My Mr. Mermaid

Untitled Part 54

Chapter 54 by ryuxenji

Yun Duo thought that Lin Zi might take her to a graveyard of some sort to visit his younger sister. After all, every time he mentioned her, he was always in a depressed mood. Unexpectedly, he brought her to a hospital.

A quiet hospital, a white ward, like the deepest depths of a silent snowfield. As soon as Yun Duo stepped foot into the spacious and bright ward, she saw the person laying on the bed.

Her features were exactly like that in the photo in Lin Zi's handphone, but she was much thinner, and her complexion was pale with almost no colour at all in her cheeks.

Her eyes were closed, her expression serene, as if she were in a deep sleep. However, Yun Duo felt that she might not really be sleeping. Or perhaps, it should be said that she might always be sleeping like this, never waking.

Yun Duo glanced at Lin Zi. His expression was calm, but the sadness in his eyes could not be concealed. He said, "It's been four years."

Yun Duo felt a little sad. Such a young and pretty girl should have been fussed over and treasured like a pearl in hand; she should have been living a vibrant and wanton life. But now, she was lying here, forever unable to open her eyes, as good as dead.

Yun Duo placed her hand on Lin Zi's shoulder and patted him gently. She did not know how to comfort him; this matter was truly too heavy a burden.

Yun Duo had always thought that ending up in a vegetative state was much more deeply and profoundly painful to a person's family than dying outright. Death signified an end — it was a grievous wound, but time would heal it. In contrast, lying here like this, not alive yet not dead, the hope of ever waking up again was so very slim. Each day brought disappointment, each disappointment brought turmoil... this pain was neverending.

She could not help but feel sad for Lin Zi. Her eyes turned red.

Lin Zi sighed. He sat by the hospital bed and held onto his little sister's hand, and said softly, "Sang, I've come to see you."

Yun Duo thought, 'So his little sister is called Lin Sang?'

Lin Zi continued to say, "Sang, let me introduce you. This is Yun Duo."

Yun Duo waved at her. "Hello, Sang."

Lin Zi smiled at Yun Duo. "She's older than you, you can call her big sister Sang."

"Oh. Big sister Sang."

Lin Sang continued to lie motionless on her bed, not reacting at all to the lively interaction between the other two occupants of her room.

Lin Zi said to Yun Duo, "Sang used to be a chatterbox."

Yun Duo could not bear to look any further. Eyes wet, she said, "Big sis Sang will wake up someday. When that time comes, you'd better not find her a bother."

As soon as she said this, even she was in disbelief over what she had just said.

Lin Zi nodded. "Thank you. Yun Duo, I want to tell Sang some things."

"Okay. I'll wait for you outside," said Yun Duo, and she turned to leave.

In that instant as she turned around, she inadvertently glanced at the clasped hands of the two siblings. On Lin Sang's pale and delicate wrist was a thick and heavy scar.

After Yun Duo left the room, Lin Zi held onto Lin Sang's hand and asked her softly, "Sang, what do you think of Yun Duo?"

The silent sleeping beauty remained unmoved.

Lin Zi smiled. "You used to urge me to find you a sister-in-law. Now I've brought the person I like before you, won't you open your eyes to see her? Please?"