Before the sun went down completely, Dean and Paqui rushed to Hawkins Town Center Hospital.

It is a one-story building that is also separated from the adjacent primary care clinic by a wall and is not at all conspicuous.

But it is one of the pillars of a small town.

Dean once heard the saying that in this land, hospitals, churches, and schools are like the three legs of a stool, and if one of them falls, a town is destroyed.

But Hawkins' leg is obviously not very strong.

After explaining the situation to the nurse at the front desk of the hospital, the two followed her to Jane Seymour's single room.

A brown-haired boy was lying upright on the hospital bed, with an infusion tube in one arm, many wires and instruments attached to his chest, and a large number of needles left by hospital blood draws.

In addition, he was put on a ventilator, and under the oxygen mask, his face was so thin that it was out of shape, and it was so white that it was almost transparent.

A middle-aged woman with red hair in a knitted sweater was accompanying her bedside, her face supported by her hands, and she was dozing softly with a snort.

She has deep nasolabial folds and looks older than her actual age.

"Bang bang!" The nurse knocked on the doorframe,

"Lucia, two gentlemen are looking for you."

"Huh?" The woman woke up in shock, and glanced at the two of them sleepily, her eyes were full of dense bloodshots, "You are?" ”

"Sorry to disturb your rest, I'm Paqui, this is Dean, I've met your sister Jane Seymour a few times, and it's a bit of a friendship." Paqui put a bouquet of carnations on the bedside table, walked over and shook the woman's hand, "We haven't been back to Hawkins Town for many years since Jane's death, and we didn't expect to hear this kind of bad news..."

Paqui politely greeted the woman for a moment, and got straight to the point,

"So what's Peter's condition now?"

"Thank you for your concern." Lucia looked at the boy on the hospital bed distressedly, "But he is not well, he has been unconscious, and the doctor can't do anything." ”

"How long ago did this start?" Dean handed the woman a glass of water, "I know a few friends who work in big hospitals, and I might be able to help, but I need more details." ”

"Really?" The woman was surprised to pull Dean against the water glass, "I'll say anything, please save Peter!" ”

"So get started?"

"Almost half a month ago, Peter was on the street and suddenly passed out without warning."

"The good Samaritan took him to the hospital, where he had blood drawn, lab tests, X-rays... Extensive examination failed to reveal any obvious symptoms, and as it was, he woke up on his own shortly after falling unconscious. ”

"What did Peter tell you when he woke up?" Dean asked,

"He was very calm, he said that it was like sleeping comfortably, he didn't feel anything wrong or uncomfortable, and he walked around the mall normally before he fell unconscious, and he didn't encounter any accidents."

"At first, the doctors thought that he had not slept well, and that he had somatization symptoms caused by excessive study pressure in the past, so they asked him to stay in the hospital for observation for a while."

"And then unconscious again?" Paqui knocked his index finger upside down on the bedside table and looked at the patient on the bed,

The woman nodded heavily, looked at the sunset outside the shutter with sad eyes, and pulled the bony feet of the boy covered by the horns,

"Early the next morning, Peter lost consciousness again, and soon after..."

His symptoms increased day by day, and he repeated his coma and reawakening every day. Twelve hours in a coma on the first day, more than fourteen hours on the second day, sixteen hours on the third day... Since the beginning of the seventh day, I have not woken up again. ”

Lucia clutched her chest, recalling in grief

"I swore to Jane's coffin that I would take care of Peter for her, and that I would love him as a son for the rest of my life."

"But Peter had an accident under my care, I couldn't do anything, I could only pray God forbid, God forbid... Maybe I'm not religious enough... Woo..."

"It's not your fault, ma'am." Dean comforted,

Lucia touched her tears and reluctantly shook Peter's thin hand,

"What a sensible child, don't cry or make a fuss when you wake up, but comfort me in turn, tell me not to worry, and say that it's a big deal to go to heaven and be reunited with my mother, Jane Seymour."

"He's strong," Dean couldn't imagine, if he didn't die soon, there was a high probability that he would do something uncontrollable.

After all, in the face of death, all beings are equal.

And he is far from living enough.

But this Peter was only eighteen years old, still in school, and he was so calm in the face of the approach of death.

