Chapter 26: Ward Two of the Psychiatric Hospital

Chapter 26: Ward Two of the Psychiatric Hospital

When Zhang Sanlu finally opened his eyes, still groggy and disoriented, he was greeted by a sea of white. Had he returned again? Yet the stain that should have been clearly visible on the ceiling was nowhere to be found.

“Hey, you’re awake?” An elderly man’s voice sounded beside him, growing clearer in his ears.

Zhang Sanlu squeezed his eyelids together and forced his eyes open. His left eye throbbed painfully, still unable to see, so he turned toward the source of the voice. A shaft of sunlight slipped through a gap in the curtains, scattering mottled shadows across the white walls of the ward.

In the neighboring bed lay an old man dressed in a blue-and-white hospital gown. His hair was already silvery, sparse atop his head, his face etched with the traces of years. He sat with his back slightly hunched, the backs of his hands exposed beneath his sleeves, marked with age spots and prominent veins. On the bedside table sat a half-finished glass of water, a few pills, a pair of reading glasses, and several well-thumbed magazines.

Noticing Zhang Sanlu’s gaze, the old man offered a kindly smile.

“Where am I? My eye…”

“Ah, you really scared everyone last night. Looks like you don’t remember a thing.”

“You’ve been here in Ward Two for a few days now, always quiet, just like before. You didn’t talk much, but you didn’t cause any trouble either.”

The old man sighed, picked up his water glass, and took a few gulps before continuing, “But last night, in the cafeteria, something got into you… I don’t mean anything by it, just not sure if you remember.”

He paused, as if recalling the chaos of that moment. “We were eating, and suddenly you jumped up from your seat. Your expression changed—different, furious even. You started shouting about the main course, saying this wasn’t a restaurant and the food was always mediocre, why bother with a main course? Before we could react, you grabbed the kettle off the table. Should I call the nurse for you first?”

“No need, please go on.”

“Alright, I’ll continue.” Clearly, not many people spoke to him, so having someone listen so intently made the old man quite happy.

“You lifted the kettle and slammed it hard onto Nurse Li’s shoulder, then hit Wang in the waist. He even let out a fart—haha… It sounded like thunder rumbling.”

The old man chuckled, then quickly realized he shouldn’t gloat, pursing his lips and shaking his head. “Everyone in the cafeteria was stunned—some started acting up, some shouting, some causing a commotion. A few nurses and orderlies rushed toward you.”

He shivered, as if recalling something that made his heart race. “What happened next had us all scared out of our wits.”

Zhang Sanlu sensed that the next part might explain why he had returned.

The old man continued, “You grabbed something from the tray being cleared away…” He twisted awkwardly, shivered again.

Just as he was about to go on, the door suddenly opened. “Grandpa Li, it’s time for rounds. Oh, Zhang, you’re awake? I’ll go get the doctor and nurse.” With that, the visitor turned and left.

“Grandpa Li, please continue,” Zhang Sanlu said, as if he were merely listening to someone else’s story, completely unaffected.

“Alright, where was I? Yes, you grabbed… a steel wool ball from the tray right in front of us and—actually shoved it into your own left eye. Hiss—” Grandpa Li sucked in a breath, as if the memory still pained him.

“We called the doctor right away. They gave you an injection and treated your wound. You didn’t react at all, just let them bandage you up. No more antics. We thought you’d be sent back to Ward One, but you ended up right back here. Honestly, I didn’t sleep a wink last night.”

“Thank you for your trouble, Grandpa Li.”

“Oh, no need for thanks. I don’t sleep much anyway. If anything happens at night, I’ll call the doctor for you.” Grandpa Li’s face flushed as he spoke kindly.

Just then, the door swung open again, and a middle-aged doctor with a stethoscope around his neck entered. It was Dr. Zhou, Zhang Sanlu’s attending physician. He wore a crisp white lab coat, his breast pocket stuffed with several pens.

“How are you, Zhang? Awake?”

Dr. Zhou approached the bed, smiling and nodding at Zhang Sanlu, then gently lifted his eyelid with practiced hands. A flashlight beam focused on Zhang Sanlu’s right eyeball as the doctor observed the pupil’s response to light, the color of the eye, and any abnormal spots or dilated vessels. His movements were gentle and meticulous, minimizing any discomfort. He then checked the bandages covering Zhang’s left eye.

After finishing with the eyes, Dr. Zhou signaled for Zhang Sanlu to open his mouth and shone the flashlight deep into his throat, examining for any abnormalities. He adjusted the beam repeatedly, ensuring he missed nothing.

Once the examination was complete, Dr. Zhou switched off the flashlight and slipped it back into his pocket, giving Zhang Sanlu a reassuring smile.

“Zhang, your overall physical condition is quite good. Keep it up, and you’ll move to Ward Three in no time.”

Ward Three was for patients with milder symptoms. Before discharge, everyone spent some time there for observation. Dr. Zhou’s voice was calm and full of care, putting patients at ease. Yet Zhang Sanlu keenly noticed that Dr. Zhou said nothing of last night’s incident—a detail that stirred his suspicion.

Just then, the door creaked open again, and a head adorned with a nurse’s cap and gold-rimmed glasses peeked in. Far from making her look old-fashioned, the glasses gave her a scholarly elegance and intellectual charm, perfectly framing her delicate features.

“Zhang Sanlu, you’re awake? Oh, Dr. Zhou is here too, haha…”

“Haha, Nurse Liu, you’re quite the busy one.”

“Oh, not really,” Nurse Liu replied shyly. “There are very few patients my age, so there’s a generation gap. By the way, Zhang, now that you’re alright, go out for walks, stretch your legs. You haven’t explored Ward Two yet. We all thought you’d be transferred and we wouldn’t see you again, but you recovered so quickly and moved here too!” Her name was Liu Xiaona, not yet twenty, full of youthful energy—if only her internship at the city psychiatric hospital didn’t constrain her spirit.

“Maybe later. Since I’m awake, let’s do the psychological assessment first.” Dr. Zhou took out the medical record, pulled out a pen, and began to write.

“Alright, Dr. Zhou, but let me do something first.” With that, Zhang Sanlu suddenly performed a set of radio calisthenics.

Dr. Zhou and Nurse Liu exchanged glances. But here, as long as the patient wasn’t harming themselves or others, any behavior was considered quite normal.