novelraw Chapter 1549: 7: Phantasmagoria Syndrome
Chapter 1549: 7: Phantasmagoria Syndrome
Capítulo 1549: Chapter 7: Phantasmagoria Syndrome
“Good morning, Mr. Lu Li.”
“Good morning.”
The living tree has changed even more since yesterday—the wrinkled bark has shed to become relatively smooth, as flat as birch bark. The limbs that had turned into roots have regained the outline of body parts, but the palms and feet are still stuck together, like wearing a clumsy theatrical costume.
Now the living tree resembles a person more than a tree.
Lu Li guessed this is the true appearance of “Little Linna.” Did the sugar help it return to normal?
“Do you like sugar?” Lu Li asked Little Linna.
“Yes, eat it when I’m in a bad mood!”
Even the voice is no longer raspy and rough, like an innocent little girl with a bad cold.
After a brief conversation, Lu Li walked into the hallway.
The quiet hallway is no longer as eerie as last night, and the girl in the wheelchair is sitting by the window again, having gotten up sometime unknown.
Lu Li arrived at room 210, where he exchanged a story about “dog meat” with Mildred Hampri for some anti-inflammatory medicine, and then moved on to room 207.
The boy’s skin ulcers have stopped, forming a scab on the surface and no longer emitting a putrid smell that attracts flies.
“Thank you, I’m much better now…”
The boy thanked Lu Li, giving him a third piece of sugar.
Lu Li didn’t leave just yet: “Do you know where I can get some lighting tools?”
The boy shook his head; he didn’t know either.
“The woman with the Crow Mask in the next room.” The siren from the adjacent bed suddenly said, “I saw her with a flashlight.”
Lu Li thanked the siren for the new clue, but she wasn’t seeking mere gratitude: “What do you need the flashlight for?”
“It’s useful.”
“You’re planning to go out at night, right?” The siren directly exposed Lu Li’s intent and said, breaking his silence, “Remember to take me with you.”
“What about the activity area?”
“Why not go together?”
The door to the activity area is closed during the day.
Lu Li promised the siren he would come back for her once he got the flashlight and was preparing to leave when a sharp voice rang out.
“Hey kid, I’ve been watching you for a long time.”
The dirty stuffed doll that was leaning against the pillow, looking like a patient’s forgotten toy, spoke to Lu Li: “You’ve been running around helping a lot of people these days? If you’re so free, could you do me a favor too?”
Its stuffed hand poked the eye-less face: “I need a pair of eyes!”
“Where am I supposed to find them?”
“Huh? You’re asking a blind doll where things are? Don’t you have any empathy!” Lu Li’s question drew a fierce response from the doll.
Lu Li glanced at the siren, who lay on the sickbed like a mermaid, her hands spread helplessly, unable to assist.
Having accepted two commissions, Lu Li returned to the hallway amid the doll’s scolding and visited the Crow Mask with the flashlight.
“Once you retrieve my item, I can hand it to you.”
“Can’t you give it first?”
“How do I know you won’t skip the task once you have it?”
Unable to get the flashlight ahead of time, Lu Li took advantage of the uncertain evening twilight to search the hallway for rooms that hadn’t been opened before.
He stopped in front of room 202.
A black cat, a madwoman, and a swollen woman whose skin seemed to have fluid flowing underneath.
Lu Li paused his gaze on the swollen woman who seemed to need medical treatment even more than the boy with ulcers, then moved it to the black cat sitting elegantly like a lady, recalling something, he took out the fish treats “dog meat” had given him from his pocket.
“Do you want it?”
The black cat raised its head to look at Lu Li, its long tail suddenly stretched out, burrowing under the pillow and pulling out a ball of yarn.
Understanding its intention, Lu Li placed the fish treat in front of the black cat, took the yarn ball, and handed it to the lady in room 205.
“Thank you, but I’m still missing a knitting needle…” the lady said gently.
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“Where am I supposed to find one?”
“I don’t know…”
“I’ll try to find a knitting needle.”
“I really don’t know how to thank you…”
This lady and the doll are two extremes.
Lu Li agreed to the commission and left the room for the hallway as twilight descended outside the window.
Back in room 204, Lu Li organized his current commissions:
From room 210, he acquired anti-inflammatory medicine from Mildred Hampri and obtained sugar from the boy in room 207 for Little Linna;
Both the Crow Mask from room 206 and the siren from room 207 needed access to the activity area, and the latter wanted to go out at night;
The lady in room 205 needed a knitting needle;
The doll in room 207 needed “eyes”;
The legless girl in the wheelchair from room 201 seemed to yearn to dance again, and the woman dragging intestines was looking for a “child”;
Lu Li only had one piece of sugar left, about to be used.
The fading twilight outside signaled the approaching night; Lu Li closed the door and handed the sugar to the living tree, but had no intention of exploring the nighttime hallway further, instead lying on his bed to fall asleep.
…
“Good morning, Mr. Lu Li.”
A bit different from before. Not the rough scratchy sound, nor the hoarse voice, but a girl’s clear voice.
The tree-like features have almost completely disappeared, leaving just a sprout emerging from her brown hair as Little Linna shyly shrunk on the hospital bed. Lu Li seemed to see sunlight spilling gold through the window, dust floating about, and small fine hairs on her cheek.
“Have you recovered?”
“Yes, thank you for the sugar.” Little Linna took out something hidden on the other side of her body, “I’m being discharged, this is for you.”
It was a potted plant, with a sprout growing from the soil.
“Thank you.”
“I should be thanking you.”
Soon, Lu Li discovered that it wasn’t just Little Linna being discharged, but also “dog meat”—
The calendar on the bedside cabinet showed it was the eighth day.
Lu Li had been in the hospital for over a week—though on a perceptual level, not even a day had passed.
Lu Li held the potted plant in the hallway and saw “dog meat” packing his luggage in the room.
“Thank you for facing the danger without fear.” “Dog meat” said goodbye to Lu Li upon discharge.
And Mildred Hampri—
“I don’t have any more medicine to give you; today the nurse gave me normal medicine. They also told me I could be discharged at any time.” Mildred Hampri said kindly: “Thank you for those interesting stories.”
“Are you planning to be discharged today?” Lu Li asked, noticing the packed suitcase.
“Exactly…”
The old man made an age-specific sigh: “We always have to face reality.”
Like the Evildoers and Golden Retriever sent away by Lu Li, now it’s the old man’s turn.
If the old man no longer provided anti-inflammatory medicine, what about the boy?
Lu Li went to the boy’s room to inform him that there would be no more anti-inflammatory medicine.
“I no longer need medication.” The boy with fully scabbed ulcerated skin said, “I should soon be recovering and discharged, thank you.”
The boy climbed down from the bed, sincerely thanked Lu Li, and told him:
“My brother is on the third floor, if you need help you can go to room 303, he will definitely help you.”
“I have noted it.”
Finally, the boy sincerely thanked Lu Li:
“Thank you for your kindness and benevolence.”