"That's right, Peter... Peter has always been a strong, quiet, sensible kid who never let me worry about it. ”

The woman cried,

"But this damn disease chose him!"

"The doctor said that his respiratory system and blood circulation system were failing, and the ventilator made him unable to support it for long, and he could leave at any time."

There was an unbearable silence in the room, and sadness filled the air.

"Does Peter have any other symptoms besides coma and cardiopulmonary failure?" Dean's mind flashed through the plot of later film and television works, and he thought of dangerous radioactive elements such as radon and uranium-235, which can kill people invisibly with just a little bit. "Such as bleeding, skin and hair loss, nausea, diarrhea, fever, etc."

Lucia choked up and denied all the symptoms of radiation exposure, then further explained, "That's the strange thing, the doctors didn't find any obvious external or internal injuries on him." ”

Dean changed his mind, "Is it possible that he has been poisoned by some kind of poison?" ”

"Yes, that's the best possible thing. After Peter fell unconscious, doctors tested an unknown substance from his blood, perhaps a toxin. Lucia explained, "The equipment of Hawkins Central Hospital was old, and I couldn't find out what the substance was, so I took more than a dozen tubes of Peter's blood and sent it to hospitals in Indianapolis, Chicago and other big cities for testing, but there were no clear results." ”

"If you are in a poisoning coma, it will be very troublesome," Pakui said in a solemn voice, "Infectious toxins, neurotoxins... There must be at least several thousand kinds of toxins, and if you can't find out which one you are in, you can't prescribe the right medicine. ”

"Obviously, this toxicity is rare, and time waits for no one."

……

The woman was even more sad when she heard this, lay on the side of the bed, grabbed Peter's skinny hand and kissed it on the lips, "Woo... My poor Peter... It's the aunt who is useless, it's the aunt who neglects you. to let you suffer this inhuman torture. ”

Dean raised an eyebrow, this gesture of intimacy was a bit weird.

"Ma'am, calm down, my doctor friend and I can try to help you find out the toxins in Peter's body." Dean comforted, reached into his arms, and pulled out the private investigator's license.

Paqui clasped his hands around his chest, and the corners of his mouth twitched, when did this guy go to get a license to pretend to be a coerc.

"What do you need me to do?"

Lucia wiped her tears when she heard this, and raised her swollen and red face,

"Is there anyone else in your family?" Dean asked,

"No, Peter and I are dependent on each other." Lucia raised her distracted eyes and said sluggishly, "I work at the petrol station in town, and Peter attends Hawkins Middle School... Life has always been peaceful. ”

"Then I have a line of thought about Peter's condition," Dean mused, "and since the hospital has never been able to find out what kind of toxin he had, why don't we try to start at the source?" Find out who poisoned Peter and ask him for the answer. ”

"Someone poisoned him?" Lucia's expression came alive, as if he had not thought of this possibility at all, "Peter is an honest and kind child, he never takes the initiative to provoke people, and he has never offended anyone... Who would be so cruel to poison him? ”

"And the bite marks of poisonous snakes or insects on his body?" Dean asked,

"No, the doctors have examined it dozens of times, and there are no abnormal scars."

"That's probably poisoning." Dean's tone was a little more certain,

"You can't have bought your license, can you? There is no evidence to say so. Paqui looked at Dean and narrowed his eyes, a sharp light shining through his eyes, "You're leading an ordinary accident to a criminal case, you're making trouble for Hope, listen to me, don't be so arbitrary." ”

"Who's Hope?" Dean asked,

"Sheriff of Hawkinstown, my old buddy and 'messenger'."

"Okay, blame me for not being rigorous enough, it doesn't have to be someone who took the initiative to poison them," Dean glanced at the two of them, "It could also be that Peter passed by a special place and accidentally contracted the poison and ate it in his stomach, so, Ms. Lucia, think about it, where did Peter go a few days before he was poisoned?" ”

The woman pondered for a moment,

"Peter has been on summer vacation for more than a month, and the poisoning was half a month ago. During that time... He must have been to the mall, to the cinema, to the library...", said Lucia uncomfortably, "Peter likes to watch movies, read books, and buy interesting little things. ”

Dean bowed his head and kept these places in mind.

