The Sanatarium Star

Inside the hot springs, the air was stuffy and steamy. On the other side of the partition, Liu Huanjing could hear several couples going at it. This was a shared but partitioned hotspring. Just listening to the lewd sounds made Liu Huanjing feel nauseous. Her next door neighbours in the next partition had even spurted their jet at the partition wall, causing some strange shadows.

They had contaminated the water and her moment of relaxation. It was a good thing she had already soaked enough before they came in.

Feeling slightly overheated, Liu Huanjing got up to drop into the shared cold water pool for a few moments. At least until she noticed suspicious white stuff floating in the water after getting washed off the dripping pools of the sticky white stuff spurted here and there around the edges of the pool. In getting out, she had accidentally put her hand in some, making her want to scream in horror. And then she hurried to the showers to scrub herself clean with lots of soap.

Why couldn't couples do things in private places? Why ruin the experience for everyone else?

Liu Huanjing called a service robot over and input some feedback into its system, before collecting her things and hurrying out of what was supposed to be a gold class hot spring frequented by the elite, the super rich, super stars and other celebrities. This splurge of money had not been worth the cost for the disgusting experience she had just suffered through.

When the front desk staff cheerily told her to come again, she had hissed over the desk that she would never come again and wouldn't recommend of her friends to come here if the rutting couples and the mess the cold pool was the norm in this place.

The staff member and her companion's eyes had widened. The two colleagues had exchanged glances and one had immediately gotten up.

"We apologise for the bad experience," they said with a bow. "Would you mind if we told the manager what you have told us?"

"I'd rather not stay here any longer if possible," Liu Huanjing hissed. "I feel dirty just standing here. I'm sorry. I know it must sound bad, but it was really disgusting in there."

"Wait here a moment. I promise, I won't be long," said one of the two front desk girls.

"Was it really that bad?" the front desk girl who had greeted Liu Huanjing on her way out whispered with furrowed brows.

"Worse," Liu Huanjing wrinkled her nose. "I was even down playing it."

"Disgusting," the front desk girl jumped around, shuddering. "I never go back there because I'm always on duty at the front. Just imagining what you saw is giving me the heebie jeebies."

"Ugh, I want to throw up," Liu Huanjing muttered. "I think I need another shower."

"Toilets are just around the corner," the front desk girl suggested.

By the time Lou Huanjing returned, holding her unsettled stomach, the manager had arrived in a hurry, red faced and irritated.

"I'm sorry I took so long," she apologised and introduced herself. "I went to have a look after what you saw was reported to me. You really downplayed how bad it is in there. The smell is awful. I'm not surprised you feel sick. I do too. I've had a chat to all the couples in there and what do you know, one couple even dared to argue with me that they had the right to do whatever they wanted. Because they're VIPs, I have to get higher management involved. Please allow me to show you to a private room. It's clean. I promise. I'll have the girls bring you some snacks and a drink until higher management arrive or get back to me for your compensation."

"The compensation had better not be a gift card for another visit here," Liu Huanjing warned. "If it hadn't cost so much, I wouldn't be sticking around. I came here to treat myself after a busy period, not to be disgusted and become sick."

"I completely understand," the manager agreed smoothly. "It's our negligence and fault for not ensuring all our guests are aware that public shared spaces should be handled respectfully. Such shameless behaviour really needs to be curbed."

Liu Huanjing followed the manager and one of the front desk girls into a private overnight room that had had tubs which could be filled with the piped hot spring water. Hot spring water that could potentially be contaminated.

Liu Huanjing sat at the table there, where she was brought bottled green tea and a platter of fruits and crackers with dips. She nibbled a bit and then looking out at the pretty scenery in the small courtyard covered with greenery to make it look like a place lost in the midst of the deep forest outside the private room that contained a bed and table. The mini garden had been tastefully designed. One of the bathing tubs was also in the midst of this little garden that looked like a natural gem hidden away out of sight. While looking, Liu Huanjing fell asleep for a moment, revelling in the pretty sight and then felt a wave of fatigue roll over her.

