The Abyssal Garden: No Room for the Idle

[Room 3 housed a little boy who loved to draw, but the things he drew were quite frightening. Some people saw that his room's walls were covered in red at night, but by the next day, it would disappear, likely an illusion.]

[Room 5....]

Su Qi paused slightly.

How did it jump directly to room 5?

He looked closely; there seemed to be no record of room 4.

That's not right.

The pages seemed to have traces of being torn out.

Su Qi silently noted down the details of room 4 and continued reading.

[Room 5... houses a highly educated patient with a mental disorder. His knowledge is extensive, often saying strange things and exhibiting bizarre behaviors. After interacting with him, I distinctly feel the fatigue on a mental level!]

"It seems that the patient in room 5 has put a great deal of pressure on the attending doctor, resentment can be felt between the lines."

[These are all the rooms on the top floor, all of which were under my care... as Doctor Doli.]

Su Qi read the recorded text: "It seems this is the private ward on the top floor... just five rooms."

And there was one last sentence in the journal.

[Hey! New intern assistant! I have to leave today. Although it's your first day here, I'm leaving today's procedures in your hands!... Of course, if you have any questions, just ask the caretaker, though that guy might be a bit peculiar. But remember, you are now the attending doctor, he can't afford any delay in patient care.]

Su Qi nodded.

It looked like the new intern assistant was himself....

Alright, alright, alright.

How accurately you've seen me, how did you know I am a generation of divine doctor, especially good at treating diseases.

Although... I'm not clear why I am here rather than the so-called Anxious Land or the Gods Palace, but since I'm here, I might as well make the ticket money worthwhile.

Su Qi held the journal in his hand and then donned a white lab coat.

Inside the white lab coat... in addition to the journal, there was a room card and a stethoscope, the room card would allow him to enter other patient rooms.

As he hung the stethoscope around his neck.

The door outside was suddenly pushed open forcefully, a figure in light-colored uniform entered, a middle-aged man with slicked-back hair, who after looking at Su Qi for a few seconds.

He didn't seem surprised by the arrival of a new assistant, though they hadn't met before.

The caretaker said gravely, "New intern assistant, what are you sitting around here for? It's time to make rounds."

Su Qi didn't move, "No rush, I have checked their conditions; they won't die anytime soon."

Caretaker: "?"

Su Qi closed the journal: "As the new assistant on the first day, I really don't know any of the procedures yet, could you please explain them in detail?"

No procedures were written in the journal.

Although unaware of what exactly this hospital's situation was, Su Qi felt it was probably fraught with dangers.

Take the current room, for instance.

Though empty, it seemed all the information was in this white lab coat, but in reality... the strong smell of disinfectant, and the windowless walls bore various traces.

And the last sentence written in the journal, it seemed to have been written a long while ago.

In other words.

That meant the patients, and instructions were never changed, but only the assistants were frequently replaced.

"How did I ever interview to get here," mused Su Qi.

And more importantly.

The caretaker before him, dressed in cleaning overalls with black boots, held a mop in hand, the splattered liquid unclear, but the question mark told Su Qi.

That it was traces of blood.

Yet at this moment the caretaker was not cooperative, his voice hoarse, "I... can tell you, but at the same time, I need you to do something."

Su Qi, however, didn't immediately agree and said puzzledly, "But Doctor Doli instructed that now as the attending physician, I have the right to know all the procedures without needing additional tasks."

"...." The caretaker also faced Su Qi, "If you want to know everything..."

Su Qi looked at him.

This person before him seemed to have vast information, so far he hadn't brushed up any questions related to the procedures, but rather...

[He just finished cleaning the lower floors of the hospital.]

[He dislikes sunlight.]

[He seems to have a low opinion of you.]

I'm just an intern, what have I done to offend you?

"Okay, then tell me what it is you need my help with."

The orderly gently began, "It's a simple task, just… help me clean these items and put them back in the storage room."

He pointed at his mop.

"I'm tired now, I want to go back to the rest area and take a break."

Su Qi naturally knew that there must be danger involved, as anything worth getting comes at a cost.

He smiled, "Okay, I agree..."

The orderly in front of him obviously wasn't dealing with a new intern assistant for the first time; his words were like those of an NPC, carrying a numb emotion.

The orderly nodded calmly,

"Then I'll now tell you the process; you'd better listen carefully."

"You need to check on five rooms, then probe their illnesses for today and, based on the conditions, get the relevant medications from the pharmacy on the first floor, and then find me... I will examine them and administer the medication."

"Also, pay attention to three things," the orderly looked at Su Qi.

"Do not tamper with hazardous items in the wards, do not mess up the medications... and also... do not linger too long outside this floor."

Su Qi paused, "...Your cautions are very useful."

It was as if nothing had been said.

Aren't these all common sense? It also didn't say how long is considered too long.

"Storage room?" Su Qi asked.

The orderly calmly looked at Su Qi, "On the second floor... find it yourself, I'm already too tired to talk anymore."

He placed the mop by the door, then opened the opposite door and walked in.

It seemed his resting room was right across.

Su Qi watched silently as the door gently closed, bringing with it a squeaky, grating noise, but it wasn't noisy; it seemed to also be mindful of not disturbing other patients in the ward.

For a moment,

the entire office and the corridor fell into silence.

"It seems, this hospital now... is no longer managing to make ends meet, all the processes damned piled on one person."

"I can also understand why that guy named Doli ran away..."

He picked up the mop, looked at it—it clearly had bloodstains, although washed, it wasn't very clean.

Su Qi was not in a hurry... he put it back.

Now,

the most important thing was to check the rooms.

Su Qi walked into the hallway.

The corridor was a straight long path, without any windows, just as he had imagined. The only light source was a small lamp in the middle of the corridor.

"This kind of hospital, damned, uses a card to open the door."

After not seeing any other information in the office, Su Qi took the card and put on a stethoscope.

"Doctor Buxian, ready to make the rounds."

He walked about ten steps and reached Room One.

Generally, hospital room doors have a transparent glass space for observation, allowing doctors or nurses to know the condition of the patients inside without entering.

But,

the glass on the door was covered with layer upon layer of newspapers, completely obscuring any view inside.

And... although the door was tightly sealed,

Su Qi could still hear the intense, continuous coughing from inside, as if trying to cough up the lungs entirely, very painful and quite ridiculous.

"...This intensity, like an engine."

"It seems... all these patients in the wards are extremely ill."

Su Qi took the room card, gently touched it to the door lock.

"Fortunately, I am a professional attending physician."

He pushed open the loose door with a smile,

"Hello, the great Doctor Buxian, here to make the rounds."