Rain finished the consultation in the doctor’s office and came out, and Chris took Rain back to the hospital room.
Rain seems to have become tired during the various lengthy examinations. Clear signs of drowsiness were settling around her eyes.
“I’m sorry… I should be doing this and that… Just a little, please…”
Rain relied on Chris.
The guardian application process was also completed. Chris now had guardian authority to share medical information and such with patient consent.
Chris, who laid Rain down in the hospital room, patted her until she fell into a deep sleep.
Chris left the hospital room and went to the doctor’s office.
The doctor, who had been staring intently at the hologram screen, welcomed Chris. Examination results and such were displayed on the screen in the doctor’s office.
“Nice to meet you, Chris. You’re Lee Seulbi patient’s guardian, I see.”
The doctor got straight to the point.
“Even after discharge, the guardian needs to pay attention to the patient’s nutritional state and body. Since she’s a spinal cord injury patient and her overall body functions have severely declined, she needs to receive inpatient treatment and rest for a while…”
Chris heard various things about Rain’s current physical condition.
South Korea, which implemented policies to embrace refugees and immigrants as citizens, faced rapid changes. Over the decades since then, the personal circumstances of unidentified refugee orphans emerged as a social issue.
Rain talked a lot with Chris, but didn’t mention her past before a certain point. Judging by her exotic appearance and lack of connections, it could be inferred that she was one of the refugee orphans that occurred during turbulent times.
Rain must have lived a lonely life without anyone to rely on. Her body was also in tatters.
“Actually, the patient’s physical treatment is important, but what’s most problematic is…
The doctor looked at one graph and made a serious expression.
“The patient’s current mental issue. This is likely having a serious impact on the patient’s current physical functions as well.”
“…!”
“As you know, with the development of virtual reality technology, brain science and medicine have also made rapid advancements. Thanks to that, most mental issues can be visualized through special brain wave examination results. But…”
After a moment of silence, Chris was gripped by an inexplicable anxiety.
“But…?”
“…It’s an unusual examination result. I explained this sufficiently to Lee Seulbi patient as well, but there are cases where patients don’t accept that they have a mental illness or don’t take it seriously. So the guardian’s view of the patient’s condition and subsequent care role are also important. Well, the case most similar to Lee Seulbi patient’s special brain wave examination results is…”
The doctor paused for a moment and then continued.
“PTSD, that is, post-traumatic stress disorder. It appears she’s suffering from a mental disorder due to serious physical and mental shocks experienced in the past. However, Lee Seulbi patient’s condition is quite different from other PTSD patients. We went through sufficient psychological tests and in-depth interviews, but I simply can’t define the patient’s condition.”
“What exactly is Rain, uh, Seulbi’s condition?”
Chris asked urgently while calming her madly beating heart.
“The results of the patient’s in-depth interview and outwardly visible psychological state are very stable. Yet, the special brain wave examination diagnosed very severe PTSD. Looking at just the visible examination results, it wouldn’t be strange if symptoms like seizures occurred at any time.”
Chris felt as if all the blood was draining from her body.
“…She’s stable now, but we don’t know when her condition might worsen. I’d like the guardian to continuously observe her progress.”
Chris walked down the hospital corridor with a blank expression, lost in thought.
The ‘Lee Seulbi’ that Chris had watched for several days was Rain herself, yet somehow different. When she stroked Chris’s head to comfort her, Chris even felt like she was an adult. She didn’t look at all like someone with mental issues.
However, the special brain wave examination results indicated that Rain had serious mental wounds.
How on earth did those wounds occur? Did she get them along with the accident that made her unable to use her legs?
And soon, each of Rain’s actions in ‘Astria Online’ flashed through Chris’s mind.
Extreme aversion to people approaching, symptoms that could be called seizures when her shoulder was touched, childlike gestures and behavior.
Chris, who had been watching Rain closely, could tell.
Rain’s wounds were there.
She wants to receive treatment for her mental wounds in the ‘Astria continent’.
* * *
“They say it’s PTSD.”
I woke up and recalled the doctor’s explanation while lying in bed.
Fortunately, even with the advanced science of the future era, it wasn’t to the extent of looking into people’s memories.
I expected to have some mental issues to some degree. I actually suffered a lot after ‘that day’ too.
But, the current ‘Lee Seulbi’ is okay.
There was a time when I almost disappeared, swept away by the world after losing motivation for everything, but after encountering Astria Online, I decided to live on with strength.
Of course, ‘Rain’ is also happily traveling the Astria continent.
