Companion

She stood in front of the door. She knocked on the door slowly with her fingers. She didn't hear an answer, but she entered the room without paying attention.

"How are you today, Mr. Shang?" she said in her girlish and kind tone.

The old man, who was almost 60 years old, was lying on the sick bed and looked at the young girl. He forced a smile and said, "Better than yesterday, how about you?"

"If my patients are well, I am also well."

Then she sat on the high chair next to the patient. First, she placed her stethoscope on his chest from under the man's clothes and checked his heartbeat. The man took several deep breaths.

While listening to the faint sound of old man's heartbeat, she said, "I heard from the hospital guard today that your son came to visit you. Am I right?"

Suddenly his little smile disappeared. He got upset and reluctantly answered, "Yes."

The young girl noticed Mr. Shang's sad face and said: "Has something happened, Mr. Shang?... Of course, don't think that I am nosy, I saw that you looked upset, I said that maybe something bad happened."

"not at all. By the way, I wanted to confide someone. You know,You are still too young to understand what I am talking about, but I think you can still be a good companion."

"I hope."

The young girl took her stethoscope from her ears and listened to what he was saying.

The old man began to speak: "Today, I saw my grandson after six months."

"how good."

"My son has decided to turn him into a hero. That's why he sold the house to collect his power money."

The young girl was slowly losing her cheerfulness. She seemed to understand the old man's pain well.

The old man continued: "I never wanted my grandson to have power and become one of the heroes, because I was in this group and I understood how dangerous it is. I don't want to see him suffer.

I don't know how it happened that people are willing for their child to suffer but be able to become a hero."

The man gave a meaningful grin and said in a mocking tone, "Once upon a time, having supernatural powers and becoming Spider-Man and Superman was the dream of everyone ; But now all this has become a deal. You give something valuable and get power in exchange.

You may not believe it, but I know people who sold one of their testicles so that they could install the nut themselves."

The young girl looked at the old man's wrinkled face with surprise, but said nothing. old man suddenly started apologizing: "Forgive me if I spoke too bluntly!"

The girl said with her sweet smile and her usual kindness, "No, no, it's not a problem. Honestly, I didn't think people were so greedy."

She got up from the chair and looked at the papers in her hand. Then as she was standing above him, she said, "If you want my advice, you better retire soon and deactivate the nut. Your body no longer has the energy to carry this power."

The old man also confirmed her words and thanked him for the things she had done for him.

Suddenly, the room door opened without any notice and a voice was heard, "Helen? Your work is done, come to my room. I want to talk to you."

She quickly closed the door. The girl's surprised eyes looked at the old man's tired eyes and said, "I'm sorry Mr. Shang, I have to go."

"Oh ok, take it easy."

***

Unlike normal hospitals, the hall of this hospital was private and no one except nurses had the right to enter and exit. Because of this, it brings a pleasant peace to the heroes who were injured.

The young girl put her long brown hair behind her ear and opened the door hesitantly. A girl with blue hair who tied them behind was standing on the balcony at the end of the room and looking outside.

Helen moved a little further but she didn't react. "Is something wrong Linda?" Helen said.

The blue-haired girl had a sad face, and this worried Helen more. Linda finally spoke, "My family's reputation is at stake."

"What?"

"I might be thrown out of the organization and academy."

"What are you talking about, Linda? Who would want to do something like that?" Helen said with high anxiety and concern while her brown eyes were dry with surprise.

"The organization wants to take the position that I tried to reach for three years from me in a few days. And that's just because of an incident in which I was innocent."

"Are you telling the story of iron cage?Linda glared at her and then turned away from her.

Helen said in a quiet and slightly shaky voice, "Well... how can I help you?"

The blue-haired girl said while holding her bandaged finger in her other hand and staring at the horizon. "Just listen to me. In the end, tell me your opinion."

After about twenty minutes, Linda's talk ended. During this time, Helen listened to her carefully from beginning to end. When Linda asked her to give her opinion, she replied with a little delay: "Well... maybe it's what you say. That boy did it on purpose, but he made it look like it was an accident. But the blow you gave him was very fatal, and if he hasn't died yet, it's because of his power. Also, all the people are aware of this matter and it makes it more difficult... In my opinion, you have only one way."

Linda looked at her and asked, "What way?"

"To convince him in a way that he won't complain about you and go testify that you did not commit a crime. In other words, persuade the organization not to pursue your case anymore."

"Very well, I can give him some money to shut his mouth."

"And what if he didn't close his mouth? What if he wants to take advantage of your offer and extort more from you?"

"I have to satisfy him by force."

Helen noticed Linda's frowns and knew that all her words were serious. She could do anything so that her reputation and her family's reputation would not be destroyed.

"If you mean your strength, I don't think it matters to him. I mean, when a steel sword enters his neck but doesn't kill him in one go, then he can withstand heavy blows; But if you mean by "force", threatening, this is a high risk and I do not recommend it at all."

Linda clenched her teeth angrily and said in a hoarse voice, "So what do you say I should do? I called you to come and give me a solution, but now you are ruining all the ways. What do you have to offer?"

"Be by his side."

"What?"

Linda waited for Helen's explanation with a mixture of anger and wonder. Helen continued: "Look, I know it may be stupid, but if you really care about your family's reputation, you should put aside your pride."

"What do you want to say, Helen?"

"Try to get his feelings after he regains consciousness. You somehow keep him on your side and behave in such a way that boy feels that you are really sorry. You can buy him a gift for this. See, it's very simple. You are giving him as a gift the same money that you want to give him to close his mouth. So now put yourself in that boy's place, would you feel better if I gave you something as a gift or if I gave you money to shut your mouth?"

"I mean, you're saying... I have to make that bitch fall in love with me?!"

"What? No. How did you reach this conclusion?"

Linda's anger increased. She stared at Helen with angry eyes and said, "How did you come to the conclusion that I am willing to do such a shameless thing. I'm disappointed in you, Helen. I thought you could understand me well."

Linda quickly went from the balcony to the room and lay down on the patient's bed. Then she pulled the expensive silk blanket under bed over herself. Meanwhile, Helen also approached the balcony door. She tried to clear up misunderstandings,"You thought I had forgotten what a proud and selfish person you are. I told you at the very beginning of my conversation that if you want my offer, you should put aside your pride.

I'm not saying make him fall in love with you. I'm just saying to win his heart by giving gifts and kind behavior so that he won't file a complaint against you. Then do whatever you want with it."

"My head hurts, I want to sleep. Go out."

When Helen saw that there was no use in talking to him, she passed by the bed with a sad and angry face and left the room.

Her head was hurting badly. This pain was visible right behind her blue eyes. She had pulled a navy blue silk blanket over her nose and only her eyes and blue hair were outside the blanket. However, the desperate look she had on life was clear in the same state. The troubled thoughts in her mind and Helen's rude words were like a hammer that kept hitting her brain and breaking it more every moment.

She decided not to think about anything for an hour and close her eyes and hide herself under the blanket in the dark.