But he felt that the probability was unlikely.

It's crowded public places, and if you get the toxin in these places, Peter shouldn't be the only victim.

"Who are Peter's friends at school?"

Lucia was even more sad,

"Peter is not very gregarious, he likes to stay at home and read alone, and as for friends, I once saw him talking and laughing with a guy with short hair with bangs, but I didn't know the other person's name."

"Well, friend, you don't know, so what of Peter's peers were bullied at school?" Dean thought that people who don't fit in have always been the preferred boxing targets for school bullies.

"A few basketball players with a bad character bullied him and beat him to the point that his nose and face were swollen, but he didn't commit the horrible crime of poisoning, right? IMHO, kid, your statement is a bit alarmist. ”

"I didn't find them guilty, I just knew a little bit from them about where Peter had been in the summer. Sometimes, enemies know a person better than a friend. ”

Dean explained this, but in his heart he had another thought.

He has experienced it firsthand and understands how terrible bullying can be and how bad the effects are.

The place where children learn is a miniature jungle, and those who are weak and introverted will always be used as the object of amusement and anger by those with strong personalities. Because they are young and favored by the law, these abusers have no sense of proportion, and in some cases are even more vicious and terrifying than adult criminals.

"Lady Lucia, if you want to save Peter, please tell me the answer."

Lucia struggled for less than half a minute, and then told Dean the names and home addresses of the three basketball players in detail.

Dean wrote it down with a pen.

"It's all boys who are about to enter the twelfth grade, and they live on Maple Street, not far away."

"Help Peter," Lucia looked at Dean's calm face and steady movements, and felt a little more trust in his heart, and a glimmer of hope ignited in his eyes, "He is so young, his life has not yet begun, and he should not leave early." ”

The woman's voice fell.

A hint flashed in front of Dean,

You triggered the event - Coma.

Jane Seymour may know the whereabouts of your parents, Lena and Light, but she died in a car accident five years ago.

She also has a son, Peter Seymour, who may have a clue and become your only hope.

But the misfortune did not come alone, Peter fell into a deep coma for unknown reasons, and his life was not long in coming.

Now, investigate the cause and effect of his coma, find a way to bring him back to life, and ask for clues.

……

Event difficulty: Unknown

Progress (5/100)

Duration: one week

Reward: At least 30 XP (depending on difficulty.) ）

Failure Penalty: None

……

After soothing the crying Lucia, Dean asked her for a picture of Peter.

She was then asked about the whereabouts of Lena and Light, and as expected, she didn't know the two at all.

Dean and Paqui then went to Peter's attending doctor and questioned him, confirming Lucia's account.

"In the next few days, I'll go out to investigate..."Dean stuffed the board into the rough palm of the big man, and at the same time let the shadow of the past that lived in the board return to its original body, "You take it, stay in the ward, and ask for more clues and information from Lucia's mouth, by the way, don't leave Peter too far, call me in case of emergency, and keep in touch." ”

Peter's health is unknown, and no one knows how long he will live.

So Dean made two preparations, if the event failed and Peter died, the puppet held by Pakui would suck his soul away.

When the time comes, Dean can ask for clues about Lena and Light from Peter's soul through the mediumship ritual.

Of course, only a trustworthy person like my uncle can rest assured that he can trust the board.

"There is no room for bargaining in this matter," Dean preemptively said without waiting for the big man to refute, "I followed your arrangement and worked as a nanny for two teenagers for a while, and this time you will listen to my arrangement." ”

"I didn't object, what are you excited about?" Dahan rubbed the teardrop-shaped board, observed the tattoo on the pale pupil on it, and sighed, "You have grown up and matured, and many behaviors are incomprehensible to me." ”

"I also know that you have secrets hidden in you, but I don't force you to tell me."

"After all, as your uncle, I don't help you, who helps you."

"So you said yes?" Dean was surprised, when did Paqui become so reasonable,

"What kind of eyes are you, show me some respect! By the way, what exactly is this board of yours and what does it do? ”

"Talisman, take it, don't lose it!"

"OK, but I need to make a phone call and ask the owner of the outdoor store to take a few days off."

(End of chapter)