Locked in syndrome

Uncle Tek was calm when he heard the news. He was expecting Ken to take action but not that soon. Mei Xin and him had another discussion the night after they found out about her identity. Mei Xin took into consideration how he had been a loyal bodyguard to Ru Ran and it would be a hole in his soul if he were to turn his back on Ru Ran because of her and she knew the meaning of loyalty. She was brought up by the orphanage that one should never bite the hand that feeds you.

He had managed to track her because they both had GPS implanted below their collarbone after agreed to be a couple. This is to allow each other to check upon one another and to profess to each other that they have no secrets between them. The team Ji Yu's gave him setup to monitor the perimeter where Mei Xin was held as a hostage. Darren was there to help out as well. He has always thought of Mei Xin like a younger sister.

In the hospital.

Ji Yu was excited that Ru Ran finally opened her eyes but soon he became worried because she could not get up or move. The doctor rushed in and after doing a routine examination he gravely said, "She is indeed awake but we need to do further test." The doctor quickly leave to make some plans. He was planning to invite a renowned neurologist. Madam Shen symptoms are mind boggling and he has reached his limits.

Ru Ran looked at her husband's haggard face. He appeared to have aged a few years and unkempt. His hair grew longer and it was in a messy state. Even moustache and some beard stubble could be seen. Seeing him in such state, caused her eyes to water and tears flowed down her bandaged cheek. She wanted to raise her hand to touch his face but she could not.

She had been unconscious for a week now but she knew the happenings around her. He had stuck by her side 24 hours. Talking to her, and the baby. He cleaned her body and without fail, he would tell her how meaningless his life would be if she left him. Shen Tong and his parents would come in everyday and try to chase him out for a breather but he refused, he told them, he wants to be the first person she sees when she wakes up.

Now that she has woken up, she can't seem to talk or move. If made her so frustrated that she rolled her eyes. She kept blinking at him. Ji Yu noticing her peculiarities. He stared at her and wiped her tears away.

"Baby, can you see me?"

He saw her trying to move her pupils up and down. He was afraid that her vision might be affected after the accident as predicted by the paramedic but he pushed away that thought because he definitely saw her bright big eyes following his movements earlier.

He then has an idea, can you blink once if yes and no if twice. He repeated his question again and observed her movements without blinking his eyes. He is afraid he might miss any minute or small movements. Ru Ran quickly blink her eyes once.

"Do you know who I am?" asked Ji Yu, this time his voice was more excited.

She blinked once again.

"Do you have any pain anywhere?" he asked.

She blinked twice. Ji Yu called the doctor in once more to inform regarding his discoveries. The doctors then got all excited and told him to wait aside.

"It seems Madam Shen has locked in syndrome but we can't seem to understand why she would have it, her previous scans were all normal. We may need to repeat another scan this time and do more tests, I have consulted a renowned neurologist and he will be coming today to check on Madam Shen. Rest assure we are doing all we can to help. Meanwhile, we can setup this retina scan machine for Madam Shen as a means of communication," said the doctor.

Soon after, a device is placed on Ru Ran's head and a screen is placed in front of her. She is sat up into a reclining wheelchair. Ji Yu made sure he was the one doing it with the instructions of the therapist and doctor. He would not allow anyone else touch her. The younger nurses who had been attending Ru Ran were all jealous of the care Ru Ran is receiving. They wished that Ji Yu would give them a glance but never once did he took any notice of any of them.

They cursed Ru Ran for surviving. Such a woman, already disfigured but her husband remained loyal. However, the older nurses with motherly instinct were more compassionate towards Ru Ran and was happy that she had found such a good quality man. Ji Yu knew the younger nurses all harboured ill intentions hence, he forbids them from coming anywhere near Ru Ran.

Ru Ran soon realised with the machine, she could use her eye as a means of communication. Her eyes scanned over the alphabets and blinking akin to enter on the keyboard.

The first thing she typed was "Yu, sorry." while tears streamed down her face.

Ji Yu quickly knelt down and wipes her tears gently.

"Sorry, it is me who is useless and failed to protect you and our baby. As long as you are alive, that is all it matters, we will find a way to get a cure. Even if you don't, I will never leave you, in this lifetime, next lifetime, or previous lifetime, there can only be you," said Ji Yu. He then kissed her fingers, forehead and lips.

The doctors and nurses all retreated to give them privacy. Some nurses had tears in their eyes, in this lifetime, to be able to hear such words if not even for them, is already such a fortune, to know that another woman has such fortune. The younger nurses who heard such things from the older nurses could only feel a pity for such man and some of them already envisioned themselves as the next Madam Shen. Which man can resist a beauty when the wife is a living vegetable?