NOVPUBChapter 900: 437 Undercurrent_1 Chapter 900: 437 Undercurrent_1 The howl of the arriving police car shattered the tranquility of the mental hospital.
The terrified dean greeted them, “Off…Officer…
Our hospital is fully legal, we are not an unlicensed institution…
I wonder why the officer would visit in the middle of the night?”
Madon Linggo, impeccably dressed in police uniform, showed no change in expression.
His stern and solemn gaze swept over the quiet hospital building.
It was just after nine at night, and yet the whole hospital was engulfed in a darkness so quiet it was eerie.
It was like a giant, humongous tomb.
...
A chill wind brushed against their backs, sending a shiver down everyone’s spine.
“Take me to see the patient in Room 404.”
On hearing ‘404’, the dean shivered unconsciously, and cautiously queried, “Off…Officer, the patient in 404…
is not in a condition to meet visitors.”
Madon Linggo revealed his police badge, “All citizens have a duty to cooperate with police investigations, wouldn’t you agree?”
His gaze was intimidating.
The dean’s heart raced, and he turned, resigned, “Please follow me, officer.”
After taking a few steps, he asked cautiously, “What has the patient in 404 done?
Is it serious?”
Madon Linggo didn’t answer.
Seeing his cold demeanor, the dean didn’t dare to press further.
“Officer, the patient in 404, she has some mental issues, tends to self-harm, often banging her head against the walls.
We can’t just tie her up with a rope; she’s a human, not an animal.
So, over time, she has…
changed.
It can be quite scary.
You should be prepared…
”
“Open the door.” Standing at the entrance of Room 404, Madon Linggo ordered coldly.
The dean took out a key, and after fumbling for a bit, he slowly pushed open the heavy iron door.
A heavy rush of cold and damp air mixed with a musty smell hit them, almost making them retch.
Madon Linggo expressionlessly pushed the iron door and stepped inside.
The room was more like a prison than a hospital ward.
The tiny space had only a bed and a toilet; nothing else.
A single bulb above their heads cast a weak light, flickering on and off, stretching the shadows like phantom figures, adding to the eerie atmosphere.
On a wooden bed against the wall, a skeleton-like figure was curled up.
At first glance, she looked just like a skeleton.
She was deathly still, as if she had been dead for some time.
The dean coughed, “She…
her health is waning.
She has only a few days left.”
Madon Linggo glanced sharply at him.
The dean quickly raised his hands, “It’s not my fault.
Treating her costs money, and those who brought her here have already given up on her.”
Madon Linggo walked over and bent down to check the woman’s breath.
His brows furrowed tightly.
He promptly dialed a number.
“Dr.
Aria, please send an ambulance immediately…
”
The dean continued to explain, “Officer, she was insane when they brought her here.
People kept in our mental hospital are all like this.
Her family paid us and then never visited.
Even when she fell sick, they didn’t care.
Recently, we tried contacting them to discuss her final arrangement, but we couldn’t reach them by phone at all.
I would say our hospital has been more than benevolent keeping her this long.”
“Oh yes,” the dean seemed to remember something, “Mid last month, a family member visited her.
A woman of high status, clearly not an ordinary person.
I found it strange at the time…”
Madon Linggo pulled out a photo from his phone.
“Is this her?”
The dean slapped his thigh, “That’s her, no doubt about it.
A very spirited woman, I wouldn’t mistake her.”
Madon Linggo lowered his head silently, looking at the skeleton-like woman before him.
“Gabriella Linggo,” he called out softly.
These two words, seemingly imbued with a peculiar magic, jolted the comatose woman.
Her eyelashes quivered as she struggled to open her eyes.
Those were the eyes of worn and weathered soul.
Filled with exhaustion and helplessness, they were dull and vacant, like a ghost who had just crawled out of hell.
“Gabriella Linggo,” Madon Linggo called out again.
The woman suddenly grabbed his arm.
Those skeleton-like fingers dug deep into his flesh, resembling a bloodthirsty ghoul trying to rip a piece of flesh from him.
The woman managed to open her mouth, but all that came out was a hoarse growl.
Her turbid eyes betrayed a hint of urgency, causing her face, wrinkled like old tree bark, to tremble slightly.
“You’ve held on till now.
There must be something important you want to say, right?
You need to hang in there.
I’m taking you to the hospital now.” Madon Linggo consoled gently.
