"Hey! Wake up, princess. Nobody has time for you to sleep."
The sharp voice of a middle-aged woman sounded, which was followed by a pillow slamming into William's face, smothering him.
William groaned and pushed away the pillow, only to meet the stern gaze of the nurse standing before him.
Her greying hair was tied in a messy bun, and the wrinkles on her face spoke of years of experience. Her uniform, distinct from the others, marked her as the head nurse.
Without warning, she grabbed William by the collar and yanked him out of bed with surprising strength.
"Come on, boy. Follow me. I still have a lot of work to do."
Flustered, William quickly steadied himself and followed the nurse out of the ward.
"Where are we going?" William intuitively asks
"I am taking you to do a body check, then, as per Dr. Lenny's recommendation, you will be assigned to the End-of-Life Care Unit."
"The End-of-Life Care Unit?"
"Yes, you will learn more about it once you get there."
As they walk, many doctors and nurses can be seen hastily passing by. Some of them have pale expressions, while others have gaunt red eyes.
"The hospital seems more busy than usual," William offhandedly commended.
"Well, of course, there was a large monster siege last night, naturally, the hospital will be busier."
Slightly surprised by the indifferent tone, William inquired. "Is this a common occurrence?"
"Well, yes. But don't worry, you will quickly get used to it."
"I see..." Giving the exhausted doctors and nurses a last glance, William continues to walk.
Arriving at the room lined with multiple capsules, big enough to fit an adult.
Many white robes patient can be seen lying in the capsules, accompanied by their respective nurses.
The head nurse gestured to a vacant capsule. "Alright, boy. Lie down."
Already familiar with the process, William lay down directly in the transparent capsule. The next moment, blue gas filled the chamber, bathing his body in a calm and soothing cloud of smoke.
After a couple of minutes, the scan was completed, and the head nurse read the result with an amused expression.
"Oh, you've got a pretty good talent for mana. You'll do great as a mana battery."
The nurse grinned sinisterly, but before William could ask any questions, she tossed him a set of clothes.
"Get changed."
Once dressed, the head nurse led William elsewhere.
"Listen up, boy. You'll be assigned to care for soldiers on their deathbeds. So, I hope your noble pride won't be hurt too much."
"I see," William responded plaintly
After a couple of twists and turns, they finally arrived at the new wardroom and before opening the door, the nurse glanced towards William commenting, "Better prepared yourself, kid."
Upon entering the room, William was greeted by rows of bedridden soldiers, heavily wrapped in bandages, some were hooked to life-support machines, while others had a few missing limbs.
However, the one thing that all the soldiers had in common was patches of discolored, necrotic skin, riddled with deep, cracked fissures that oozed blackened pus, reeking of death and decay.
Moans of pain filled the air. Some soldiers writhed in agony, while others lay still, their labored breathing the only sign of life. The atmosphere was grim to say the very least.
Unfazed by the scene, the head nurse approached another nurse dressed in pure white robes, resembling a nun more than a nurse.
"Good morning, Miss Catherine. What brings you here today?" the nun-like nurse greeted.
Catherine handed over a file. "Lucy, I have a newbie for you. Please take care of him."
"A new recruit? How lovely. We could use all the help we can get." Lucy glanced briefly at William and smiled warmly at him.
"Just so you know, he's a noble, so he's an absolute idiot when it comes to helping people," Catherine whispered before turning to leave.
"I'll leave him in your hands now. Do whatever you want with him." With that, Catherine left the room.
William was still standing at the side, looking at the soldiers with a dazed expression.
"Shocking, isn't it?" Lucy's voice snaps William out of his trance.
"..."
"These soldiers are in their final moments. Our job is to accompany them at the end of their lives." Lucy spoke with a sorrowful yet composed expression.
William remained silent for a bit before asking, "Is it related to the dark patches all of them have on their bodies?"
"Yes, during last night's monster siege, a poison-spitting creature suddenly appeared. It used a new kind of poison we'd never encountered before. Those patches on the soldiers? They're a direct result of its venom."
"Unfortunately, we don't have a cure for the poison yet. The most we can do is slow the spread and ease their suffering."
"By the way, I am Lucy Solona, in charge of the End-of-Life Care Unit. It's a pleasure to meet you." Lucy invitingly stretched out her hand.
