Scattered fragments of dreams came and went, lasting for a very long time.
It was like watching a movie, as if experiencing the lives of many people.
Someone was performing 'Hamlet' on a small stage, playing the villain Claudius; someone was editing film in a dim room with an old hand-cranked film editor; someone was practicing piano in a bright music room, with a young girl, eyes full of admiration sitting beside them; occasionally, there would be a tiny figure, cowering in a corner in fear, closing their eyes and covering their ears, as if trying to hide from the whole world.
He even dreamed of the graduation ceremony back then, with someone holding a guitar at the farewell dinner, and everyone singing together.
*In the beginning, we sang.
*In the end, we walked away.
*My dearest, you are like a scene in a dream.
*You said you would leave after the dream, and I believe you.
*...When the song ended, many people were in tears.
And then.
Fell into the mundane world.
Having the memories of too many people, it would probably be like this. However, it seems impossible to find a second reference point.
Finally, he was even a little lost, wondering if this was a dream or a memory.
He wasn't particularly fond of memories.
People who constantly dwell on the past have often lost their anticipation for the future. The road ahead is so wide and so far, doing this is not worth it.
So, he woke up.
After a brief moment of confusion, the memories of last night flooded into his mind, and he instantly became alert, sharply turning his head to look at the figure beside him.
Janette Johnston, with her fluffy blonde hair, was sitting by the bed, her posture somewhat languid. A small white bowl in her hands covered most of her face, and her clear blue eyes were wide open. The faint scent of oatmeal porridge wafted through the air; the woman had clearly just been drinking porridge.
Now, she must have been startled by his gaze when he woke up.
His body completely relaxed, and he felt a bit apologetic.
Noticing a purplish-red mark on Janette's fair arm where she held the small bowl, he looked over and instinctively joked, "So, is this the new popular way to play?"
Janette blinked her eyes rapidly a few times, finally recovering from the chilling gaze that had made her feel like her heart was being squeezed tightly.
She unhurriedly placed the porridge bowl on the bedside cabinet, then reached out to pull the pillow from under Simon's head. Simon was a little puzzled and even lifted his head to cooperate.
Then, the woman, holding the pillow, slammed it hard into his face.
Bang—bang—bang—
"You little rascal, I'll show you a new way to play, I'll show you a new way to play, I'll show you a new way to play".
Upon waking and observing his surroundings, as well as the woman's tired appearance, Simon deduced that Janette had likely been busy all night because of him. Simon was always grateful to those who treated him well.
At this moment, facing the woman's sudden small outburst, Simon merely turned his head, allowing Janette to pat his head a few times with the harmless pillow, before 'begging for mercy,' "Your Majesty, at least explain before hitting?"
Hearing Simon's words, Janette's raised pillow suddenly stopped. She haphazardly shoved the pillow back to Simon and warned, "Don't call me Your Majesty, I hate that title the most. Call me Janette".
Simon could only nod, and with his own effort, he raised his hand to rearrange the pillow.
However.
Something seemed off, wasn't this situation backwards?
Janette sat back down by the hospital bed, then extended her purplish-red right wrist in front of Simon: "Look, little boy, this is what you squeezed out last night. So, what are you going to do?"
Simon examined it carefully for a few moments and found that it indeed looked somewhat like a handprint, but he didn't know what had happened last night.
He had originally intended to joke again, but noticing Janette's bright, expectant eyes, and considering the woman's eccentric personality, Simon immediately stopped and replied very seriously, "I'm really sorry, Jenny. I'll treat you to a meal sometime. Also, where's Kathryn?"
"You almost killed me last night, and you only want to treat me to a meal? Don't even think about getting off that easy little boy". Janette shook her head in dissatisfaction, then explained, "Kate stayed up all night with you. I just sent her to rest at my studio, you know, over by Venice Beach. And I only slept for three hours myself. Look, aren't we so good to you".
Simon said very sincerely, "Thank you, Janette, and Kathryn".
Janette seemed to nod with satisfaction, picked up her small bowl again, and without a spoon, like a cat, brought it to her mouth and sipped small mouthfuls. Then she suddenly blurted out, "So, what exactly happened last night? Five legs, all with the most severe commuted fractures. One guy even had seven teeth knocked out. It was really tragic".
Simon felt the lingering pain throughout his body, shook his head, and looked at the ceiling of the ward, saying faintly, "I also want to know what happened."
Janette said, "The police already questioned those five guys last night, but they didn't say anything, it seems they want to consult with a lawyer. Oh, by the way, my lawyer will be coming over later too, a very capable lawyer. Although those guys were beaten badly, they were the attackers, and the police last night were on our side, so we can still sue them".
Simon just nodded and agreed, "Mm".
Janette casually spoke, finishing the oatmeal porridge in her bowl, and then seemed to suddenly remember Simon, asking, "Hey, are you hungry? I specially cooked it before I came".
Simon shook his head, feeling the state of his body under the sheet. He looked around and saw it was a ward with a bathroom, then said to Janette, "Jenny, would you mind stepping out for a moment?"
Janette blinked her eyes in great confusion: "Why?"
Simon looked at the woman's obvious feigned ignorance and could only point in the direction of the bathroom.
"Oh, that won't do," Janette immediately shook her head, and stood up with a look of concern, "You're seriously injured, let me help you".
Simon had just secretly checked his body and, apart from various pains, hadn't noticed any difficulty in moving his limbs. At this moment, seeing Janette's serious expression, Simon's face finally showed the same helpless expression that Kathryn usually had.
Janette stood by, watching Simon gaze steadily at her, showing no intention of getting up, and could only chuckle. She reached for a tote bag from the bedside and placed it by Simon's bed, saying, "Alright, you're so stingy, not even a peek. If I wasn't afraid you'd suddenly grab me again, I would have seen everything just now. Your original clothes were all thrown away, these are what I just bought. However, you have injuries, so for the next couple of days, just wearing shorts should be fine".
After rambling for a few sentences, the woman then left the ward with some reluctance.