Still Alive

Inside her foggy consciousness, Xiao Luning found herself eavesdropping on a conversation.

"She'll wake up any time soon, sir," came the courteous response from a female voice.

"Good. You can go now."

"Thank you, sir."

The nurse's voice echoed, Xiao Luning felt a stabbing pain in her head that caused her to groan.

"Nurse," a deep man's voice was heard calling the nurse back from a distance. It seemed that the nurse did not get too far away as she immediately rushed to Xiao Luning's side to check her vitals.

The conversation seemed surreal as she went in and out of her consciousness.

The nurse explained to the man, "She's okay. The anesthetics have just worn off. She'll need some time to get used to the pain."

"Who?" Xiao Luning asked in a raspy voice, her blurred vision barely making out the man's silhouette. Judging by the size of his shadow and tone, he seemed to be a middle-aged man.

The nurse moved closer to assist Xiao Luning. "You can lie down and rest for a while."

"Uh... O... okay," Xiao Luning mumbled.

Her voice trailed off as she reclined back onto the bed, her eyes were still closed but her consciousness was gradually returning. Fragments of their conversation fluttered around her unable to tell if she was just being muddle-headed.

"Is she going to be okay?" the man inquired.

"Yes, sir," the nurse replied. "She might need a little more than a week of rest."

"I see," the man said as the nurse left the room.

Curiously, the man seemed to have stayed as if guarding the room.

'Why?'

Xiao Luning didn't have the luxury to ponder these questions as her fragmented memories resurfaced.

'I was hit by a hover car and ended up back in the hospital,' she surmised. If not for the pain, Xiao Luning would've scoffed at her pitiful life. 'Seriously? How badly does my soul want to carry out this life for the previous owner? Another hit and still no memories? What a bummer.'

As Xiao Luning cursed her life, she gradually dozed off to sleep.

While asleep, the man received a message.

[Awake?]

The man replied: [Briefly, sir.]

[Keep watching.]

The man: [Yes, sir.]

…

It was daytime when she woke up, Xiao Luning looked around. She was in a hospital again, however, this hospital felt distinctly different from the other. It screamed luxury in every kind of sense.

The room completely focuses on the comfort of the patient. From the ambient LED lights to the interactive layer of touchscreens all over the walls of the room and the holographic display of information, this place was completely on a different level.

With one touch, a layer of wall completely opened up a portion of the wall as a window. The bed could be turned to your own preferences to enjoy the view. One could describe how beautiful the view of the cityscape was from here.

However, Xiao Luning knew she could not afford to stay here forever. She remembered that she heard a man in her stupor.

Xiao Luning looked around and saw no one.

'Did he leave?' she wondered.

Beep.

Before she could think any further, a big-built man quickly entered the room in big steps. He was tall and didn't appear too old, but she noticed something peculiar about his eyes, especially the one on the right.

'Was that another sign of the alien mixed breed?' she wondered silently.

The man walked inside and saw himself comfortably. He was wearing a black suit, much like the Men in Black.

"Awake?" the man asked.

"I..." Xiao Luning attempted to respond, but her voice failed her.

The man gazed at her, waiting. Meanwhile, Xiao Luning continued to attempt to speak several times, growing increasingly frustrated with the loss of her voice.

"Ehem," the man cleared his throat and handed her an A5 see-through glass.

"Do you know how to use this?" he asked.

Xiao Luning merely crossed her hands in the air to form an X to reply, 'No.'

The man took the A5 see-through glass and tapped a few corners, displaying a keyboard interface.

"This is a modular1. You can type here," he instructed.

Despite his intimidating appearance, the man was surprisingly gentle and accommodating. Strangely, he reminded her of a father that she never had.

Xiao Luning tapped a few keys on the screen and displayed, [Thank you.]

"You're welcome," the man replied kindly. "How do you feel right now?"

Xiao Luning typed, [Voice. Disappeared.]

"It appears so. I'll summon the doctor to examine it further," the man responded, nodding in agreement.

"Is there anything else?" the man asked.

Xiao Luning hesitated but felt the need to ask, [Me. Who?]

The man looked at the screen with a complicated expression and posed a question of his own, "Do you not know who you are?"

