Red Mansion

The moment the first digit changed and all the other numbers turned to ‘0.’ He quickly went into the call log. He pressed the number, which he had memorized completely by now, firmly with his fingertip. The call tone was long. Was the call not being answered? He brought his thumb to his lips.As the signal lengthened, his anxiety deepened. What came to mind were the condoms and gel piled up by the bedside. At that moment… condoms had also appeared on the living room table. Anxiety and nervousness surged in all at once, filling the narrow store to the brim. The tip of his thumb, chewed on by his teeth, was red, almost as if it would bleed.Bang bang!— Hello.His voice was low, as if he had just woken up. The dark expression on Sung-kyung’s face brightened, and the corners of his mouth lifted. The legs pounding on the cash register had long since faded from his attention. The noisy sounds were barely noticeable.“It’s because it’s right on the hour.”— Ah, right.His words trailed off. Sung-kyung lightly bit his thumb again. Unlike before, he gently rubbed it with his tongue, revealing his ticklish feelings.Bang!“Hey, you bastard!”Sung-kyung’s sharp gaze turned towards the gap in the curtain. The leg, frustrated from being ignored, wore an irritated expression. Sung-kyung pressed the torn part of his lip with his index finger. Along with the sting, he felt a sense of pleasure.— It’s noisy.“……It’s a customer.”There was silence on the other end of the call. Though the leg cursed right in front of him, the silence on the other end felt louder.“It’s the person who delivered the medicine last time.”“Who the hell are you calling, you bastard?”Realizing that he was the topic of conversation, the leg’s eyes widened. Was he seriously going to spill everything to Chungrim? As their eyes met over the sliding cash register, he cursed silently.— You should’ve said that earlier.“I’ll do that from now on.”Along with a small laugh, he also heard a cat meowing. How nice it must be now. He thought of the gray cat living in the Red Mansion, probably the most well-groomed and comfortable of them all.— I need to wash up. Hanging up.“Yes.”The call ended just like that. It had lasted less than a minute and was utterly anticlimactic. Even so, Sung-kyung looked forward to every hour.“Was that Chungrim?”The shaggy hair nodded up and down as he banged his fist hard on the glass door. The curtain fluttered lightly.“See! I told you there was something.”“He’s coming now.”“…What?”Sung-kyung lied without a change in his expression. The leg then ruffled his hair wildly.“He said it was too noisy. He’s coming to check.”As the lie grew, the leg’s face turned pale. Sung-kyung found it both amusing and infuriating. Why did he care so much about Chungrim anyway?“What? Ha… shit. Don’t talk about me. Okay? Was that about me earlier? Tell him you made a mistake. That it wasn’t me. Got it?”Even as he shouted, Sung-kyung merely closed his mouth tightly and put his phone in his apron pocket. Though he wanted to spew more curses, the leg bit his lip and restrained himself.“Dammit, why do those bastards keep coming?”Despite his words, he seemed frightened by the news of Chungrim’s visit, limping away from the store. Sung-kyung watched his retreating figure for a long time through the gap in the curtain. The lie that he had been seen with Chungrim a few times was easily believed. No one dared to treat him poorly.If he could do this, why had he suffered so much all this time? Why did he have to resort to violence instead of just talking? Even as sweat dripped from his forehead and soaked into the corner of his eye, Sung-kyung didn’t blink. Red blood vessels spread like spider webs in the whites of his eyes.＊＊＊Water dripped from the corner of the store’s ceiling, as if it were leaking. The blue mold-like stain gradually grew larger. It didn’t seem like this last summer. Sung-kyung placed a bucket used for mopping underneath it.Drip, drip. The sound of the water hitting the bottom of the bucket echoed for a while, then, as the water level rose, only the sound of the water rippling could be heard. Instead, the musty smell of the mop filled the inside of the store. Even opening the side window didn’t ventilate well.The intermittent splashing sound continued. Sung-kyung crouched under the cash register, replenishing the water bottles in the icebox. After placing the last bottle in the icebox, he pressed the thick bundle of packaging tightly to reduce its volume.Knock knock. Was the sound of water always this loud? Sung-kyung, who had momentarily paused, slowly stood up. Chungrim was beyond the sliding cash register.“Oh?”He was about to knock again, his hand raised, showing the back of his hand. When their eyes met, he lifted a long pink bag. The packaging, covered in frost, rustled.