Ruan was slumbering deep in his dreams. He could hear the echoes of Luke's cry. However, he didn't have an ounce of strength within him left to open his eyes. There was nothing that he could do but listen to the voice that soon became distorted.
"Huh, so this is it huh," muttered Ruan.
He was standing alone in the abyss with nothing around him, not even his shadow. There was only him in this space. There was only, darkness.
"Hahaha..." laughed Ruan weakly before he continued, "So this is how my life ends! Risking my life over a convenience store that couldn't even give me a living wage. Laughable, very laughable."
Ruan sat down and hugged his knees. His eyes slowly became soaked as he contemplated his fate.
Outside in the real world, various doctors were on hand in the emergency room taking care of Ruan's body. The wound on his chest was critical and the first one to be attended. Blood kept pouring out as the heart keep on pumping. His body turned pale and the medical experts, as well as nurses, ran around with sweat pouring on their heads.
"Don't give up boy!" shouted the most experienced doctor of them all, "You're a hero, don't go to the light!"
*beep
The nurse noticed his heartbeat per minute gradually decreasing in number before the oldest doctor shouted, "Move faster! Goddamnit!" to his fellow doctors.
Outside the emergency room, Ruan was watching through the window with her eyes crying for her son. She hated it that she could do nothing to help his son, she felt powerless. Meanwhile, Luke was sitting with regrets planted on his face. He put his elbows on top of his knees and gripped his hands tightly.
"Luke, darling, did you see my husband?" asked Ruan's mother.
Luke saw her tears and sent a sting in his heart. If only he would act differently, things won't have to go this way. He shook his head, "I haven't seen him, aunt."
"Oh! Where could that idiot be right now, his son is on the verge of life and death but he, he..." Ruan's mother sobbed as she sat on the available seat.
"I'm sorry, aunt, it's all my fault, I bring nothing but trouble for him," said Luke as his tone turned hoarse.
Ruan's mother shook his head, "No, no, it was not your fault, it was the robber's fault. You did nothing wrong, in fact, you did the opposite and the proof is that you are here for him."
Luke tightened up his upper lips as he looked at Ruan's mother. She was indeed a kind person, however, her husband was a different matter.
Inside another room in the same hospital was the place where the robber lay on his bed. His face covered with a bandage only leaving a single eye. The air-conditioner was turned on and he could feel the refreshing breeze on his skin. This might be the last time he could enjoy things before going back to jail.
"Yeah, not bad for a criminal who robbed a convenience store. They even gave me a VVIP room! Hahahaha!"
The robber reached out for the remote before turning the TV on, "Let's see, I think I managed to get into the local news."
"Breaking news, this just in. A local convenience store was robbed out of the blue at 13:00 but luckily two teenagers managed to stop the action as we can see on the CCTV footage that was shared by the manager. Though unfortunately, one of the teenagers suffered a fatal wound on his chest and the abdomen, we are trying to ask for more details about what happened but the three people that are involved are in the hospital as we speak, then—"
"Hahahaha! Serve him right! That son of a bitch!" laughed the robber as he watched the local news.
He picked up an apple from the fruit basket beside his bed only to furrowed his eyebrows as he couldn't use his mouth at the moment. He eventually threw the apple away before he could feel a sting on his face.
While he leisurely lay on the comfortable bed, the elevator on his corridor opened before a stroll of a wheelchair was heard. The VVIP level was weirdly empty without any visitors as the middle-aged man on the wheelchair slowly moving forward before stopping in front of the door where the robber was in.
"Excuse me," said the man before he opened the door.
"Huh?" the robber was surprised to see someone would actually visit him, but when he looked closely, he didn't remember to have any relative with that kind of face. There was nothing familiar for him, "Old cripple, you've gone to the wrong room."
"Oh am I?" the middle-aged man smiled before he continued, "Are you not the one that's on the news you are currently watching?"
"Oh?! Hahahaha! Yup, that's me right there! I'm quite famous aren't I? Hahaha! You want my interview or something?"
The middle-aged man smiled as he nods, "Of course!"
He slowly approached the prideful robber before the latter's eyes opened wide in disbelief. A fist immediately sunk inside his bandaged face without mercy. The bandage immediately smeared red as his head propelled forward by the bounce of his bed before his neck was gripped by one hand.
Another fist sunk in his face without holding back. The assault continued without stopping as the robber tried to reach the bell to call the nurse. The moment he reached it, he pressed it without hesitation.
*click
The man stopped his assault as the robber laughed with his broken face, "Yu ar, going to be in jail with—"
To his disbelief, the punch continued without any shred of mercy. It was a constant force that kept on hitting his face.
(Why, why does he keep on hitting me! Stop it, stop it please!) thought the robber as he was about to pass out. He didn't even notice that the man was standing up fine while hitting his face.
The middle-aged man stopped his assault as he saw the robber passed out. He threw his grip before sitting back on the wheelchair.
"Tch!"
He spat as he rolled the wheels toward the door before he opened it. He didn't even look at the doctors that were standing in front and leave while saying, "Heal him, I'll be back in two hours."
The younger doctor gulped as he muttered, "S-senior, who is he?"
The more experienced doctor shook his head, "I will not tell you his name, his identity, all you need to know is that he is now, a father."