Bottomless Void

Weeks later,

In the hospital's VIP room on the top floor.

Li Na has been unconscious for a few weeks. Under the supervision of the highly proficient neurosurgeons' team, there was no major improvement in her condition. She lay on a hospital bed like lifeless limbs with a beating heart.

Meanwhile, inside the guest room of the top floor, the ambiance was extremely tense.

The Hospitals' Director, Head Doctor, and his whole team contemplating the progress reports of Li Na's condition with no progress the atmosphere growing stiffer.

Sitting on the sofa, Lu Jianjun looked notably furious hearing the reports with the null progress which Doctor's themselves said will be improved.

Under tremendous pressure, the head doctor sought to ease the situation. Suddenly, Lu Jianjun stood up giving goosebumps to everyone as they watched him walk out of the door without a word.

Besides Lu Jun-hui sighed to see his brother leaving. "He doesn't appreciate listening to the words pronounced differently but meaning the same which are utilized to waste time." an awkward silence spread among all.

Then Lu Jun-hui turned to chat with the doctor, flashing a smile. The team of men slackened.

Seeing them dejected, Lu Jun-hui asked considerately. "You said Li Na will be awake by now. Then why there is no progress and she is still being like a log?"

"Second Master Lu, we are doing our best. Li Na's brief loss of consciousness is because of oxygen deprivation to the brain, possibly caused due to her overreaction to a certain trigger or shock, besides that her traumatic brain injury is making it worse. She was addicted to drugs thus her body is hardly reciprocating to conventional treatment."

The Doctor then added."But we suspect soon she'll regain her consciousness, it's just a matter of time that her brain took for recovering from the traumatic shock."

Lu Junhui nodded his head and said as he stood up to take his leave, " Okay! But please...please make sure, she must be absolutely fine." and the Doctor returned his words with assurance.

....

A couple of days later, in the middle of the night.

Li Na's closed eyes fluttered her whole body trembled as if she became mindful of the darkness surrounding her along with it rushed the experience a nerve wrenching pain from the very core of her insides as if the peels after peels of her skins were scalded and left open to burn even with the slightest touch of breath.

Undergoing the torturing pain and suffocation, Li Na soon began to gasped heavily to breathe but her mouth and nose were capped with an oxygen mask. Her limbs trembled, as she felt all the pain began to centered in-between the brows she needs to hold her splitting headache but something was attached to her wrist restraining any of her instinctive action, and as such she has no energy for so for effortless and willingly movements to contain it.

Struggling, under the faint radiation of red light, she tried hard to open her sealed eyes and after a lot of struggling, her eyes slightly opened before shutting down heavily as she breathed more grasping the limited oxygen provided, suddenly the machines began to beep loudly.

Fast, a nurse rushed in towards the bed. She looked at the fluctuating sound of the monitoring system and the struggling girl on the bed.

Seeing Li Na grasping for more oxygen, the nurse increased the oxygen level to a stabalizing amount before calling the Doctor.

Within minutes later, the Doctor came.

Noises of humans around Li Na were oblivious to her as her brain was on the verge of exploding cause she didn't even sense the pain of needles piercing her skin.

After a while, Li Na's breathing calmed down. Breathing slowly her senses began to disappear. The awareness of pain and headache subsides compared to the previous but her mind was also losing alertness of her surroundings or condition as she numbly perceived it slipping away. The throbbing pain receded and slowly reformed with mild aching.

Drained out of energy, gradually, Li Na went to sleep like retiring to normal sleep with a thought lingering before her that she won't be able to wake up ever again.

She is dead! And was killed by someone she didn't remember...

....

The following morning, The whole team of specialist doctors was examing Li Na's latest medial reports.

After observing her normal breathing rate, the oxygen mask and non-required life-supporting machines were detached.

"Good, No severe complications!" said the Doctor, and everyone present in the room sighed in relief except for the old lady seated beside Li Na's bed.

Despite her weak health, that old lady, who rushed from overseas and landed early in the morning just to see her granddaughter. As Doctors took their leave Grandma Li sat near Li Na while caringly moving her hand over Li Na's ash brown hairs. She thanked the divinity like the millionth times for saving the child with no parents though worries for Li Na's future seized her heart.

At the early age of growing, Li Na's mother died while fighting against cancer over a lengthy period. Her father was deeply affected by her mother's demise as he loved her mother intensely. And after knowing that he won't be able to survive longer Li Na's father re-married, just to provide his daughter a helping hand to live and grow into an elite lady she was born into.

Li Na's stepmother was a polite lady and was caring towards her. Thus Li Na fully became dependent on her stepmother. The little girl missed her birth mother but felt fortunate as the new mother loved her the same way. But her happiness lasted only until her father lived.

Later on, after her father's decease, her stepmother became distant. Her step-mother was not cruel or rough towards her but separated and aloof, almost detached like stranger. Which was more saddening and depressing for the little child. And on a certain day, her step-mother left Li Na alone without telling. An eleven-year-old Li Na outlasted alone inside the huge Villa. Li Na was loved yet the period was very short. It struck her emotionally and psychologically.

Due to Li Na's grandfathers deteriorating health, her grandparents couldn't stay with her all the time neither Li Na asked them to. Living with caretakers, Li Na tried to be strong and refused to resettle with them abroad nor the old couple was able to look after her.

Elder Li felt despair and pain thinking she couldn't do anything for her only grandchild.

With each passing year, gradually, their occasional presence didn't matter to Li Na, it couldn't fill the bottomless void inside her, nothing could. She lived with the fact, there will be people who'll love her but surely they won't stay with her forever. And she often used to say that.

....

At present.

Someone lightly knocked on the door."Madam, Master Lu is waiting for you in the guest room. He's speaking with Doctor and asked if you want to talk with them."

The old lady looked over the assistant and then back to Li Na. Elder Li gave a slight nod and a guarded glance towards her granddaughter before motioning the woman behind her to leave the room. The nurse followed behind the old lady pushing the wheelchair with an IV stand out of the room.

Inside the guest room, utterly displeased Master Lu was roaring over the phone call."What do you mean by NOT available?"

On the other end, Lu Jun-hui replied quietly to his father: " Father, He has a B-Business meeting..."

Suddenly, Master Lu shouted. " Shut up! Useless brat. Don't give me excuses. I care far less to bother. Tell him to return now."

"..."

Master Lu: "Do you understand, Lu Jun-hui?"

"Yeah, Yeah! I understand, Father. I'll immediately convey your message."

Master Lu: "Hmn, now make sure I don't have to call you again."

"No worries! I won't let that happen."

Lu Jun-hui rejoined obediently and Master Lu's stern voice softened as he said. " Lu Junhui! don't follow your big brothers' steps. You're always taking his side, knowing well, how selfish and arrogant he acts. I doubt if he ever cares as it looks he only cared about money and business."

"But father..." Lu Jun-hui couldn't help himself from defending.

"Not a word!" Maser Lu warned as Lu Jun-hui pursed his lips. "Be rational. Now, do as I told you."

Lu Jun-hui went speechless.

"..." and the phone line went dead.

Initially, Lu Jun-hui attempted to resolve the upcoming trouble but soon he gave up. Idly sitting in his office chair he swayed left to right deciding how to convey the message. His brother's work ethics are stern Lu Jianjun doesn't allow nor tolerates any kind of interruption without any solid reason.

"~Sigh, of all times, why does this have to happen now." Lu Jun-hui mumbled and smacked his head on the table in frustration.