Chapter 77: All-seeing Eye II
Tears flowed down endlessly .
Dad stopped me when I tried to prop myself up . "Stay down, kid . I have already informed your school about what happened . I took half a month"s leave to settle this all, okay? I"m here to take care of you so talk to me if you need me . "
I wanted to raise my head but Dad pressed it down onto the pillow insistently .
"What are you trying to do? What if you fall? Are you planning to go over to her bed and cry? You"re injured . Lie down and hold it in . There"s nothing your tears can do . Endure that little bit of sadness, she just left . . . that"s . . . all . . . " he broke down in tears, turning around to hide his face .
I didn"t move again . The doctor"s warning not to exert myself too much and risk reopening the wound also came to mind .
After a short silence, Dad spoke up again, "Wait here while I settle some paperwork . I"ll get you dinner later . "
Before I could agree, he left the ward .
I stared at the ceiling, my mind a complete mess .
I felt no pain whatsoever, unlike the night before where my eye was still hurting badly .
I reached a hand up to touch the gauze . It wasn"t painful at all .
This made me curious . I wanted to remove the bandage but I don"t want to go against the doctor"s orders .
He said I could only get the st.i.tches removed a week later or there would be a scar .
The severity of the scar would depend on these seven days . Other than to re-apply medication, I wasn"t allowed to remove the gauze . I was to eat light food and avoid oil and spice .
I put my head down and continued staring at the ceiling .
A meow rang in my ears .
I turned to the sound but I saw nothing .
I shifted back around and it rang again .
I could tell that it was Oscar"s voice . Plus, there wasn"t any other cat in the hospital apart from him .
I looked over at the old man on the next bed . "Excuse me, sir . Do you hear a cat?"
"What are you talking about?" he responded .
"Excuse me, do you hear a cat?" I raised my voice a notch .
"Cat? I"m old and my ears aren"t working well," he replied .
A small girl on the opposite side added, "Think I heard it . "
I gritted my teeth . I was right .
It was nearby .
"What"s your name, little girl?" I asked .
"Yinuo," she answered with a friendly smile .
Silence resumed in the ward .
After a short moment, there were soft sounds at the door .
I looked over at Yinuo again and requested, "There seems to be something outside, Yinuo . Could you help me open the door and have a look, please?"
She nodded . "Alright, brother one-eyed dragon . I"ll go now . "
She got off the bed and opened the door .
"What is it?" I asked, drawing a breath .
"A cat . Come in, kitty," she said faintly .
I shot up subconsciously and looked at the old man . He looked well and was laughing happily at the television screen .
"What are you sick with, Yinuo?"
She answered, "Asthma . I"ll have to rest for a month . "
I looked over at the fourth patient, who was also the last person in the ward . It was a pregnant lady . She lay on the bed and was covered in a blanket .
"Are you sick, aunty?" I asked hesitantly .
"You"re the one who is sick . I"m nine months pregnant, can"t you see? There are not enough beds there so I got allocated here instead," she responded .
A few seconds later, Oscar appeared within my field of vision .
He jumped up and meowed once before resting at a corner of my bed .
The three other patients looked at me as I looked at Oscar .
"Is that the death kitty? Your question makes sense now," the pregnant lady commented .
The old man sighed . "Wasn"t expecting you to leave this world before me . "
"What"s a death kitty, brother one-eyed dragon?" She walked over slowly and reached her hand out to touch Oscar .
I stopped her unconsciously . "Don"t touch it, Yinuo . He"s very fierce . My eye"s like this because of him . "
She retracted her hand and moved a few steps back .
Thoughts flooded my mind .
Am I going to die tonight?
How could I die? It"s just a wound infection .
I touched the gauze over my left eye and hopped off the bed .
"This cat scratches, aunty . Don"t let her touch it," I told the pregnant lady .
She nodded . "Got it . Where are you going?"
"I"m going to find the doctor and ask why I"m going to die tonight . "
I walked out of the ward with careful steps since I was afraid of getting into an accident .
I arrived at the doctor"s office and thankfully, he was on duty .
He had just finished a consultation with another patient and had three more waiting .
I cut over and said, "Oscar came over to my bed earlier and rested on it . "
"What?" the doctor asked, confused .
"That death kitty . Have I been infected? Will I not live past tonight?"
The doctor waved his hand . "Wait here, everyone, and you, come over here . Let me have a closer look . "
I walked over and he removed my gauze .
"Your wound is about to recover . There isn"t any problem, it seems . I"ve also given you the Rabies vaccine so it"s impossible that you die tonight . Perhaps you"ve been traumatized by that incident?" the doctor suggested .
"But the other four patients saw the same thing…"
"Bring me there . Those waiting for me, please consult the other doctor . Sorry to have wasted your time," he informed the other patients before following me over to the ward .
Oscar was still in my bed when we entered .
The doctor exhaled . "This is my first time seeing it . So the rumors were true…"
"So I"m really going to die, Doc?" I asked anxiously .