A sharp knocking on the door was heard and she automatically woke up to allow entry. A trim looking middle aged man in a business suit hurried in, looking extremely apologetic. He introduced himself as the General Manager of the Clear Jade Retreat.

"I've heard about what happened and had a look at the mess. I'm so sorry you had to see us at our worst. I've also dealt with the relevant couples that were found contaminating the spring water. I'm sorry to have had to keep you waiting for so long. I'll have your fee fully refunded. As compensation, I can give you a free coupon for a two day, one night stay here at the Clear Jade Retreat in one of the high grade private rooms like this one. If you don't want to return here again, I can give you an equivalent coupon for another hotel in our Peridot Group. If not in our group, I can also get you a discount voucher for the Palm Leisure Resort of the Mossbank Group by the Green Jasper Lake. Unfortunately, I can't give you a free coupon stay for their resort. Just a fifty percent discount voucher. If that still doesn't suit you, I can get you an eighty percent discount coupon for a stay at our world famous Sanatarium Star that specialises in medical cuisines tailored to suit your health needs, after you have undergone a comprehensive health check up with our doctors there. There are people around the world who like to come to the Sanatarium and it's very difficult to make a booking. Our Sanatarium runs more like a specialised private hotel for people with long term health needs more so than a hospital now, but it still has all the quipment that a hospital might have. So, Miss Liu, which option would you prefer?"

The General Manager took a deep breath after his long spiel.

Liu Huanjing rubbed her heavy and dizzy feeling head for a moment, feeling a little overwhelmed by the influx of information she had just received. There was silence while she thought.

"Miss Liu," ventured the floor manager, "are you feeling unwell? You're very pale. If you don't mind..." the manager stepped forward to touch Liu Huanjing's forehead. She frowned. "You're very hot. Don't tell me our pools were really dirty after all?"

"I feel a bit dizzy," Liu Huanjing agreed. "I'll go home and have a good sleep. I should be fine after that."

After she said that, she was asked a flurry of questions going from how many days leave she had, whether she had made any plans for the next few days and whether she wanted to be seen by a doctor. It seemed like she had only blinked, and then Liu Huanjing found herself being driven in a car to the famous Sanatorium Star, a landmark in Juqing City after being reassured that since she may have fallen unwell due to exposure due to poor hygiene in the hot springs, she would be staying there free of charge until she was well, receiving a free comprehensive health checkup during her stay.

Once the car stopped at a small back entrance, she was met by a nurse in uniform with a wheelchair who wheeled her hurriedly inside to an inner clinical room where she had blood taken, basic measurements and information taken before being taken upstairs to the private room that had been prepared for her. It was a simple, homey looking apartment room with a small kitchen and a green filled balcony that had been turned into a small garden. The balcony was actually more like a greenhouse or sun room, as it had tall glass walls. However, for whatever reason, there were no windows that could be opened.

"I'm Nurse Jianing," the nurse introduced herself. "I'll be your afternoon nurse for the next few days until you recover. I heard about your experience over at the hot springs and how you've suddenly fallen sick after the visit. Your stay here is going to be fully funded by the Hot Springs, so you don't need to worry about anything. Your experience there sounded horrible. We'll be sending your blood for tests and although it's unlikely you caught an infection from your brief stay there, you did come into direct contact with someone else's body fluids, and so it's best to check and make sure you're safe. When I'm busy or not around, your room AI, Pompom will be at your service. You can ask Pompom for anything you need or even just chat with her. Pompom is a very good girl."

"To turn Pompom on, you just need to press the white button on your nurse call bell and Pompom's start up sequence will sing. If you need me, just press the green button with the picture of a nurse on it. Later, someone will come to take you for all your other health check tests. Some can be done in here, but others will require you to go to the relevant department. Someone will also come later to take your meals order for the day and ask for your food preferences, allergies or intolerances. I was just in the middle of something else when I had to go down to meet you. Please let me finish that task and then I'll be back to explain more and help with anything needed."

Liu Huanjing nodded and then put her bag away to the side. After the nurse left, she climbed into the bed and fell asleep, not waking up when people tried to call or shake her later.