CHAPTER - 9 Neil's Discharge And The Familiar Coincidence
CHAPTER 9
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"Wait, what!?" Neil jolted at this strange surprise. Although the book had behaved in such a strange manner earlier as if it was foretelling the future, it never had done something like taking or asking him questions.
"You could talk?" He asked.
Many times in the past the book wrote about Neil in mocking or sarcastic tone as if it had some sort of persona.
And thinking of such a possibility Neil had many times tried to talk to the book, but it never replied.
Yet it did, Now.
--"How do you know?-- the book wrote again, startling Neil once more, as if answering to Neil's previous question.
"What do you mean 'how do you know?' Of course, I know! I could feel iit. Are you dumb? asking me such a question?" Neil replied in confusion.
-- "Of Course I can talk, Why are you behaving strange? "-- It wrote again.
"I am behaving strangely?, it's you whose strange and creepy"
--"You are the one who's dumbest, creepiest and strangest."--
"What—" But just as he was about to reply, a nurse came into the room. "Mr. Neil—"
"What?" she asked, hearing what Neil had just blurted out.
"Ah—nothing," Neil said, embarrassed, as he put his hands over the book.
"What a weirdo," she said softly before continuing, "Anyway, here, please fill out the details in this."
"Huh?" Neil asked, confused, as he looked at her.
"Our hospital, part of the KC Group, has decided to give relief aid in the form of money to the victims of this accident. So, as one of the victims, you need to fill out this form to claim it." She said holding out a clipboard
Neil blinked "Huh?"
"Our hospital, part of the KC Group, is offering relief aid to the victims of the Sub-lane 1 accident. As a victim, you qualify to claim it. This is the paperwork." She repeated again with annoyance and anger, she seems really frustrated by his behavior now.
Neil frowned, narrowing his eyes. "Wait, hold on. The KC Group? That massive company? They're just giving away money to the victims? For free?" He said, with his usual skepticism. "This isn't some scam, right?"
Neil had really poked the balloon now, fuming with frustration the nurse said "Scan?, You're lying in this hospital bed funded by them, this hospital is just a side branch of the KC-Group"
"Do you think they'd need to run a scam here?, it's a part of their gentle gesture and sympathy towards the victims, a community relief initiative. Now, if you'll please-" She said, seething her teeth, forwarding the clipboard.
Neil rubbed the back of his neck, still unconvinced. "I mean, I guess…But why would they care? Big companies don't just throw money around unless there's something in it for them.
"Are they getting some tax benefits or what?" He asked again, unable to stop himself.
<"Clench"> "Phew" The nurse took a deep breath and continued "I don't know, Mr.NEIL. I'm not the CEO of the KC-Group, nor do I write their policies, I'm just here to give you this form. Take it or leave it.
Neil stared at the form in her hand. He still wasn't fully convinced, but then again, only someone stupid would refuse a chance of free money
"Okay, fine," He said, finally giving up on further questions, Taking the clipboard.
The nurse explained the paperwork to him and left as soon as she could, no longer wanting to stay any further.
After the nurse left him alone with the form, he closed the book lying under his elbows and put it back into the book.
He held the clipboard in his hands, staring at the papers as if they might suddenly explode. His pen hovered over the first blank space for his name, he was reading it as carefully as he could.
Maybe cause of the bitter experience he had in his life, he had to go to prison over something similar.
He shook his head, snapping himself out of his thoughts. "No point overthinking it,". "At the end of the day, if it gets my hospital bills paid, who cares why they're doing it?"
"I should at least thank them for it I guess, hehe" He said, laughing softly.
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"The heir of the KC Group, Mr. Rahul KC, has promised a relief fund to the victims of the 'Sub-lane 1' tragic accident. What are your thoughts on this, Mr. Mitrole?" the anchor asked the person sitting next to her.
"Yes, you are absolutely right. And that's what we expect from the young generation of ours. It clearly indicates how well Mr. Rahul has done this time—a true heir befitting the CEO of the KC Group," the middle-aged professor, Mr. Mitrole, said.
"Of course, you are right, Mr. Mitrole. It's been a week, and not even the local government has come up with an answer to this incident. Compensating the victims seems like a far-off dream—"
"Ethical values, my foot.,They're probably just trying to make themselves look good after some scandal." Neil said, snorting as he muted the TV.
"I would never believe that there could be anyone this kind to help others without expecting any gain from all this" He said, but soon the faces of the taxi driver came to his mind.
"Well he is an exception, Anyway, I think I should get discharged today, or all the relief money I've received will go toward medical expenses. I don't even have a job right now. At least with this money, I can pay off the bills," Neil said to himself as he pressed a button on the side table.
After a bit, the same nurse—the one with brown hair—came in. "Yes, Mr. Neil, how can I help you now?" she asked sarcastically.
"Could you please prepare my discharge papers? I want to be discharged," he replied.
"What? Mr. Neil, your wounds haven't recovered yet, and it's really risky to get discharged this early. The doctor has also prescribed you at least a month's rest. It's already a miracle that you could wake up and recover this much within a week."