Xiao Luning shook her head, causing the man to sink deep into his thoughts.

Beep.

Just in the nick of time, a nurse entered the room and greeted, "You're awake."

Xiao Luning simply nodded and allowed her to carry out her tasks.

"So, how are you feeling?" the nurse asked.

Just as she was scrambling to type in a hurry, the man said, "She's lost her voice, and her memories seem to be gone as well. I noticed a discharge notification on her e-watch modular2. Can you check the records?"

The nurse, appearing slightly flustered, rushed off to verify the information. In the meantime, the man remained in the room, seemingly interacting with something in the air even though he wasn't holding an A5 modular.

Xiao Luning could only wait until the nurse returned, but luckily, the wait wasn't too long.

"She's a Jane Doe, was involved in a prior car/hit accident," the nurse reported, "with the DNA and bone structure of a 22-year-old female human. There are no records indicating that she lost her memories before this incident."

"I see," the man acknowledged.

The nurse added, "But I can't say for sure since she was transferred from the First District Hospital."

The man nodded in agreement, saying, "Got it."

"I'll fetch the doctor," the nurse said.

"Go ahead," the man replied.

As Xiao Luning watched this exchange, her concern over her situation continued to pile up. She typed, [What to do? The pay?] conveying her significant distress over the hospital bills.

The man approached her and said, "You don't need to worry about the bills here. May I ask how much you remember?"

Xiao Luning struggled to type quickly, so she used auto-suggestions to sum it up, [Woke up. Bills. Discharge. Red Hover Car. Flew Away. Woke up here.]

The man read her message and filled in the gaps, "So, you woke up in the hospital, were asked to pay the bills or get discharged, had an accident with a red hover car, found yourself flying, and then woke up in this hospital."

Xiao Luning gave him a thumbs-up. The man was perplexed by her mannerisms but returned the gesture.

While lost in thought, the man remembered something and addressed her, "My name is Hu Chengjun. I'm the personal bodyguard and assistant to the person who hit you. I can't reveal his name at the moment, but he will personally visit when you're ready for discharge."

Xiao Luning nodded. Personally, she wasn't concerned about the individual who almost killed her. All she wanted was to avoid accruing a debt in this unfamiliar place.

[How long?] she inquired.

"How long have you been here?" Hu Chengjun clarified.

Xiao Luning nodded.

"Two weeks now," he responded before sitting back to his original position.

Xiao Luning couldn't help but wonder, 'It's been two weeks, a total of three weeks, and no one has bothered to find the previous owner of this body. Is she an orphan?'

Beep.

The nurse and a doctor arrived to examine her. Given the extent of her injuries, Xiao Luning had already given up hope of regaining the previous owner's memories. She had been thoroughly battered and was even more surprised to find herself still alive.

"Her vital signs are stable, and it looked like she's already fit for a discharge," the doctor remarked, "but due to her head injury, I recommend a few more days for observation."

Hu Chengjun inquired about her memories, to which the doctor replied, "Miss, I regret to say that, given the nature of your injuries and having twice of such an accident happening, it is highly unlikely you will recover your memories anytime soon, or worse..."

The doctor didn't need to say anymore, and Xiao LuNing nodded in understanding. It was within her expectations.

"Any other questions?" the doctor asked.

Xiao Luning typed, [Medication. Long-term?]

"If you're concerned about medication costs, you don't need to worry," the doctor assured her. "This man here will cover them for you. It's legally binding. Even if you don't file a lawsuit, the country will do so on your behalf."

Xiao Luning nodded.

"As for potential long-term effects, I must be honest with you. Neither the current technology nor other planet's technology can provide a solution. You will have to look out for the side effects in the days ahead. If any issues arise related to this incident and the side effects, this man here will cover your medical expenses." The doctor provided a thorough explanation.

Xiao Luning nodded, though not with much enthusiasm. She forced a polite smile as they left.

Once alone with Hu Chengjun, they remained in silence until he suddenly got up and left. She couldn't have stopped him even if she wanted to, so she let him go about his business.

She lay there for what felt like an eternity until she heard the door open.

Beep.