“Payment.”The lie to chase away the leg had actually brought him here. Could Chungrim read his mind?“Yes.”He threw the bundle of plastic into the trash can and wiped his hands on his apron. Their fingertips might touch during the payment. If his hands were damp, Chungrim might find it unpleasant. Sung-kyung pulled the chair he had pushed back and sat down. How much was the ice cream again?“Two thousand won.”“Are you asking me to buy you one too?”“Sorry?”The questioning voice was stupid. Sung-kyung quickly scanned the label stuck under the counter. Ice cream, one thousand won.“Ah….”Why did I get confused about something Chungrim had been buying for two years? Sung-kyung spoke quickly, unusually flustered.“I made a mistake. It’s one thousand won. Just give me one thousand won.”Chungrim chuckled lightly and tossed two fifty-thousand won bills inside without saying a word. Before Sung-kyung could mention giving change, Chungrim turned around swiftly. A pleasant scent wafted in the brief gust of wind. Sung-kyung was sure there was nothing better than that smell in the entire Red Mansion.Today, Chungrim was wearing a billowy bright blue shirt. Sung-kyung thought of Chungrim’s clothes and underwear hung out to dry. The weather was humid, and they probably weren’t completely dry. They wouldn’t smell good and would be musty. Would it be okay to return them a bit late? Sung-kyung scratched the side of his thumb with his index finger hard.“Your clothes.”Called without a title, Chungrim only raised his eyebrows. The ice cream wrapper he was holding was adorably cute, contrasting with his fierce expression.“I’ll bring them to you when they’re dry. They’re not dry yet.”“Ah.”He just bit into his ice cream without saying anything else. There was no acknowledgment, nor a dismissive “handle it yourself.”“……”Chewing on his ice cream, Chungrim grinned. The way his lips curled made it hard to tell if he was mocking or teasing. His well-groomed hair swayed in the breeze from the fan.“Keep it. Use it when you’re jerking off.”Sung-kyung clutched his apron lightly. Like someone who had been hit where it hurt, he slightly parted his lips and dropped his gaze to the counter.Chungrim glanced at the silent Sung-kyung and scoffed. Even from a distance, it was clear that Sung-kyung’s earlobes and the nape of his neck were flushing red. It surely wasn’t just because of the heat. Chungrim turned his upper body and rested his elbows on the backrest.“I don’t like things touched by others.”“… Yes, thank you.”Chungrim’s body shook with laughter again. Sung-kyung looked at him, surprised. He didn’t know Chungrim could laugh like that. Sung-kyung’s gaze lingered on Chungrim’s curved eyes, raised lips, and cheeks pushed up by his smile.Chungrim’s smiling face was etched into Sung-kyung’s mind, his eyes darting quickly. The sound of Chungrim’s laughter seemed drowned out by the pounding of Sung-kyung’s heart, so he pressed his chest.“What are you thanking me for?”“……”“What are you thankful for? For giving you the clothes? For letting you jerk off?”“Just…”Of course, the latter was the biggest reason. It would have been better if Chungrim had said they could do it together rather than just solo, but Chungrim didn’t seem fully comfortable with that yet.Throughout their relationship, there were no caresses, no face-to-face moments, no touching. Even if he had become special to Chungrim, it was more about curiosity and interest. Sung-kyung’s chapped lips moved slightly.“For everything. And thank you for helping my parents with the hospital.”Chungrim, with laughter still lingering on his face, stared at Sung-kyung through the glass. The ice cream he had bitten into quickly melted in his hot mouth. The sticky sweetness lingered on his tongue.“I’ll do better.”“Better at what?”Chungrim’s voice echoed loudly in the hallway. It wasn’t Sung-kyung’s imagination that Chungrim seemed unusually cheerful today. From what Sung-kyung had observed, Chungrim didn’t laugh this easily or engage in long conversations.“Are you saying you’ll serve me better or what? Huh?”Chungrim shamelessly said something embarrassing, despite the possibility of someone passing by in the hallway. Chungrim leaned closer to the backrest, thinking it would make Sung-kyung’s voice clearer.“I can do that too.”As expected, Sung-kyung’s voice was small and faint, as if embarrassed.“Crazy bastard.”Today was the most Chungrim had laughed recently. He hadn’t even had a sip of alcohol and was completely sober. The ice cream’s bottom melted, leaving pink droplets. Chungrim swallowed it all in one bite. Though his cheeks bulged, it was necessary to cool his heated chest. After moving his jaw for a while, Chungrim swallowed the strawberry-flavored saliva.