"I know, but I have my own circumstances, so please."
Sigh "Let me call the doctor. I can't do that for you until the doctor has finalized your discharge," she replied with a confused face.
"It's not like I could tell them about my financial situation. I can only make this excuse," Neil thought as the nurse left to call the doctor.
A bit later, the doctor came in with a file and some X-ray reports in hand. "Mr. Neil, you want to be discharged?" he asked.
"Yes, sir. I can no longer delay and keep resisting in the hospital bed," Neil replied.
"But, sir, you haven't even recovered much. If your body is strained even a little, the wounds could reopen. As a doctor, I absolutely can't allow that."
Listening to the doctor's advice, Neil thought about it and replied, "I am sorry, but please try to understand that I can't stay here any longer. It's very important for me to go."
Sigh "Okay, but I have to do some tests. If their reports aren't good, I won't let you go," the doctor said, asking the nurse beside him to prepare for the tests.
"Okay," Neil agreed. First, he didn't want to make things any harder for the staff than he already had. Second, he didn't seem to have much of a choice in this.
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"Hmm, Mr. Neil, the X-ray reports are normal, and your MRI reports are also normal. Although, when you first arrived, seeing the wounds on your skull and abdomen, we thought there might be injuries to the brain and intestine. But except for the rupture of the skin, there wasn't any."
"I think you can be discharged now. But remember—don't let any strain come to your body, or the wounds might reopen. And this time, there might be some internal bleeding," the doctor said with a smile as he advised him further about his condition.
"Yes, doctor," Neil replied.
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After Neil's discharge papers were ready and the procedure was complete, a small hospital ambulance was arranged to drop him off at his address.
"Hello , Could you please wait a bit here? I have to go to the temple. I'll be quick," Neil asked the ambulance driver and got out as the driver nodded with a smile in response.
It was a small shrine-like temple made of white marble—a single building with a small flower garden around it.
Some small vendors had set up stands outside, selling garlands of flowers, vermillion, sandalwood, and other miscellaneous items used for praying.
"Mom always said these four years would bring bad luck to me. Seems like she was right somewhere. I don't have much faith in all these superstitions of hers, but she said I should pray to God Yama. Maybe my life will have a better chance if I do this."
Neil's mother usually believed in horoscopes and superstitions, while he didn't have much faith in them. He believed that determination and hard work were all one needed to improve life.
But now, he started having doubts about that belief. He was hardworking and determined, yet no good things had happened to him recently.
Neil bought a garland, vermillion, a cotton wick, and a small mud diya. He removed his slippers outside the temple and entered barefoot.
After praying in front of the idol of God Yama by lighting the diya and offering the garland at the idol of God Yama, he turned toward the Pandit and received prasad in a paper bag he was given earlier. Exiting the temple, he walked backward slowly, still facing the idol.
"Here," Neil said, offering some prasad to the driver. The driver took it with both hands and ate it after making a prayer gesture.
The ambulance then drove to Neil's apartment building and dropped him off. Neil thanked the driver and headed inside.
"Phew, it feels nice to be home," he said, putting his bag on the drawer near the shoe rack. He lay down on the bed and covered himself with a warm mattress.
As he lay there, he thought about everything that had happened, but his head began to hurt. He stopped thinking too much and, without noticing, fell asleep.
In the evening, Neil woke up again, took a hot shower, changed his clothes, and made a cup of tea. While sipping it, he noticed the packet of prasad he had received from the temple.
"Umm, let's offer some to the neighbors too," Neil thought. After finishing his tea, he headed out to offer the prasad to the next-door neighbors.
Knock-knock. He knocked on the door to the left of his apartment and waited, but no one came.
"Does no one live here? Whatever. Let's offer some to the grandma next door."
With that, he knocked on the door of the apartment to the right. Knock-knock. But no one came.
"Hmm? Is she not here?" he thought, knocking again. Knock-
Suddenly, the door opened, and a familiar voice spoke.
"Who is so impatient? Can't you see I'm coming?" The voice sounded annoyed and angry.
"Umm, I visited the Kalagram Temple. Here is some prasad—" Neil took out a handful from the packet.
But suddenly, the familiar voice stopped him.
"You?" The young woman with brown hair looked surprised.
She was the nurse who had been in charge of Neil at the hospital.
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DICTIONARY
Vermillion - A red colour (powder) {calling it powder may seems rude as it's a very important component for praying in a temple }
Mud-Diya - It's a small container, made with mud, in it clarified butter is put on top of a cotton wick and then the wick is lighted up, it's used in a praying ritual
Cotton Wick - a small drop like shape made by cotton, it is putting in the Mud diya, also used in praying ritual
Pandit - A priest, {but using the word priest seems bit catholic cause Pandits are another term used to call the priest present in a Temple}
Prasad - A food, mainly it's made of gram flour, and is used in offerings for the gods in temple, which is then distributed/offer among neighbours, or family people or stranger as a short of blessing to them and for oneself