Faraway
Table of Contents
Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40 Chapter 41 Chapter 42 Chapter 43 Chapter 44 Chapter 45 Chapter 46 Chapter 47 Chapter 48 Chapter 49 Chapter 50 Chapter 51 Chapter 52 Chapter 53 Chapter 54 Chapter 55 Chapter 56 Chapter 57 Chapter 58 Chapter 59 Chapter 60 Chapter 61 Chapter 62 Chapter 63 Chapter 64 Chapter 65 Chapter 66 Chapter 67 Chapter 68 Chapter 69 Chapter 70 Chapter 71 Chapter 72 Chapter 73 Chapter 74 Chapter 75 Chapter 76 Chapter 77 Chapter 78 Chapter 79 Chapter 80 Chapter 81 Chapter 82 Chapter 83 Chapter 84 Chapter 85 Chapter 86 Chapter 87 Chapter 88 Chapter 89 Chapter 90 Chapter 91Chapter 49
The Crossroads Community Hospital is perfectly established in the middle of nowhere, where the field of green grasses are scattered around like a blanket covering the ground as the trees themselves were sculpted by the hands of nature itself.
Taking refuge in this abandoned warehouse, Doctor Hansel and his fellow coworkers take pride in giving shelter, medicine, and medical care to those who are in need. He firmly believed in the noble cause of helping others, especially the unfortunate ones, as it was his duty to be a licensed doctor after all.
Hallways were still unfurnished and rotting from the lack of repair or change in fixing them. Debris on the floor and fading paint on the walls between them gave the impression of a forgotten place.
But as one continued to walk further into the hospital, they began to see signs of life after entering one of the public rooms holding many injured patients dressed mostly in torn or dirty clothing, fitting for the post-apocalypse world that earth has become.
Many of them lay on the mattress, gently placed on the dirty ground, as the nurses and other doctors continue to check up on them, providing the best medical care they could offer.
Medical equipment filled the room, from the machines that beep loudly to the stacks of files and papers that are scattered across the desks. It seems perfectly organized, but the worn look of the furniture suggests otherwise.
Taking careful consideration of this place, Danny finds himself getting a bit uneasy from the obvious neglect the hospital has been through. "So this is the place," he mumbled, scrutinizing the surroundings with a frown. "It doesn't seem very welcoming."
What has he landed himself into? He thought grimly; the sight around him looked like a world war-torn state filled with sick and wounded people.
Even though he trusts Hansel because there is no one to fill in the role of guardian for him at the moment, he still can't shake off the feeling of dread and uncertainty that's been building up inside him. "Are we in the hospital?" Not wanting to sound rude, he put on a firm smile, trying to ask politely instead, "Because it looks like we took refuge in some abandoned warehouse."
Hansel nodded his head. "It is a warehouse, but we made this hospital of fine use," he explained. "We have taken this old, abandoned place and turned it into a sanctuary for the unfortunate souls who need our help," he said with pride. "Yes, it may not be as fancy as some of the communities that made themselves known across the world, but it's better to have one when there are dangerous mechanical things still roaming about at different hours." The second part of his sentence caught Danny's attention.
"Dangerous mechanical things?" Confusion was shingling on his face. "What do you mean by that?" He asked curiously, finding the mention of mechanical things a bit odd as he found it more of a reminder there are bigger threats floating around than just natural disasters.
Before the head doctor could explain further, a little boy, appearing around 10 years old, covered in dirt and grime, with a bandage wrapped around his forehead, suddenly rushed towards him with a splint cast on his right arm.
"Doctor!" The child immediately exclaimed, making a beeline towards Hansel, "My father is having a heart attack!" Urgency flowed in his voice, causing a knot to form in the pit of Danny's stomach. "What should we do?" He asked, concern flicking in his eyes.
"Lead me to him! Hurry!"
Without wasting anymore time, the boy led them to his supposed father, where a bearded forty-year-old man was clenching his chest from the sudden shortness of breath and extreme tightness of his chest as he continued to shiver in and out of consciousness.
His eyes were glazed over with pain, and his skin was a shade of pale white that didn't bode well. A few male nurses stood around their patient's bed, incapable of finding a solution to stop the gradually increasing death he was about to get.
"Please save him!" The child begged, tears streaming down his cheeks, "I don't want to lose my dad!" He said, gripping tightly onto the doctor's suit, not wanting to let go of him.
Touched by the desperation of this boy, Doctor Hansel, with a serious nod, won't break his promise of not letting the boy's father die. "Rest assured, he' going to live." Sweat fell down from the side of his face after making such a bold claim, fearing greatly about how confident he can be in saving this person.
"I'm the head doctor of this hospital; I will never let anyone under my care die without caring for them," he said, patting the boy's head gently. "Now stand aside and let me save your father."
Hope filled the boy's eyes, beaming a hopeful smile as the child nodded and moved aside, allowing Hansel to find his way to the man who needed help. Taking a deep breath, the doctor stared down at the dying man nervously, his own heart pounding viciously if he found the right course of action to take.
"You might feel a little pain," he said, kneeling down at his side before explaining further, "but I assure you, I'm going to make you see your child again." With this promise, he began rolling up his sleeves, much to Danny's further confusion.