"William Stormholde. A pleasure to meet you too," William responded in kind.
Nodding approvingly, Lucy said, "Come now, let me show you what you'll be responsible for."
As the days passed, William adapted quickly to his new role—assisting soldiers with their daily needs, listening to their sorrows and regrets, and fulfilling some of their final requests.
Among them, one soldier who looks as young as William speaks to William the most.
"Hey… William…"
"Yes, Ben?"
"Have you ever fallen in love before?"
William hesitated. "Yes."
"Oh… and have you ever pursued her?"
"No."
Ben chuckled weakly. "Yeah… it'd be like that."
Lying on his bed, he sighed. "There was a girl I had loved since childhood. But I was always too afraid to confess my feelings to her."
"I kept making excuses. 'Once I do this, once I do that, I'll go after her.' But now look at me—lying here, waiting for death. Pathetic, isn't it?"
"If I had been brave enough back then… maybe things would be different. Maybe I wouldn't be here."
Ben's eyes were covered by a thick layer of bandages, as discoloration and deep scars can be seen spreading out underneath the bandages.
His body was thin and frail as if all of the nutrients had been drained from his body, looking more like an old man rather than a young adult.
William, who was doing some minor checkups, just listened in silence without responding.
As time passed, Ben kept pestering William with menial things.
"Hey, what does the main capital look like, William?"
"Must be nice to be rich, huh, William?"
"Is there any nurse that caught your eye, William?"
Until one day, "Hey William, what do you think the afterlife is like?"
Pausing slightly due to the serious question, William responded detachedly, "Maybe…eternal darkness."
Ben chuckled weakly. "Then it would be no different from now, except the pain."
Lying back on his bed, Ben murmured to himself, "That's… probably for the best."
William stood up. "I have more tasks to do. You should rest."
"Yeah."
That night, during William's might shift, in the corner of his eyes he saw Ben's cubicles had glowed red.
"Ben?" William instinctively asks
Opening the privacy curtain, William was met with Ben sleeping soundly on his bed, but the heart rate monitor said otherwise, it had flatlined.
For a moment, William just stood there, staring at the lifeless body of Ben, his thoughts unknown.
Then he murmured a quiet blessing. "May you rest in peace."
With that, he called for the nurses and arranged for Ben's body to be taken away.
***
The next day, while William was checking up on an elderly soldier, the man sighed and spoke.
"So your friend had passed away, huh? Well, that happens to most of us. It's either you die on the battlefield or peacefully pass away at the hospital."
William stayed silent as the old man continued. "He'll be the first of many. So don't get too attached, or else you'll lose your mind here."
After a brief pause, William replied, "I'll keep that in mind."
Later in the day, Lucy approached William. "I heard Ben passed away. Will you be alright?"
"Yes."
Seeing William's empty expression, Lucy sighed. "If you ever need someone to talk to, I'll be here."
William hesitated before responding, "Thank you."
As the day passed. The monster attacks grew worse, and more soldiers were afflicted by the poison.
The hospital was overflowed with patients, forcing the end-of-life care unit to be relocated into a warehouse, to accommodate all of the patients.
The nurses and helpers are also spread thin, with most of them having similar characteristics of having dark circles under their eyes.
Days blurred into weeks, and William had already lost his sense of time, as the sleepless night and repetitive task kept grinding away at his consciousness.
Making him feel more like a robot than an actual human.
To him, sleep felt like a distant memory, while his entire world shrinks into the endless task of wiping, bandaging, and recording patients' status.
"William!" At the moment, Lucy's voice cut through his foggy mind, followed by a warm hand gripping William's shoulder, pulling him back into reality.
"You look awful. You need rest. You'll collapse at this rate."
Lucy's concern was clear, but unconvincing, as she looked way worse than him. Yet, William, who was delusional at this point, failed to notice and just nodded and obeyed.
Dragging himself to the staff quarters, the room was packed, and the scene of people sleeping on bunks, chairs, and even the floor filled William's vision.
Without hesitation, William picked an empty spot and collapsed into sleep.
***
PAN PAN PAN
The sound of a metal bucket hitting another metal bucket sounded— PAN PAN PAN.