Anyway, I’m not suffering from a serious illness to the extent that others need to worry.
Still, one thing became certain through this examination process.
According to the doctor, there’s a high possibility that mental wounds from the past remained in the form of continuous pain and affected the body as well, but it’s probably not because of PTSD. This is nothing.
The reason my body showed abnormal reactions is probably.
“Synchronization rate.”
The wounds ‘Rain’ received had a big impact on ‘Lee Seulbi’s body.
I clearly learned this time that pain felt by the mind can affect the actual body too.
Of course, I didn’t tell the doctor about the 100% synchronization rate.
I’m already a body that can’t live without ‘Astria Online’. I need to make money there too.
Even if they tell me to receive measures regarding the synchronization rate because it’s dangerous, there’s no way I could listen.
Then what should I do?
“Hmm…”
I guess trying not to get wounded is the best after all.
And if my real body becomes healthy, it should be able to endure a bit.
Exercise, hmm. Should I do something like exercises using only the upper body?
For now, the maximum effort I can make in the current situation of being hospitalized is.
“Rain, ah~”
“…Ah.”
Chomp.
I sighed deeply and ate the porridge Chris was feeding me.
“I told you I can eat by myself…? I’m not a child.”
“Unnie wants to feed you. You said you owe unnie a big debt, right? So grant this much of a request~”
Chris, who was feeding me porridge, looked very happy just from her expression.
If Chris likes it, I can’t help it.
And, this is also one of the activities for my body to become healthy.
I heard one of the causes for collapsing this time was nutritional deficiency.
The solution is to eat three meals a day.
On time, with balanced nutrients.
“It’s difficult.”
I’ve lived relying on one meal a day and cup noodles for many years.
Of course, I ate some delivery food recently too, but my body was satisfied with just one or two slices of pizza a day.
But to stuff food considering nutrition three times a day into this small stomach.
“It’ll be okay if you gradually increase the amount. You’re not dieting, and if nutrients don’t go into a body with no fat to endure and all muscles gone, this is what happens.”
Chris made a stern expression. I watched Chris’s face.
Since I accepted her as my guardian and now receiving her care, I have had to listen to Chris well.
Chris, who soon relaxed her expression, held out the spoon again with a broad smile.
“Ah~”
“…Ah.”
Chomp.
I, who became a baby bird receiving food put into its mouth by the mother bird, blushed slightly from embarrassment.
Of course, I still ate diligently.
“When will I be able to be discharged?”
After finishing eating, I asked Chris the most important thing.
It’s already been over a week since I was hospitalized. Except for my legs, shouldn’t my body condition be fully recovered?
“Huh? Already? The doctor said you need to be hospitalized for at least a month.”
“A-a month…!”
I couldn’t help but be shocked.
In a month, the period when fortress bus fees can be charged expensively will all pass.
Bus fees keep going down. In a month, passengers using buses will have almost finished farming too. Then it’ll be hard to find customers, and bus fees will have to be charged cheaply.
“I can’t be hospitalized for a month. I, I’ll be in trouble if I don’t earn gold.”
If I can’t earn gold this time, I’ll have to stay in the poor neighborhood longer. Moreover, long-term hospitalization will clearly incur a lot of hospital bills.
Chris took out a piece of paper in front of me.
“Huh?”
It was a contract.
“Rain, unnie will take care of everything if you sign here. I’ll solve not only the hospital bills, but your housing issue too.”
“Gasp…”
Even the housing issue?
I swallowed hard and carefully examined the contract.
The content was that on the condition of working as a full-time employee of ‘Chris Raid Party Bus’ in ‘Astria Online’, the employee’s real housing issue would be solved and welfare provided.
Initial try participation is not required. Just need to join from the start of bus operations. Salary will be paid in cash instead of gold. Of course, you can receive as much gold as needed too.
I tilted my head.
The conditions are too good for me. It’s not different from what I’m doing now. If I receive a salary, I won’t need to go through the process of converting gold to cash.
I stared intently at the contract.
The internet says to be suspicious if the conditions are too good when making a contract. Could there be hidden poisonous clauses?
Soon, I shook my head.
Lee Seulbi, what are you thinking?
There’s no way Chris unnie would do such a bad thing, right?
Still, if I think about being trapped in a capsule, unable to enjoy the Astria continent and forced to only make money.
“Uwah…!”
That would be dangerous.
This is not because I’m suspicious of Chris unnie.
It’s a process to fully trust Chris unnie.
I read and read and read the contract again.
Chris just looked at me with a bright smile.
In the end, I ended up signing the contract.