Then something miraculous happened: blue electricity was visibly manifested from the doctor's hands up to his very elbows, dancing fluidly through the air like an electric rework. It was a sight to behold, captivating and mysterious, as it abruptly filled the room with a bright glow.
All of the nurses and doctors didn't put any mind to it; however, nearly the entire group of patients in this large room had their focus fixed on this extraordinary scene that was about to unfold before them.
"Are you seeing this?"
"He must be Esper."
"No wonder he's the head doctor!"
One by one, the patients commented on how spectacle filled the room, feeling a swell of amazement for the man who was about to perform a miracle in front of them. Danny, on the other hand, was completely stunned by the sight.
Finding himself in awe, the young man watched as the doctor channeled the power from his hands to the patient's chest, the energy flowing into the man like a life force that was eager to heal. The patient’s body jerked from the sudden surge of power, but he seemed to be getting better already, his breath steadying and his face regaining color.
Restarting the heart and absorbing the electrons to stimulate molecules of renewing damaged cells, it didn't take so long before the patient was able to breathe normally again as the tightness in his chest vanished without trace, almost finding the whole situation a surreal dream.
The bearded man opened his eyes, looking around the room in bewilderment. "Wh-what happened?" He said, under disbelief, he survived the guarantee of the final destination of his timely death.
"Father!" The boy tearfully screamed before jumping on him with a well-deserved embrace, "I thought I would lose you!" Crying fiercely now, his young heart was filled with joy and relief to have his father back, not minding the fact that everyone around him began cheering after finding their miracle they never thought possible.
Some clapped, others simply applauded and cheered loudly, filling the room with the sound of joyous victory. It was a wonderful first impression for Danny to find himself in this kind of world where miracles are not just a myth.
Standing up with his own two feet, Hansel began fixing his sleeves while smiling gleefully from his success. "I restarted your heart and healed any damaged cells you may have," he answered plainly. "It may seem like magic to you, but it is simply my ability to control electricity at a basic cellular level," he explained, giving a simple response to the question.
"What matters now is that you are alive. You should thank your son that he alerted me of your condition," before gently reminding the bearded man, "Now rest and let the nurses take care of you," instructing the patient to take it easy.
"Thank you," the father of this boy said, his fingers trembling as he reached out to shake the doctor's hand, tears still in his eyes from the overwhelming joy that he had been given a second chance in life. "You really are an angel sent from the heavens," words filled with gratitude. The man couldn't even begin to describe the depth of his own emotions.
People around them continue to cheer in his name, filling the atmosphere of the hospital with a sense of unity and hope in a ruined world driven by constant death in every corner of their lives. Some nurses and doctors approached Hansel, acknowledging him for how a great head doctor finds a way to save the man's life and, even more, how he is an Esper who performs good acts because finding a man like him is a blessing.
Danny's eyes were fixed on the head doctor with awe, while Hansel is bombarded by the positive nurses and other doctors alike who are all around him as if he were some idol. "How does he do that?" He wondered, finding the whole situation completely baffling for someone like him who just woke up in a place he was finding hard to understand.
However, it was the smile of Doctor Hansel that caught his attention the most—the genuine warmth in his eyes that seemed to envelop the entire room. It is kindness filled with compassion and understanding by a man who is willing to help those who are in need.
But when he looked into his doctor's eyes deeper, Danny noticed something uncertain. Like an ash of war in what was supposed to be a sea of trust. A flickering doubt in a world of faith. Was there something that the good doctor was hiding?
"You seem new," the voice of a frail and skinny old man could be heard from behind. "I haven't seen you here before," he said, a bit of suspicion flicking in his eyes. "Are you perhaps one of the new nurses or patients?"
As Danny turned around, seeing a bald old man with a wrinkled face, occupied with holding crutches to support his walk and a plain green shirt along with boxers, the stranger was anything but an old guy who was lost for a place to sit.
Seeing this opportunity, Danny wanted to ask the question that is still lingering in his mind: "You saw what the head doctor did, right?" He asked curiously, finding the old man's presence to be a good distraction from the overwhelming tension building up inside of him, "Is he some sort of magician?" The first thought that came to his mind as he tried to make sense of the blue electricity that flowed through the doctor's hands.
The old man with crutches gave a small chuckle. "Magician?" Shaking his head in disbelief, he continued further, "Son, have you hit your head or something? What he did wasn't magic, but because of his nature as Esper," filling in the missing pieces for the young man who is still baffled by the scene he witnessed earlier.
"You heard what he said, he can manipulate electricity," an unfamiliar feeling went down to Danny's spine from this mere notion. "They call people like him Espers, those who are skilled enough in unlocking their potential."
There was a brief silence between them as the two locked eyes, waiting for the other to process the information that was just given. "Espers?" Danny repeated, the word echoing in his head.
"What is Esper?" The question shocked the old man a bit, seeing how a young man living in this current century doesn't know a well-known phenomenon among everyone in their state.
"It will take a while to explain it to you for a frail old man like myself," he said with a slight humor in his voice, "but Sonny, it's better to ask the head doctor about it." The old man then began walking away, leaving a very confused Danny behind.
"Just remember, Espers are special, and not everyone is skilled to be one," he added, giving a warning with a mysterious tone, making the young man more curious than ever. "Maybe one day, you'll find out."
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