“But you know.”Sung-kyung looked up. After eating that ice cream, Chungrim’s lips were especially red and glossy, more tempting than usual. It was fascinating because it wasn’t like that when Sung-kyung ate ice cream. Was it the ice cream being picky about people? Sung-kyung’s gaze lingered on Chungrim’s moist lips as if spellbound. Those lips soon parted.“How many have you seduced like this?”The question ended coldly without a question mark, making Sung-kyung feel unnecessarily tense.“Judging by your look, it doesn’t seem like it’s your first time.”Chungrim wedged the empty ice cream stick between his fingers and tapped the backrest. The sound, thud-thud, felt like it was urging a response.“……”Sung-kyung couldn’t answer easily. He had never seduced anyone, nor did he understand what Chungrim meant by not the first time.“I guess there are others like you who get turned on by men.”Chungrim must not know much, having been out in the world for so long. In Red Mansion, men getting together was so common it couldn’t even be counted. Only a few women, like his mother, who established their voices early on, were present. It was natural for men to satisfy their desires with each other in a place full of sweaty men.“Who else have you toppled? Must be someone here, right?”He persistently demanded an answer. Earlier, he had laughed surprisingly much, but now he was looking at him coldly, as if he wanted to devour him.“I guess it’s true,” Chungrim muttered softly so that he couldn’t be heard. Among the black gangsters, the white and skinny Sung-kyung stood out. His hair, seemingly cut with scissors at home, was uneven and scruffy, giving off a gloomy vibe, but up close, his eyes, peeking through the strands of hair, were dark and deep, and the brown dot under his eye was quite appetizing. It was no wonder Chungrim, who had no prior experience with men, got aroused.“Keeping your mouth shut like that means you want to get hit, huh?”Sung-kyung bit his lower lip and shook his head. That wasn’t it.“What number does he live in?”The persistent questioning about his partner continued endlessly. Sung-kyung parted his lips with difficulty.“I don’t know.”“Why? Too many to remember?”He looked incredulous, ready to raise his hand at any moment. His face was sharply honed with a cold sensitivity.“I just don’t remember.”Half was a lie, half was the truth. The crazy guy who took Sung-kyung’s first experience lived in apartment 322. He even remembered the man lived alone, but he had died a few years ago. Someone else moved into 322, and almost no one remembered the man who used to live there. If Sung-kyung also forgot, all traces of the man ever living in the mansion would vanish.The semen that man had ejaculated was already gone from his body. He couldn’t recall the man’s expression when he got excited, nor how much pocket money he gave Sung-kyung afterward. How much money he borrowed later, all of it. So, it was half true and half a lie.Footsteps hurriedly passed by as they were about to enter the convenience store hallway. During that time, the two just stared at each other without a word.Click. After a long silence, Chungrim was the first to get up. Then, with familiar steps, he swung open the convenience store door. When he stepped inside and closed the door forcefully, the cheap aluminum door trembled. The loose lock clicked shut.“I don’t care how you’ve handled yourself so far.”“……”“But I really hate things that have been touched by others.”He sat on the counter, looking down at Sung-kyung closely, his shadowed gaze intense. Sung-kyung stared at his face with an expression of rapture.“I can’t use a hole everyone else has used. Got it?”“…Yes.”His lips twitched as he nodded. He could only interpret it as a desire to monopolize him. The scab on his loosely parted lips stung again.“Do you want to keep doing this with me?”Sung-kyung raised his head and met his eyes. There was no need to answer out loud; his expression said it all. I want to keep being with you. That answer was written all over Kim Sung-kyung’s face.“Then act like a slut only in front of me.”Chungrim locked the counter and drew the curtain. Once again, it was just the two of them in the small convenience store. The tepid air that had been vaguely circulating was blocked, and the inside quickly filled with heat.“Until I tell you to get lost.”“Yes.”The words confirmed there was an expiration date, but it was still good. If he could embrace Chungrim’s lust and excitement, even temporarily, that would be enough. These were the things he had imagined while locking the hot convenience store door and masturbating alone.