[ At the hospital đ„ ]
"Ugh"
Damien slowly opened his eyes.
"You're awake? Are you okay?" Mike asked, his voice thick with concern.
"I'm fine..." Damien looked around.
"Is this a hospital?"
"Yes, don't worry. This isn't some secret lab I set up to sell your organs," Mike said with a reassuring smile.
Initially afraid, Damien still managed to ask
"What's your name, and where am I?"
Shouldn't he be telling me his name first? Mike thought to himself.
Mike remained silent for a moment.
"Oh, you can call me Damien."
"Oh, you remember your name?"
"Yes, I do. What's yours?"
"Oh, you can call me Mike... Mike Miller."
"Oh..."
A tense silence fell between them until a nurse approached.
"Patient, could you please give us your IC (Identification Card)? Your name and other details?"
"Oh, I already lost it" Damien replied.
"Huh?" The nurse looked confused.
Suddenly, a voice boomed in Damien's head
[ CHECK YOUR POCKET, MISTER! ]
"HUH?! SYSTEM?" Damien exclaimed, startling the nurse.
"WHAT? Pardon me?" the nurse asked.
"Wait, let me check my pocket," Damien said, patting his trousers.
"EHHH! It IS here, Nurse!"
"OHH."
Damien handed over the card. [INFORMATION CARD]
> NAME: DAMIEN TERRA
> YEAR OF BIRTH: 200X
> PLACE OF BIRTH: XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
> IC NUMBER: 789 007 79054
"Thank you. Please rest well" the nurse instructed.
"Alright"
Mike leaned in closer to Damien. "Hey, are you 16 years old?"
"Yeah... why?"
"Me too! I'm 16 as well," Mike said, a genuine smile spreading across his face.
"Hey, did you just move here? I've never seen you around."
"Yeah... kind of like that"
"Oh. So how exactly did you end up inside that huge trash compactor?"
"Oh, Iâ" Damien suddenly remembered the skateboard inside the bin.
"Ah! My skateboard!"
"Skateboard?"
"I was riding it, and I fell in"
"Oh... But then why did you say, 'Why am YOU still alive?'"
"Oh, that... I was just kidding!"
"Oh..."
Silence returned. Then, Damien broke it.
"Where are my shirt & pant?"
"They're being washed at the laundry."
"Ohhh!"
Damien immediately sat up, pulled the IV out of his arm, and dashed towards the laundry room.
Mike's eyes widened in disbelief. "Hey, Damien! Wait for me!"
{ At the Laundry Room đ§Œ }
"Where are my clothes?" Damien asked the attendant.
"The ones in washing machine number 36" the attendant replied.
Damien quickly pulled out his dry clothes.
"Are those clothes that precious to you?" Mike asked, catching up.
"Yes. They are valuable," Damien confirmed.
"Are they from your mom?"
"No. They were given to me by my ex-best friend."
"Ex-best friend? Why 'ex'?"
"Because he's dead"
"Oh, I'm so sorry"
"It's okay. I'm not mad"
Mike smiled. He understood Damien, as he also treasured items given to him by others.
"Mike... where is the pawn shop?"
Damien asked abruptly.
"Huh? What?"
"The pawn shop"
"What?! You want to pawn something?" Mike was baffled.
"This shirt"
"Huh???????????!!!!"
"Just tell me where it is, quickly"
"It's right behind the hospital"
"Such a strategic place HAHAHA" Damien muttered.
"Huh?" Mike was utterly confused.
To be continued