He stepped forward and prodded Oscar a little but it remained motionless .
The doctor flipped him over and discovered that it seemed lifeless .
He put on his stethoscope and looked for a pulse over the cat"s stomach . "I"m not a veterinarian but it seems like he"s dead . How about you get a doctor from the animal hospital just around the corner?" the doctor suggested .
Just as I was about to leave, he called, "Wait . I"ll go with you since the doctor might not come if you have no money . "
He carried Oscar out .
15 minutes later, we arrived at the animal hospital .
After a brief examination, the vet declared Oscar dead .
"Cause of death?" the doctor asked .
The vet sighed, "This cat is well over ten years old . It"s only natural . He died of old age . There"s a funeral parlor for animals in here . "
The doctor smiled . "It"s alright . Our hospital has a morgue . "
The vet returned the smile . "Are you s.n.a.t.c.hing our business?"
"This cat"s been with us for a few years . Because it could predict death, some liked it while others hated it . Let"s hand it over to the hospital . It"s what we should do for him," the doctor said .
"So this is that death kitty?" the vet asked .
The doctor paid the fees and carried Oscar out . I followed closely behind .
"Will I die tonight, Doc?"
"Don"t think so much . It"s just a rumor after all," he smiled .
"But I"ve seen him predict correctly the death of two patients, and one of them is my mom . "
"My condolences . We shouldn"t be so superst.i.tious . Your wound is healing fine, I guarantee you . "
The doctor brought the cat to the morgue while I returned to my ward .
The pregnant lady and the old man started questioning me and I shared everything I knew .
At night, Dad came over with dinner and I did not bring Oscar"s death up .
After dinner, he went home while I lay on my bed, tensed and apprehensive .
The night was deepening and I wasn"t able to sleep at all .
Time pa.s.sed and soon it was midnight .
Then one in the morning .
Two, three, four . . .
At five, I looked out at the light shining through the gaps between the curtains .
I slowly relaxed my body and fell into a deep sleep .
I woke up in the afternoon and nothing happened .
Somehow, the news of Oscar"s death spread across the whole hospital .
Oscar received a splendid burial . There were even reporters present . I chose not to answer when they interviewed me .
Oscar"s name appeared in the newspapers, on television, and even on Baidu .
Six days later, I got my st.i.tches removed . There was a tiny scar and my left eye was significantly redder than my right . I couldn"t see things clearly yet .
Upon informing the doctor of that, he said, "The slight redness and blurriness are normal effects . You"ll be alright in a few days" time . Your eyeball is perfectly undamaged . "
A few days later, not only did my eye not improve, I began to notice other things .
Tears flowed down endlessly . Dad stopped me when I tried to prop myself up . Stay down, kid . I have already informed your school about what happened . I took half a month 39 s leave to settle this all, okay I 39 m here to take care of you so talk to me if you need me . I wanted to raise my head but Dad pressed it down onto the pillow insistently . What are you trying to do What if you fall Are you planning to go over to her bed and cry You 39 re injured . Lie down and hold it in . There 39 s nothing your tears can do . Endure that little bit of sadness, she just left . . . that 39 s . . . all . . . he broke down in tears, turning around to hide his face . I didn 39 t move again . The doctor 39 s warning not to exert myself too much and risk reopening the wound also came to mind . After a short silence, Dad spoke up again, Wait here while I settle some paperwork . I 39 ll get you dinner later . Before I could agree, he left the ward . I stared at the ceiling, my mind a complete mess . I felt no pain whatsoever, unlike the night before where my eye was still hurting badly . I reached a hand up to touch the gauze . It wasn 39 t painful at all . This made me curious . I wanted to remove the bandage but I don 39 t want to go against the doctor 39 s orders . He said I could only get the st.i.tches removed a week later or there would be a scar . The severity of the scar would depend on these seven days . Other than to re apply medication, I wasn 39 t allowed to remove the gauze . I was to eat light food and avoid oil and spice . I put my head down and continued staring at the ceiling . A meow rang in my ears . I turned to the sound but I saw nothing . I shifted back around and it rang again . I could tell that it was Oscar 39 s voice . Plus, there wasn 39 t any other cat in the hospital apart from him . I looked over at the old man on the next bed . Excuse me, sir . Do you hear a cat What are you talking about he responded . Excuse me, do you hear a cat I raised my voice a notch . Cat I 39 m old and my ears aren 39 t working well, he replied . A small girl on the opposite side added, Think I heard it . I gritted my teeth . I was right . It was nearby . What 39 s your name, little girl I asked . Yinuo, she answered with a friendly smile . Silence resumed in the ward . After a short moment, there were soft sounds at the door . I looked over at Yinuo again and requested, There seems to be something outside, Yinuo . Could you help me open the door and have a look, please She nodded . Alright, brother one eyed dragon . I 39 ll go now . She got off the bed and opened the door . What is it I asked, drawing a breath . A cat . Come in, kitty, she said faintly . I shot up subconsciously and looked at the old