“If you understand, come here.”Chungrim pointed between his shoes. More precisely, between his thick thighs. Like a person under a spell, Sung-kyung got off his chair. He had been feeling strange, wondering if Chungrim had found someone else to satisfy his sexual desire.His hand trembled with excitement as he unzipped the pants. He pulled apart the open trousers and slipped his hand into the bulging underwear. The moment his fingers touched the firm flesh, a shiver ran through his entire body. The more he saw Chungrim’s body, the more he touched it, the more it excited him.He wished Chungrim would only give himself to him. As he gripped the firm bulge, Sung-kyung briefly harbored such a desire.＊＊＊Since that day, Chungrim hadn’t answered his phone. Nevertheless, Sung-kyung faithfully left missed calls at the exact time. Today alone, he had left eight records.The phone in his apron pocket vibrated for a long time. Sung-kyung paused while mopping up the water with a dry mop. He leaned the mop against the blue plastic table and quickly took out his phone.“…Who could it be?”It wasn’t Chungrim. He stared at the unfamiliar number that wasn’t saved in his contacts for a moment before putting the phone back in his pocket. The persistent vibration continued despite ignoring it. Sung-kyung picked up the mop again and wiped the water pooled under the window. The water trail didn’t clean up properly.But who else knew this number? It couldn’t be anyone else. Even he didn’t know the number yet. Could it be that Chungrim had another phone? Deep in thought, Sung-kyung absentmindedly moved the mop back and forth in the same spot.“Oh, the hospital.”He remembered that Chungrim had written the number on the hospitalization confirmation form. He quickly leaned the mop against the windowsill and fumbled to take out his phone. It took a while to call the missed number back. His hands trembled for no reason, pressing the wrong buttons repeatedly.Thud—! The mop, which had been propped up, leaned over and fell to the floor. The wooden pole clattered noisily on the cement floor. As he bent down to pick it up, the ringing stopped.― Hey! Why didn’t you answer the phone? Come to room 109 immediately!A sharp voice. A somewhat urgent tone. Sweat quickly formed on his palms, and his heart began to pound anxiously. It was an instinctive reaction.“Why, why?”― The patient…The woman trailed off. Sung-kyung shot to his feet. I need to lock the fridge, but where are the keys? He rushed to the counter. He opened his mouth hastily, as if to block the next words.“J-just a moment. I need to lock up. Where are the keys…”He frantically opened every visible drawer, only to realize the keys were in the apron pocket he was wearing. With trembling hands, he pulled out the bunch of keys.— Hurry and get here already!The call ended abruptly. He shoved the phone back into his pocket and locked the convenience store door. A mysterious sense of unease began to bind him tightly. Was his father sick? Did his mother refuse to take her medicine? It felt as if he was trapped in a torrential downpour. Sung-kyung cursed under his breath as he fumbled with a key that didn’t fit the lock.“Damn it, why won’t it work?!”His hands were all over the place. He shoved and turned any key that seemed to fit, not even checking if it locked properly. He hurriedly locked the refrigerators in the hallway too.“Nothing’s wrong. Nothing’s wrong.”He was trying to convince himself that it was probably nothing serious, just another false alarm. Sung-kyung made an effort to stay calm. He hadn’t turned off the fan or put away the tables and chairs, but he was too anxious to notice.He sprinted down the hallway in his apron. His slippers nearly tripped him up multiple times. It was only a minute-long distance, but he was drenched in sweat, as if he had been walking outside in the rain without an umbrella.“Clear it out, now. Is he here yet?”“Not yet. Should I go get him?”The door to room 109 was open. Inside, loud noises and conversations were happening. A thug from room 110 was smoking in the hallway. He had been properly dressed that morning, but now he was in just a tank top. He glanced at the ashen-faced Sung-kyung and stubbed out his cigarette.“…Better go inside.”Then he ruffled his hair roughly, moving like a video played in slow motion. The voices inside were muffled, reaching Sung-kyung’s ears like a blur. He realized for the first time how loud his own breathing was. The sound of dry swallowing and his quivering breaths. He endured it all as he stepped into the hospital room.“Ah.”A woman who had been biting her thumb and peeking into the room noticed Sung-kyung. Her expression hardened, and she opened the door wider for him. Silence filled the room, with only the cold air from the air conditioner flowing out. Despite wearing socks, the chilly draft made his ankles shiver. Sung-kyung entered through the door the woman had opened.