The Revenge is Calling Part III

Doctor Aun felt that he got a good rest for the first time in the past week. So, he woke up to shower early this morning to offer food to monks in front of the hospital and dedicated the merit to Nurse Pia. If he didn't have to be on the shift tonight, he would wish to attend her funeral and to pay his respect to the ward colleague…

"Golf, wake up, or else we won’t make it to offer the food." Doctor Aun called his friend while combing his hair in front of the mirror. Doctor Golf grumbled in laziness but got up to shower as it was his promise yesterday evening.

The morning atmosphere in the hospital was fresh, with a cool breeze blowing gently when Doctor Aun and Doctor Golf left the medical student dormitory.

“Are you getting better, Aun?” asked Doctor Golf, yawning in exhaustion.

“Yeah… I’m much better now. Maybe it was due to the good sleep.”

“Good, then you will be able to work in your best condition. If it’s not worth remembering, don’t take it to heart.” Though his friend beat around the bush, he got it anyway. The ‘not worth remembering’ story that Doctor Golf said was certainly about Nurse Pia.

"Sh*t! I forgot my phone, wait a minute. I will go back to our room real quick."

“Hey… be fast, Golf. Or we can’t make it in time."

“I know…” The friend replied and ran straight back to the dorm, which was not too far from there. Doctor Aun went to sit and waited for his friend on the marble bench under the big tree. Sweeping his gaze around, he found some elderly people practicing Tai Chi (1) in the cement courtyard on the side of the hospital. After he had been lost in thought while watching their moves, he came to his senses when someone had already stood beside him.

“You’re back, Golf.” But when Doctor Aun turned to look, he was startled. Because the person he saw was not his friend but Nurse Ae, who was standing there with her bloodless face. Her countenance was so indifferent that she looked hostile… It was probably due to her late-night shift, together with her sleep deprivation. "Hey...Nurse Ae. Is your shift over?"

She didn't reply... but nodded.

"Then go back to rest. Yeah, did you go to Nurse Pia's funeral last night?"

Once again, she refused to answer... but nodded in affirmation with a calm face.

“I think I'm going to pay my respect to her tonight. Anything in this world is all impermanent. When it’s time, people leave before they get any chance to say goodbye. I just came to this ward a few days ago. But you, who have been with Nurse Pia for many years, must be much more heartbroken than me. Anyway, keep holding on, Nurse Ae." Doctor Aun said as Nurse Ae merely nodded back again. Seeing that, he secretly scolded her in his heart and wondered whether she could speak or not. Why did she only nod her head? This was so uncomfortable.

“I’m coming… Aun.” Doctor Golf's voice sounded as he ran gasping toward his friend. Doctor Aun took his eyes off the nurse and beckoned Doctor Golf.

“Here you are, Golf. Well, Doctor Golf and I are going to give alms for Nurse Pia. Nurse Ae, would you like to join?” He turned around to ask her. But Nurse Ae was gone already... how could she disappear so quickly, as if she could vanish in the air? “How strange… She should have told me first before she left.”

“What are you complaining about, Aun?”

“Nothing, I’ve just talked to Nurse Ae, but she suddenly disappeared. Whatever I asked, she only nodded her head." Doctor Aun grumbled as soon as he had a chance while Doctor Golf frowned and spoke to his friend.

“But I haven't seen anyone with you, Aun.”

“You might not have noticed. Hurry up...it's late."

Doctor Aun got up and led Doctor Golf to the side of the building leading to the hospital's front. Before reaching the destination, Doctor Golf spoke up and called Doctor Aun to hold on first when he noticed two police cars parked in front of the OB/GYN building. There was also a car with a sticker of a television channel parked next to them.

“Wait a minute, Aun.”

“What else? Why are you stopping me from giving alms? You are too much,” said Doctor Aun before stopping his step and looking straight to where Doctor Golf pointed out. As soon as he saw what Doctor Golf was curious about, he couldn't help but wonder too.

What happened at the OB/GYN ward? Or the police came to inquire about the death of Nurse Pia yesterday. But he gave all his statements.

“I think we should see what happened,” said Doctor Golf, to which Doctor Aun nodded in agreement. So, both of them headed to the front of the OB/GYN building. The building was now filled with police, journalists, patients, and even nurses from other wards. All were whispering in panic.

"I'll ask the nurse what happened." Doctor Aun volunteered before walking straight to Nurse Nam, who was bawling her eyes out while a nurse from another ward patted her back to console her.

“Nurse Nam…why are you crying?” asked Doctor Aun. She looked up at Doctor Aun with bloodshot eyes. Her face was chalk-white drained of color. The nurse's dress she was wearing was drenched and tainted with dried blood.

“Ae… Ae is dead.”

"What? Don't joke with me, Nurse Nam. I talked to Nurse Ae just now.” Doctor Aun chuckled softly in his throat, although his throat was dry and in the slightest in the mood to laugh.

Nurse Nam turned even paler, weeping harder until she fainted, so the nurses there gave her first aid. While Doctor Aun was standing in utter bewilderment.

He was startled again when someone's hand touched his shoulder. The young man turned to see Joke, the motorcycle rider standing there and asked.

“What happened, Joke?”

“It's very scary, Doctor Aun. Last night, when Nurse Nam came back from running errands. She found Nurse Ae lying in a pool of blood with her body torn apart. The upper body was in bed while the lower was arranged in a sitting position on the balcony of the room. The intestine was dragged away from her top half. It's terrifying. I ran up to see when her body was carried away. The image was still haunting me. It was more gruesome than Nurse Pia’s.”

The doctor's face turned pale...a lot of questions arose in his mind.

If Nurse Ae was dead... Who was the person he talked to this morning?

Was there any connection between the death of the two nurses?

Was it the young ghost named Petch who did this?

What was this all about?

Doctor Aun suddenly felt like the world was spinning... and then everything suddenly blacked out.

“Hey… Doctor Aun fainted!”

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(1) Tai Chi is a Chinese martial art that combines diaphragmatic breathing and relaxation with gentle movements together.