The next day, while William was checking up on an elderly soldier, the man sighed and spoke.
"So your friend had passed away, huh? Well, that happens to most of us. It's either you die on the battlefield or peacefully pass away at the hospital."
William stayed silent as the old man continued. "He'll be the first of many. So don't get too attached, or else you'll lose your mind here."
After a brief pause, William replied, "I'll keep that in mind."
Later in the day, Lucy approached William. "I heard Ben passed away. Will you be alright?"
"Yes."
Seeing William's empty expression, Lucy sighed. "If you ever need someone to talk to, I'll be here."
William hesitated before responding, "Thank you."
As the day passed. The monster attacks grew worse, and more soldiers were afflicted by the poison.
The hospital was overflowing with patients, forcing the end-of-life care unit to be relocated into a warehouse to accommodate all of the patients.
The nurses and helpers are also spread thin, with most of them having similar characteristics, such as dark circles under their eyes.
Days blurred into weeks, and William had already lost his sense of time, as the sleepless night and repetitive task kept grinding away at his consciousness.
Making him feel more like a robot than an actual human.
To him, sleep felt like a distant memory, while his entire world shrank into the endless task of wiping, bandaging, and recording patients' status.
"William!" At the moment, Lucy's voice cut through his foggy mind, followed by a warm hand gripping William's shoulder, pulling him back into reality.
"You look awful. You need rest. You'll collapse at this rate."
Lucy's concern was clear, but unconvincing, as she looked way worse than he did.
Yet, William, who was delusional at this point, failed to notice and just nodded and obeyed.
Dragging himself to the staff quarters, the room was packed, and the scene of people sleeping on bunks, chairs, and even the floor filled William's vision.
Without hesitation, William picked an empty spot and collapsed into sleep.
***
PAN PAN PAN
The sound of a metal bucket hitting another metal bucket sounded.
PAN PAN PAN
"Alright, everyone, get up! It's time for your shift!"
The loud banging woke up the exhausted nurses, who shot a resentful look towards the source of the sound.
"I get it, you're tired," the head nurse said. "But the patients need you. So move along now, quickly."
At the same time, the silver bracelet worn by all of the nurses lights up, including William.
Tapping on it, a holographic screen pops up, which displays all of the tasks William is responsible for that day.
So, after a couple of minutes of lounging around, William got up and went to work.
He moved through his duties—monitoring symptoms, administering pain relief, updating patient statuses, and cleaning up after the deceased.
Hours blurred together as exhaustion started to dig into his bones.
During a short break, William sat on an empty bench inside the massive warehouse, staring at the endless rows of beds. Then, his bracelet vibrated again.
New Task: Provide Counseling Support to Patient #A-4579
William's gaze lingered on the patient's records, detailing that she had one of the worst cases of poisoning, as her whole upper body had been affected.
Prognosis: Estimated life expectancy - 24 hours.
Task: Comfort her in her last moments.
Without further delay, William made his way to her section.
Behind a layer of curtains, a frail figure is resting on her bed, her upper body wrapped up like a mummy, with only the nose and mouth area open.
William approached her, intentionally making his footsteps louder.
Sitting on a chair meant for a guest, he greeted. "How are you today? I'm William, and I'll be your caretaker."
To his surprise, a cheerful, almost lively voice replied, "Ah, nice to meet you, William. I'm Zenith."
William briefly glances at Zenith before speaking, "How are you feeling today? Do you need anything?"
"No, not really. Just a little discomfort."
William, who has his pen ready to take note, paused. His gaze shifted to the blind girl in front of him.
"Really? No pain? No requests? Nothing at all?"
"Mm~ not really. Oh, but I do have a question."
And so they talked, Zenith keeping the conversation light and joyful, her voice bright without showing any hints of weakness or pain despite her condition.
Days passed, and contrary to the prognosis, Zenith survived far longer than anticipated.
During those days, William found himself changing. At first, he only listened, weighed down by the same gloom that had followed him since his banishment.
But as Zenith laughed and teased, he caught himself smiling back. For the first time since being banish to the frontlines, he felt a spark of joy, faint but real.
Whenever someone talked to her, Zenith always appeared cheerful, never looking like someone on their deathbed.
And William, though still scarred by his past, felt a spark of light break into his dark world.
Yet, the slight tremor in her fingers, the occasional tensed breath, and the stiffness in her posture did not go unnoticed by William.
One day, unable to hold back his concern, he asked,
"Doesn't it hurt?"
"Yes?"
"The poison. It makes you feel weak, gives you the sensation of constantly being burned, and keeps you in a state of nausea.
Why are you constantly fighting against it? Why put on a tough front? Why show everyone that you are fine when you are not?"
For a moment, Zenith lay still, staring at space. Then, in a half-joking voice, she responded, "What, are you talking about~ can't you see I am completely fine?"
Ignoring her sarcasm. "I have seen others struggle through the poison.
They told me how unbearable it feels—the burning, the nausea, the fog clouding their minds.
I can't imagine how much worse it is for you."
A long silence ensues before Zenith finally murmurs, unconfidently, "It's...alright. It wasn't that bad for me."
"What about your grandparents? I hear that you request not to let them know about your situation?"
"No...I just...don't think they should be worrying about me, that's all."
"You should tell them. Because this may be your last time seeing them again." William pressed on.
"No... I..." Her voice shook. "I don't…" She looked down, and her lips started to tremble.
Her fake smile slowly faded. "I don't want to die, William." A tear rolled down her face.
"I'm scared. I thought I could be brave, but now I don't know what to do. Please… I just want to live."
Tears ran down Zenith's face as she forced out the last words
William watched quietly, gently patting her shoulder as she cried .
Seeing her break down, something stirred in William's cold heart—a desire he hadn't felt since Captain Jack's beatings.
The next morning, William was confronted with Zenith's condition worsening as she lay on her bed unresponsive.
The only sign of her being alive is the beeping heart rate monitor.
Calling out to her, William was only met with weak groans and laboured breathing as a response.
Helpless, William could only cast soothing and healing spells on Zenith, which helped her regain some consciousness.
In a semi-delusional state, Zenith was able to blur out some words. "No...I can't die yet, I must hold on, I...won't leave my grandparents behind." Before falling back into unconsciousness.
Powerlessness washed over William as he stood by her side.
Clenching his fists, he made a desperate move, tapping on his bracelet. He made a call.
"Dr. Lenny, please—I need help."