“Tsk.”He must have been out of it. The doctor wasn’t even wearing his coat. The mattress his mother lay on was a mess. Empty medicine bottles the size of a thumb were scattered around, along with used syringes. The blanket was entirely pulled back, and her loose T-shirt was disheveled around her chest.Dr. No was perched on one side of the mattress, wiping his sweaty forehead. An invisible sense of defeat seemed to hang over him.“Why, why… What happened?”Sung-kyung nearly collapsed, gripping the door handle tightly. Maybe he had already sensed it. Since the call had ended. While running down the hallway. Or maybe since his parents became bedridden. Hot tears kept welling up in his throat. His trembling gaze was fixed on his mother ever since he entered the room. The doctor groaned and stood up, bracing his knees.“Oh dear.”“…”Meeting his eyes, the doctor shook his head slightly. What did that mean? Sung-kyung gripped his damp apron tightly. The doctor moved to the foot of his mother’s mattress, making way.“3:22 PM. She’s gone.”A trembling hand reached out. Sung-kyung’s nails had turned blue. He hesitantly touched his mother’s exposed foot. It felt a bit cold, but that was probably due to the air conditioning, otherwise, she seemed just the same. Sung-kyung squeezed her foot and ankle, desperately seeking warmth.“Was she in pain? She sometimes said it hurt…”His choked voice interrupted his sentences. His teary eyes slowly scanned his mother from head to toe. She looked the same as always. Just like yesterday morning, just like all those nights before. She had always been like this since she got sick. The doctor hadn’t said anything, but Sung-kyung kept denying the reality.“…I’ll call the mortician.”“Wait.”Sung-kyung glanced nervously at his mother, lowering his voice. The doctor’s casual tone angered him. He really was a quack.“What do you mean?”“She went peacefully. She fought hard.”“…What?”There was a hint of laughter in his voice, as if he had heard something absurd. Sung-kyung frowned deeply. He hated everything the quack said. She fought hard? She went peacefully?“Get them.”The doctor gestured to the woman outside. She nodded quickly. In the meantime, a voice on the phone leaked in.“No, that’s not true.”Sung-kyung tightly gripped his mother’s wrinkled hand. Just the other day, she had held his hand too. Do they even know that? He desperately hurled angry words. The doctor just put on his coat from the corner of the room. That sight made Sung-kyung even angrier, like flames bursting in his vision.“Putting on your coat makes you feel like a real doctor? You quack! Who died? Who went peacefully?”No matter how much he yelled, nobody on the mattress responded. The room was full of sick people who couldn’t even listen. His mother too. She was in such a deep sleep that she didn’t hold his hand back. Sung-kyung massaged her thin arm. Her body temperature felt the same, so he couldn’t accept it.Her arm was marked with multiple injection sites, small black dots from which no blood flowed. His chin quivered. Scared. Scared. Scared. Terror gripped his mind and wouldn’t let go.“Are they coming?”“They want to speak with you.”The woman directed the doctor out of the room. Sung-kyung sharply lifted his head. His long bangs poked his eyes, making the whites turn red and tears well up. As soon as the doctor left the room, Sung-kyung slammed the door shut and quickly pressed the lock in the middle of the doorknob.“Hey! Open up, now! You crazy bastard!”Sung-kyung had no intention of opening the door. He feared that if he did, the people outside would send his perfectly fine mother to the undertaker. His pounding heartbeat echoed loudly in his ears. The room was overwhelmingly noisy.Sung-kyung quickly pressed his ear to his father’s chest. Thump—thump. Slow, faint beats transmitted. He brushed his father’s exposed arms, neck, and other visible parts, feeling a slight chill but also warmth.“Dad, this place feels strange.”Sung-kyung’s eyes drooped. Clutching the remaining warmth from his father’s body, he now held his mother’s hand.“I’m sorry. There was no one else but that quack doctor. I had no choice.”It felt different. Strangely different. His parents’ conditions had always been similar, but now they were starkly different. A shiver ran through Sung-kyung, making him tremble, but he kept massaging his mother’s stiff body. He couldn’t bring himself to press his ear to her chest. He didn’t want to confirm it.“Ah… what should I do?”His voice wavered with anxiety. His head ached as if it would split, and the knocking on the door didn’t cease. His mind was chaotic. Suddenly, anger surged to the top of his head. Once it started, the flames wouldn’t easily subside.“Shut up!”He screamed, panting like someone who hadn’t calmed down. Yet no one opened their eyes or told him to be quiet.