Beep…Beep…Beep…Beep…
Charlie started regaining consciousness and slowly opened his eyes, looking at the nearby window while the sun was setting. He questioned himself, "Where the hell am I?"
As Charlie analyzed his surroundings, a nurse entered the room to check his pulse.
"How do you feel, sir?" she asked.
"I….I feel hungry… Uhhh… a little weak and have a headache," Charlie said with a dizzy expression.
Charlie was trying to recall what happened last time and asked the nurse, "How did I get here? How long was I asleep?"
"You've been in a coma for three weeks, sir. Your survival chances were only 0.5%. It's a miracle you're alive."
The nurse checked his pulse and eyes. "Everything looks fine sir. Dr. Ethan will come in a minute for your final check-up", and left the room.
The hospital room was sterile and quiet, with a thin white curtain hanging loosely by the window, swaying gently. The air was cold and smelled like disinfectant and every breath felt dry and thin, as if the room had been scrubbed of anything alive.
To his left, there was an old bedside table. A pitcher of water with a half-empty glass sat on top. A small monitor nearby beeped steadily, its lights blinking in time with his pulse.
Charlie lay on a stiff, narrow bed. The sheets were rough, and the pillow felt too thin to be comfortable. The bed creaked softly whenever he moved.
His thoughts tangled as he tried to piece together what had happened last time.
Suddenly, a screen popped in front of his eyes.
[CLAIM REWARDS].
Charlie, thinking with a confused expression, "What the holy moly is this thing? Is this a dream, or the Matrix, or whatever? VR…?", Curious Charlie moved his right arm and waved at the translucent screen,but mistakenly triggered the reward option.
[REWARD CLAIMED]
*All the claimed items will be redirected to your inventory.
Charlie thinking in his mind.
"What the holy cow, a baseball bat with nails attached, 5 Bandages, and a Survivor pouch." Charlie, looking with a confused expression, saw a magna-fine glass icon, and tapped it.
> Baseball Bat [LEVEL 2]
Damage = 10
Durability = 100
> Bandage [LEVEL 1]
Heals 4% of missing health for 3 seconds( 10 Second's Cooldown ).
> Survivor Pouch [LEVEL 1]
A lightweight 4-slot storage bag to store items.
While Charlie was looking at the rewards, Dr. Ethan arrived and saw him staring straight at the ceiling, his hand pointing at the ceiling as if counting stars.
"Mr. Charlie, are you alright?" the doctor asked.
Charlie replied with a nod.
He used his stethoscope to examine him, but in Charlie's eyes, he only saw the rewards.
Charlie tried hard to close the screen but couldn't find a way to do it, He moved his face towards the doctor and the screen disappeared. He saw the doctor's face, wearing a surgical mask, a surgical cap, a white lab coat, and surgical gloves on both hands.
Uncertain whether the patient is infected, Dr.Ethan arrives fully geared, with all the essential equipment in hand, ready for whatever comes next.
"Umm… Doctor… don't you see this screen-like thing floating in the air?" Charlie asked with a confused expression.
"No," the doctor replied.
"But….."
"Don't worry, it's just a side effect from the coma. You'll be alright…" The doctor spoke with a smile, as he had already seen this kind of abnormal talk before in many patients.