A soft sound came from the door. The boy turned his gaze away from the birds and toward the source. Standing in the doorway was a face he didn't recognize. Normally, whenever he woke up, he was greeted by a short, slightly awkward doctor named McLovin. That name had always amused him—his best friend once joked that it sounded like something a teenager would use on a fake ID.
But this doctor was new. Tall, probably in his early thirties, with black hair and a more confident air about him.
"Hello. My name is Raymond. I'll be your new doctor," the man said as he stepped inside. "Your previous physician had... some personal issues and had to be removed. He's actually hospitalized now, just a few rooms down from here, in case you're curious."
"Hi. I'm Luzbel Cohen," the boy replied, then asked, "What happened to Dr. McLovin? Is he alright?"
Raymond's eyes lit up, a sly grin forming on his face. It was clear he had a love for gossip. He stepped closer and sat beside Luzbel with an almost conspiratorial energy.
"Oh ho ho... as wild as it sounds, Dr. McLovin was caught cheating on his wife—with a nurse. His wife didn't say a word at first. But that night, when they went to bed, she pulled out a pair of scissors and, well... snipped off his little friend. Let's just say he's now significantly closer to being a woman than a man. Funny, isn't it? Spend your life chasing women, and fate decides to turn you into one."
Luzbel winced and instinctively clenched his legs. A drop of sweat slid down his temple. He quickly made a mental note: never ask Raymond anything unless you're prepared for way too much information.
"Ahem. Anyway," Raymond cleared his throat after seeing Luzbel's face. "We're not here to talk about that. You've been asleep for four years. A lot has changed. I called someone you know to come see you. Your sister's currently traveling through Africa, so she won't be here soon, but she said she'd reach out when she can."
At the mention of his sister, Luzbel's thoughts drifted. Four years ago, she had just been finishing her undergraduate degree in biology. It seemed things had gone well for her if she was now traveling the world.
After a few additional health checks, Raymond left the room, but not before turning on the television for him. On the screen, a commercial played—an ad for a new video game. With the explosive growth of technology, gaming had become the leading form of entertainment, spawning countless universities and professional eSports teams.
Moments of silence passed. Then, the door suddenly burst open.
A loud voice echoed through the room.
"BEEEEEEEELLLL!"
A red-headed, athletic young man ran toward Luzbel's bed.
"You lazy bastard! How long were you planning to sleep? We turned eighteen and you weren't even there to chase girls and down a few drinks with me!"
Tears welled up in his eyes as he spoke.
Seeing him, Luzbel smiled and replied:
"Good morning, Klein."
To someone unfamiliar with chronic illness, it might've sounded like a harsh joke—but for Luzbel, it was anything but. Between guy friends, the more offensive the comment, the deeper the bond. It wasn't uncommon for someone in a wheelchair to get friendly jabs like "Why don't you stand up and say that to my face?" or "Speak louder, I can't hear you from down there."
To Luzbel, Klein was his best friend. You didn't meet many people while permanently hospitalized, and doctors rarely got emotionally attached to their patients. He met Klein during one of his earlier wake cycles—back when he was still a kid and could walk on his own. Klein had been brought in after getting into a fight with another kid who said his mom was so fat, she'd form a new Mount Everest if she lay down.
After catching up on the past few years, the conversation naturally turned to their favorite topic:
video games.