*
Beep. Beep. Beep.
In a tranquil hospital room, there was no other sound, except the constant beeping of the medical equipment. It was mechanical and stable. But that only served to make the atmosphere gloomy and miserable.
Weston pushed open the door and walked in. He was wearing sports clothes and had a hamper in his hand. He looked at his wife, who was sleeping peacefully on her bed. He put down the hamper and stared at her. Wing had been in a coma for almost two years now. It was like a fairy tale story, where the beautiful princess had accidentally eaten the poisonous apple. But the difference was that her prince couldn't wake her up with his kiss. Weston breathed a deep sigh of disappointment.
Each time he came back to her room, he hoped dearly that he would see a different scene from the day before. Every time he opened the door to her room, he hoped to see Wing sitting on her bed, her deep blue eyes wide open. And when she saw him, she would give him her biggest smile and say, 'Weston, I am back.'
But that was just his delusion. She lay on her bed, unconscious, every time he came to visit her. "Wing, you have slept for two years!" He muttered, his voice laced with passionate care and love. He grabbed a chair and sat down next to her bed. He put the hamper on his lap, and took out Wing's favorite food from it. "You haven't had a morsel of your favorite food in two years. Aren't you craving for some of this?" As he opened the food box, he faked a wicked smile. Then he moved it closer to her nose and said, "Come on, get a whiff of that. Guess what I have brought for you."
There was no answer. But Weston was used to the silence by now. He kept his calm tone and continued, "You are a such a foodie. You should be able to say what it is from the delicious smell. That is your favorite curry fish ball." Weston picked one fish ball with his chopstick and put it into his mouth. He said, "Hmm.. This is so yummy!" The fish ball was bouncy and juicy, and sounded mouthwatering as Weston munched on it. "Wing, this fish ball is so good. I found this store on a narrow street across the hospital yesterday. The store owner is a lady from Hong Kong, and the place is pretty popular. There's always a long line of people outside her shop. I reserved this order for you in advance. She didn't agree at first to reserve an order. But after I told her that it was for my sick wife, she agreed and wished you quick recovery. She even gave me two extra fish balls." As he talked, the excitement in his voice subsided gradually. A feeling of loss and complete misery took over his heart. The light in his eyes had started to disappear slowly. He looked at Wing's peaceful face and said in a low voice, "Wing, please wake up. My life has become meaningless without you. There's no color in my days now, everything is just black and white. It is depressing to live in a world where you are not awake."
His voice broke and his throat had become dry. He wanted to cry out loud, but he controlled the impulse. He put the food aside and grabbed Wing's hand. Her tender hand fit in his perfectly. Two years without her felt like two centuries. He believed that Wing was still around, and that she would surely wake up. But the endless wait was driving him crazy. He did not know how long he would last before he broke apart completely.
Weston lowered his head to touch her hand with his forehead. He gnashed his teeth to keep in his emotions. He tried to conceal the pressure and take it easy. But it was hard because Wing might die any minute and he wouldn't be able to bear it.
While he was immersed in his prodigious sorrow, the door opened silently. He heard footsteps entering the room. Weston took a deep breath and pulled himself together before looking at the people in the room.
"Mom? Dad?" He was surprised to see Richie and Shirley at the hospital. He wasn't expecting them. He lay down Wing's hand softly back on the bed and stood up, "I had no idea you were coming. Did you have your meal?" he asked in a tender voice.
"We had it in the plane," Shirley replied with a faint smile. Then she shifted her gaze to the food on the bedside table. "I remember that you don't like fish ball. It is Wing's favorite. You don't have to do this," she said softly.
"I always hope that she would be attracted by the smell of it and wake up." Weston fought to hide his emotions in front of them, but in vain.
Richie sat on the edge of the bed and touched Wing's cheek with his rough fingers. For the past two years, his daughter, who used to be cheerful and outgoing, had been in the hospital as if in an eternal sleep. He said in a low voice as he kept his eyes on her, "I had a conversation with the doctor," he turned around to face Weston, "He said that if Wing fails to wake up in the next three months, she might suffer due to lack of oxygen in her brain. It might not end well for her. She might lose the battle."
Weston nodded in reply. He felt useless. He could not find a way to wake her up in the last two years. And now, the situation was getting worse.
Shirley's face had turned extremely pensive. She gazed at Wing for a while without a word. Then she patted Weston and asked, "I need to buy something. Would you care to join me?"
"Of course," he replied. Since Richie was watching over Wing, he left the room with Shirley. He knew that she must have something to say to him and buying something was just an excuse to get him away from the room.
In the room, Richie continued to stare at his comatose daughter. Then he spoke in a hoarse voice, "If sleeping your life away solved all your problem, I would keep in this state forever. But that is not what you wish for, is it? You are the flesh and blood of the Long Family. You have to wake up and face your problems head on. Do you understand, Wing? You are my daughter. You are a strong girl." Wing did not respond. The sound of the equipment overwhelmed the room. He rubbed her hand incessantly. He lowered his eyes and withdrew the sharpness in his gaze, "Do you know how much trouble you have caused by being in this comatose state?"
His voice was that of a stringent father. Meanwhile, outside the hospital, Shirley and Weston walked along the green path in an awkward silence.
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