man . He looked well and was laughing happily at the television screen . What are you sick with, Yinuo She answered, Asthma . I 39 ll have to rest for a month . I looked over at the fourth patient, who was also the last person in the ward . It was a pregnant lady . She lay on the bed and was covered in a blanket . Are you sick, aunty I asked hesitantly . You 39 re the one who is sick . I 39 m nine months pregnant, can 39 t you see There are not enough beds there so I got allocated here instead, she responded . A few seconds later, Oscar appeared within my field of vision . He jumped up and meowed once before resting at a corner of my bed . The three other patients looked at me as I looked at Oscar . Is that the death kitty Your question makes sense now, the pregnant lady commented . The old man sighed . Wasn 39 t expecting you to leave this world before me . What 39 s a death kitty, brother one eyed dragon She walked over slowly and reached her hand out to touch Oscar . I stopped her unconsciously . Don 39 t touch it, Yinuo . He 39 s very fierce . My eye 39 s like this because of him . She retracted her hand and moved a few steps back . Thoughts flooded my mind . Am I going to die tonight How could I die It 39 s just a wound infection . I touched the gauze over my left eye and hopped off the bed . This cat scratches, aunty . Don 39 t let her touch it, I told the pregnant lady . She nodded . Got it . Where are you going I 39 m going to find the doctor and ask why I 39 m going to die tonight . I walked out of the ward with careful steps since I was afraid of getting into an accident . I arrived at the doctor 39 s office and thankfully, he was on duty . He had just finished a consultation with another patient and had three more waiting . I cut over and said, Oscar came over to my bed earlier and rested on it . What the doctor asked, confused . That death kitty . Have I been infected Will I not live past tonight The doctor waved his hand . Wait here, everyone, and you, come over here . Let me have a closer look . I walked over and he removed my gauze . Your wound is about to recover . There isn 39 t any problem, it seems . I 39 ve also given you the Rabies vaccine so it 39 s impossible that you die tonight . Perhaps you 39 ve been traumatized by that incident the doctor suggested . But the other four patients saw the same thing Bring me there . Those waiting for me, please consult the other doctor . Sorry to have wasted your time, he informed the other patients before following me over to the ward . Oscar was still in my bed when we entered . The doctor exhaled . This is my first time seeing it . So the rumors were true So I 39 m really going to die, Doc I asked anxiously . He stepped forward and prodded Oscar a little but it remained motionless . The doctor flipped him over and discovered that it seemed lifeless . He put on his stethoscope and looked for a pulse over the cat 39 s stomach . I 39 m not a veterinarian but it seems like he 39 s dead . How about you get a doctor from the animal hospital just around the corner the doctor suggested . Just as I was about to leave, he called, Wait . I 39 ll go with you since the doctor might not come if you have no money . He carried Oscar out . 15 minutes later, we arrived at the animal hospital . After a brief examination, the vet declared Oscar dead . Cause of death the doctor asked . The vet sighed, This cat is well over ten years old . It 39 s only natural . He died of old age . There 39 s a funeral parlor for animals in here . The doctor smiled . It 39 s alright . Our hospital has a morgue . The vet returned the smile . Are you s.n.a.t.c.hing our business This cat 39 s been with us for a few years . Because it could predict death, some liked it while others hated it . Let 39 s hand it over to the hospital . It 39 s what we should do for him, the doctor said . So this is that death kitty the vet asked . The doctor paid the fees and carried Oscar out . I followed closely behind . Will I die tonight, Doc Don 39 t think so much . It 39 s just a rumor after all, he smiled . But I 39 ve seen him predict correctly the death of two patients, and one of them is my mom . My condolences . We shouldn 39 t be so superst.i.tious . Your wound is healing fine, I guarantee you . The doctor brought the cat to the morgue while I returned to my ward . The pregnant lady and the old man started questioning me and I shared everything I knew . At night, Dad came over with dinner and I did not bring Oscar 39 s death up . After dinner, he went home while I lay on my bed, tensed and apprehensive . The night was deepening and I wasn 39 t able to sleep at all . Time pa.s.sed and soon it was midnight . Then one in the morning . Two, three, four . . . At five, I looked out at the light shining through the gaps between the curtains . I slowly relaxed my body and fell into a deep sleep . I woke up in the afternoon and nothing happened . Somehow, the news of Oscar 39 s death spread across the whole hospital . Oscar received a splendid burial . There were even reporters present . I chose not to answer when they interviewed me . Oscar 39 s name appeared in the newspapers, on television, and even on Baidu . Six days later, I got my st.i.tches removed . There was a tiny scar and my left eye was significantly redder than my right . I couldn 39 t see things clearly yet . Upon informing the doctor of that, he said, The slight redness and blurriness are normal effects . You 39 ll be alright in a few days 39 time . Your eyeball is perfectly undamaged . A few days later, not only did my eye not improve, I began to notice other things .