

"But Zhenzhen's been... a little short-tempered lately." Lin's Father wiped his face. "Don't upset her too much."

"Okay."

"But I'd like to talk to Lin Zhenzhen alone."

In the end, Lin's Father and Lin's Mother agreed to Xiao Xiao's "pushy" request.

Perhaps they'd been disappointed too many times. Perhaps they truly had reached the end of the road. Either way, as long as there was even the slightest glimmer of hope, they wanted to try, no matter how unreliable it seemed.

Besides, Xiao Xiao's gaze was sincere and bright, with a hint of certainty and confidence. For some reason, it made them want to try believing in this young man—believing that he really could do something about their daughter's face.

They were only trying, after all. They didn't have high hopes. They just didn't want to let go of even the one-in-ten-thousand chance.

"Click." Xiao Xiao pressed down on the door handle, and the door swung open.

Without hesitation, he stepped into the hospital room and closed the door behind him.

With the curtains drawn, the entire room was dim and tinged with an eerie gloom.

To Xiao Xiao's surprise, he didn't hear a girl scream.

He'd already braced himself for it.

Xiao Xiao looked toward the hospital bed.

A blanket rose slightly.

His gaze traveled up, and a face wrapped in bandages came into view.

Honestly, even though he'd known what to expect, Xiao Xiao still drew in a sharp breath.

The scene really did give him a sense of déjà vu from a horror movie.

Huh? Before Xiao Xiao could get a closer look at Lin Zhenzhen, a sudden shiver ran through him. He whipped his head around, and his sharp gaze followed his instincts.

His eyes quickly settled on the corner of the ceiling by the window.

A strange-looking bird was perched there upside down.

Its drab gray color blended almost perfectly into the shadows, making it utterly unremarkable.

Its eyes, however, were very strange. A thick gray fog seemed to shroud them, obscuring his view. At their center were two eerie will-o'-the-wisps, flickering and wavering as if swayed by a breeze, though there wasn't one.

What kind of monster was this?

Xiao Xiao was now quite used to running into monsters anywhere, at any time.

He just felt, once again, that he really needed to carry the Monster Compendium with him from now on.

At least then he'd know what kind of monster he was facing.

That way, he wouldn't be so helpless when confronted with one he knew nothing about.

Neither human nor monster moved. They simply watched each other in silence.

Then Xiao Xiao turned his head away, as calmly and naturally as if he hadn't seen a thing.

Monster: ...

Xiao Xiao knew that Lin Zhenzhen was the most important thing right now. Although Lin's Father and Lin's Mother had agreed to let him visit, he couldn't very well overstay his welcome.

Even if he had the nerve, Lin's Father and Lin's Mother would definitely come in and kick him out.

Time was short, so he had to make every second count. He didn't have time to stare down a monster.

More importantly, Xiao Xiao hadn't sensed any hostility from the monster, whose intentions were unclear. Its aura carried a malicious hint of death, making him feel as though needles were pricking his back. The hairs all over his body stood on end, and wisps of chilly energy seeped into his skin, making him deeply uncomfortable.

But right now, those eerie eyes showed no sign of danger. They held only a hint of amused curiosity.

Although the monster looked a little frightening, Xiao Xiao trusted his instincts.

For now, it had no intention of attacking him.

So Xiao Xiao did something rather foolish: he turned his back on a monster whose intentions were unclear.

In truth, his nerves were taut the entire time.

Only when he reached the bedside did he focus most of his attention on Lin Zhenzhen.

Even then, he kept part of his attention on the monster, watching its every move.

Xiao Xiao bent down slightly and leaned in for a closer look. He was this close, and she still hadn't reacted at all...

She really was asleep. No wonder she'd been so quiet.

Xiao Xiao scratched his cheek.

This was troublesome. Not only did he have to wake her, he also had to find a way to get her to unwrap the bandages on her face.

Sighing, Xiao Xiao mentally prepared himself. He glanced at the monster in the corner of the ceiling. It was still hanging there quietly upside down, though its eyes had turned toward them, studying Lin Zhenzhen and him in turn.

Xiao Xiao calmly glanced at the two balls of ghostly fire, then turned his gaze away and surveyed the hospital room, as if that had been his intention all along.

Then he looked back at Lin Zhenzhen's bandaged face for a while before stepping forward and gently nudging her a few times.

Lately, Lin Zhenzhen hadn't been able to sleep properly. She was always in a half-asleep, half-awake state.

So she'd noticed Xiao Xiao as soon as he approached.

The moment he nudged her, her mouth opened and a scream burst out.

It was shrill and hoarse, like a saw scraping over rough wood again and again.

In the blink of an eye, it filled the entire hospital room.