“It’s noisy. Noisy.”He muttered the same words repeatedly, brushing his mother’s hair. His thumb briefly brushed under her nose, making him freeze.“…”His breath trembled as he pleaded. No, this can’t be happening. His vision blurred and he felt dizzy. Such a simple act of placing his hand under her nose seemed impossibly hard. His thumb finally reached below her nose.He couldn’t feel the ticklish breath.3 seconds, 10 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute…Still, he couldn’t feel it. Drip, drip. The sound of something falling continuously echoed. Time passed relentlessly at that pace. Five minutes passed, yet there was no breath.“Ugh.”Suddenly, he felt the urge to vomit. He covered his mouth, tears streaming down his palm. He didn’t know when he had started crying. With eyes wide open in fear, Sung-kyung silently let his tears flow. The drops rolled down his cheeks and fingers.“It’s only been two days… barely.”A pitiful sob escaped from his covered mouth. His mother didn’t move.You held my hand. You looked like you’d get up any moment. I told you not to worry about money. Why?“It’s only been two days… barely.”Sung-kyung collapsed. The barbed wire holding his anxiety and depression tightly unraveled, collapsing all at once. Overwhelmed by the engulfing dark emotions, he panted heavily.Just then, the door clicked open. The doctor, ready to lash out, fell silent. Seeing the son clutching his mother’s hand, collapsed in grief, he couldn’t bring himself to say anything. The doctor’s white, sweat-soaked face looked utterly devastated.The old doctor gestured silently to the undertaker standing behind him, distancing himself from the mother and son. Accepting a loss is never easy. Even when mentally prepared, everyone crumbles before death. The same would apply to the small store.“…”Sung-kyung cried silently. How much tear could a frail body hold? He sat there, shedding endless tears.The doctor walked to the desk under the window. The rain that managed to sneak through the barely open gap left the area soaked. He wiped it with a shabby towel and placed it on the windowsill.Turning back, he met the eyes of the undertaker standing at the threshold. He shook off the remaining heat by shaking his clothes. At the doctor’s nod, the undertaker spoke quietly.“Your mother. Is she unregistered?”Probably most residents here were. His mother wouldn’t be an exception. Sung-kyung himself didn’t even know if his birth was properly registered. In Red Mansion, such documents were unnecessary, so it was understandable. Sung-kyung blinked his heavy, wet eyelids.“There are two ways to handle this.”“…”“Leave her in a park or under a bridge where the homeless gather. She’ll be treated as a vagrant by the state. It’s free. If you’re lucky, other relatives might be contacted and take her.”A park or under a bridge? A scene vividly appeared in his mind as if someone had cut out a memory. Riding in Chungrim’s car, they had passed a park. Couples with strollers, a young woman walking her dog, kids playing with their friends. Would his mother be happy if she was left in such a place filled with happy people?“The second way is to take her to a crematorium, cremate her, and place her in a columbarium. This is complicated and costs money.”Holding a funeral was a luxury in Red Mansion. After staying here for three or four days, one would choose between the two options the undertaker mentioned and end their life. Those living alone would probably be abandoned in a park or by the river without any choice. Exposed to the elements, they would endure the cold and heat, only to be remembered as unfortunate homeless people who died tragically.“You have two days to think it over.”Sung-kyung hadn’t even accepted his mother’s death, yet time continued to pass. Reality ruthlessly urged him to pull himself together.“…”If only his father were awake, he wouldn’t feel this terrified.What should I do now? Why are you comfortably closing your eyes without telling me that, Dad? Mom is dead. Do you know that? Or are you planning to die too? It felt like being trapped in a room with no air.He didn’t know how much time had passed. His cheeks stiffened from dried tears. Even so, Sung-kyung couldn’t regain his composure. His mind kept switching on and off repeatedly. Time flew by so fast it was suffocating, yet it also slowed down so much that he could feel the blood coursing through his veins.“Here, it’s time for the other patient’s medicine.”“Okay.”The woman outside grabbed a bottle of medicine from the shelf. She carried the tray with the medicine bottle and approached the mattress. She tied a yellow rubber band around the arm of the patient lying at the very end and started disinfecting the area. Although she was neither a doctor nor a nurse, she handled the syringe with considerable familiarity.