[BEEP ... BEEP ... BEEP ...]
I open my eyes.
I am welcomed by the mechanical sound of a ventilator, and a whitewashed ceiling.
'And here I thought that's the end of me.'
(I thought I was a goner in that accident.)
'How did I survive?'
Trying to move my limbs, I realize it's too fragile. I don't remember myself being a porcelain doll.
'Hmm … let's get the situation straight with some doctors here'.
There should be a nurse button somewhere near here. Looking around for quite some time, I search for a call button.
I find it attached to the bedside; with great efforts, I pushed the button.
'Let's wait for the doctors for an explanation.'
After a few minutes, a nurse walks into the room. She looks surprised to see me awake. She comes near me and calls me out.
(I don't know the name she is calling though; my voice was raspy. It seems unused.)
With difficulty, I asked her, "Water ... Wa-Water pleas ..."
To give me some water and call the doctor in charge.
She looks surprised and rushes towards me. She helps me to first sit upon my bed and then brings me a glass of water. After she ensured that there was no immediate danger to me, she went to call the doctor in charge of my room.
While the nurse was gone, I pondered a bit more; the nurse called me, but I'm not familiar with that name she was calling me.
I'm confused with the surroundings too. It is a private room, but it looks antique-like something from the yesteryears.
I feel the mystery has just deepened a lot more.
'Where am I?'
'Why is it that I open my eyes and the world seems different all of a sudden?'
The endless wait comes to an end.
At least for me, it was an endless wait while for others it may be somewhere around a few minutes. As the door opens, a team of doctors rush in.
I observe that the man leading them is a very handsome young doctor. It sure is eye candy for patients to see handsome meat in front of them.
I look at the entourage and wait for an explanation.
"Hello, I'm Dr Yun Lee. I am your main doctor in charge. May I first proceed with a few preliminary physical examinations before we chat?"
I nod to this request 'at least he knows the drill'.
The doctors started a very systematic process of examination. Right from taking temperature to checking all physical status. But I have a big question i.e. why is everything so archaic?
When did the medical system revert to traditional practices? What happened to the fast-paced instant medical system?
Well getting back to the point. It took them twenty minutes to get the basic examinations done. Dr Lee asked everyone to leave, and he stayed back to explain the situation.
"I'm surprised by your recovery speed Ms Shui; your case comes under the category of the miracle. After your accident, there was little chance of you being alive."
'Now even I am wondering, what happened? Could you please fast forward to relevant details?' He observed my restlessness and my resistance to the surroundings.
"Ms Shui, do you remember yourself getting in this situation you are in now?"
I turned my head and gave him a blank look. So he asked,
"Ms Shui, do you remember your name?"
I again responded with a blank look. Well, it's better to fake amnesia than to transfer to a mental health institution, I guessed.
The doctor sighed, "Ms Shui, I will let you know the situation promptly after your full check-up. After we establish the fact that you are fit to take any type of strong stimulus, we will further notify you."
He left after a polite courtesy.
While I am left with endless speculations.
***
[POV Dr Lee]
Meanwhile, after leaving the patients' room Dr Lee called a number -
"Hello"
"Hmm"
"I'm afraid it's a case of amnesia, temporary or permanent we need to see".
A silence answers, it's stifling.
"How do you want me to answer about the accident?"
"Something simple"
"Okay"
After disconnecting the call.
'I swear doing a fifteen-hour surgery is less tiring than talking to this Buddha.'
***
[POV Bai Chang]
Inside the room, I am going berserk. Hell, I'm in the year 2020!!
How did this happen?
I clearly remember being in a covert mission and due to some reason the base got air-raided, and that's the end of me. A legend in my time, a genius, an elite among elites, how did I end up transmigrating?
Slowly, I try to get accustomed to the memories in my head; something I have been resisting all this time. There are bits and pieces of information and I sieve through them.
Long story short; I'm Shui Bai Chang from an elite aristocrat family and my parents have passed away. I am an heir to a rich trust fund, and I'm autistic. My memories are full of paintings and various craft skill sets, while the surroundings are a blur to me.
Hence a blank slate.
While compared to my past life before transmigration/ reincarnation. I was a genius from the Star time system with my hands in all kinds of pies. While I wished for a simple life sometimes. I wanted to fulfil my dreams to pursue art and culture but, then conditions pushed me to some other path.
I have a chance now.
But while contemplating I realized that I had a sad ending in both my life.
(As if dying is any rationale for happiness.)
I am wondering; was the God of Fate, Si Ming, playing around with my destiny? When the cosmic power felt it was enough of injustice to me and gave me a golden ticket to life with a second chance.
Now tell me, who reincarnates in their past life with memories of the future? Normally it is another way around.
(Naturally, I am not complaining about the cosmic power looking after me. I'm just letting my views know nothing else.)