"Alright, everyone, get up! It's time for your shift!"
The loud banging woke up the exhausted nurses, who shot a resentful look towards the source of the sound.
"I get it, you're tired," the head nurse said. "But the patients need you. So move along now, quickly."
At the same time, the silver bracelet worn by all of the nurses lights up, including William, tapping on it shoots up a holographic screen, which displays all of the tasks William is responsible for the day.
So, after a couple of minutes of lounging around, William got up and went to work.
He moved through his duties—monitoring symptoms, administering pain relief, updating patient statuses, and cleaning up after the deceased.
As hours blurred together as exhaustion started to dig into his bones.
During a short break, William sat on an empty bench inside the massive warehouse, staring at the endless rows of beds. Then, his bracelet vibrated again.
New Task: Provide Emotional Support to Patient #A-4579
William's gaze lingered on the patient's records, detailing that she had one of the worst cases of poisoning, as her whole upper body had been affected.
Prognosis: Estimated time left - 24 hours.
Task: Comfort her in her last moments.
Without further delay, William made his way to her section.
Behind a layer of curtains, a frail figure is resting on her bed, her upper body is wrapped up like a mummy, with only the nose and mouth area open.
William approached her, intentionally making his footsteps louder.
Sitting on a chair meant for a guest, he greeted. "How are you today? I'm William, and I'll be your caretaker."
To his surprise, a cheerful, almost lively voice replied, "Ah, nice to meet you, William. I'm Zenith."
William briefly glances at Zenith before speaking, "How are you feeling today? Do you need anything?"
"No, not really. Just a little discomfort."
William, who has his pen ready to take note, paused. His gaze shifted to the blind girl in front of him.
"Really? No pain? No requests? Nothing at all?"
"Mm~ not really. Oh, but I do have a question."
And so they talked, Zenith keeping the conversation light and joyful, her voice bright without showing any hints of weakness or pain despite her condition.
Day passes, and contrary to the prognosis, Zenith survived far longer than anticipated.
At the same time, whenever someone talks to her, she always appears cheerful, not looking like the person who is on their deathbed.
Yet, the slight tremor in her fingers, the occasional tensed breath, and the stiffness in her posture did not go unnoticed by William.
"Doesn't it hurt?"
Out of the blue, William straightforwardly asks Zenith.
"Yes?"
"The poison. It makes you feel weak, gives you the sensation of constantly being burned, and keeps you in a state of nausea.
Why are you constantly fighting against it? Why put on a tough front? Why show everyone that you are fine when you are not?"
For a moment, Zenith lay still, staring at space. Then, in a half-joking voice, she responded, "What, are you talking about~ can't you see I am completely fine?"
Ignoring her sarcasm. "I have seen others struggle through the poison. They told me how unbearable it feels—the burning, the nausea, the fog clouding their minds. I can't imagine how much worse it is for you."
A long silence ensues before Zenith finally murmurs, unconfidently, "It's...alright. It wasn't that bad for me."
"What about your grandparents? I hear that you request not to let them know about your situation?"
"No...I just...don't think they should be worrying about me, that's all."
"You should tell them. Because this may be your last time seeing them again." William pressed on.
"No... I..." Her voice shook. "I don't…" She looked down, and her lips started to tremble. Her fake smile slowly faded. "I don't want to die, William." A tear rolled down her face. "I'm scared. I thought I could be brave, but now I don't know what to do. Please… I just want to live."
William watched quietly, patting the shoulder of the crying Zenith.
Seeing her break down, something stirred in William's cold heart—a desire he hadn't felt scene Captain Jack's beatings.
The next morning, William was confronted with Zenith's condition worsening as she lay on her bed unresponsive.
The only sign of her being alive is the beeping heart rate monitor.
Calling out to her, William was only met with weak groans and laboured breathing as a response.
Helpless, William could only cast soothing and healing spells on Zenith, which was able to help her regain some consciousness.
In a semi-delusional state, Zenith was able to blur out some words. "No...I can't die yet, I must hold on, I...won't leave my grandparents behind." Before falling back into unconsciousness.
Powerlessness washed over William as he stood by her side.
Clenching his fists, he made a desperate move, tapping on his bracelet. He made a call.
"Dr. Lenny, please—I need help."