Latent Syndrome

Chapter 110 109. City of Sails

East of Cook Strait and south of the Pacific Ocean.

The capital of sailing, Auckland.

The morning light concealed the clouds and mist and sank into this seaport city.

Green and rolling mountains, endless waves, oceanic climate, cool monsoons, and rental sailboats docked at the harbor.

In the coastal area far away from the city, a majestic lighthouse stands on the rocks, seemingly motionless despite the waves.

Trenton Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center.

This is a well-known hospital in New Zealand. It prohibits electroconvulsive ECT treatment or other radical clinical treatments. Drugs are only auxiliary. It advocates that patients should overcome the relapse of the situation and achieve flexibility through a mentally rehabilitative life experience. of recovery.

In addition to accepting mentally ill patients, it will also provide hallucinogen withdrawal services for some wealthy children. Of course, the fees are extremely high.

Continuous investment of funds and word-of-mouth have formed a virtuous cycle. This place not only has a small artificial lake for fishing, but also venues for various ball games. The patient dormitories also have pleasant sea views.

Office of the Nursing Center Director.

He got a very powerful call, and this big shot wanted to talk to a psychiatric clinician here.

"You mean...Hugo?"

"Anderson Hugo?"

The dean was a little helpless, because after the same phone call last time, Hugo disappeared for more than half a month before returning, and he didn't know where he went. During this period, he couldn't be contacted at all, and he seemed to have disappeared from the world.

As the main physician of the nursing center, many patients' families have heard his name through various channels and learned about his many successful cases before being admitted to the hospital. Once he leaves, the benefits will drop sharply.

Although he was very reluctant, the other party's energy was too great, and he, the little dean, could not refute or make small moves, but at least wait until he finished his class today.

A chess and card room in the health center.

A mental patient wearing a blue and white striped hospital gown looked at the 24-hour schedule on the wall and kept looking at it stupidly, his facial muscles faintly twitching.

[Alex, it’s time for consultation. 】

The female nurse wrote something on the note and handed it to a man named Alex. He suffered from a certain degree of depersonalization and paranoid mental disorder and was extremely unwilling to communicate. He usually passed it on in the form of notes.

But one thing makes the female nurse feel strange, because when the consultation time comes every day, he is always extremely uneasy and even willing to talk.

"No...I won't go."

Alex stared at the form on the wall, which said 10:00 consultation, and then looked at the electronic clock beside him.

9:57:41

The red numbers kept beating, getting closer to ten o'clock every second.

He seemed to have entered some kind of trance, staring at the clock in complete trance, breathing rapidly, his mouth turning white, and beads of sweat dripping from his forehead.

"Alex? Alex?"

The female nurse suddenly felt a little scared and couldn't help but take out the sedative syringe from the tool box, fearing that he would suddenly explode.

In addition, she has also heard a lot of rumors about Hugo. Alex is not the only one. Almost all the patients treated by him are more or less resistant to consultation. A small number of them are extremely disgusted or even...fearful. Alex is just like that. One of the.

Due to confidentiality measures, outsiders are not allowed in when the doctor is talking to the patient, and they do not know what he has done.

He is also a weirdo in life. He never goes to any travel activities or various dinner parties organized by the hospital staff. He is extremely mysterious and seems to only live in conversations and various figures in the form.

"It's almost ten o'clock, Alex."

The female nurse reminded.

"I know I know."

I couldn't tell if he was laughing, or if he was sobbing with fear, like a rodent's facial muscles spasming.

She took the patient out of the chess and card room, and walked through the maze-like convalescent center, and finally.

Stepped into a deep corridor.

There are no windows in this bottomless corridor. Every time you take a step, you can hear the sound of shoes hitting the ground, and the echo is blocked by the lightless walls.

Ta-ta-ta...

Halfway through, Alex suddenly stopped. He saw the photo on the wall, which said the attending physician Anderson Hugo, and various introductions. The head of the photo in the white coat was covered by a shadow, making it difficult to see clearly. face.

thump.

Alex fell to his knees without warning and began to sob. He hugged the female nurse's leg and begged: "I have recovered... I have recovered, I want to go home... please ”

His body was trembling, curled up like a frozen quail, every pore was tightly closed, and the hairs stood on end.

The female nurse was a little stunned and didn't know what to do.

Until he even let out heart-piercing cries, which were all filled into the female nurse's cochlea under the thick wall that could transmit echoes.

At this moment...

There was a creaking sound.

That was the door to Hugo's office. It was slowly pushed open, making a gasping sound like the rusty hinges of a swollen wooden door. The harsh, sharp creaking sound was like the soundtrack in a supernatural thriller movie.

"Come in, Alex."

Extremely kind words came from inside the door. The voice sounded like it was close to forty years old. It was slightly hoarse, but it had a strange and friendly magnetism. Even if he didn't speak loudly, he could definitely hear every word and imprint it on his voice. heart.

To the surprise of the female nurse.

After hearing this, Alex wiped his tears with his sleeves, stood up expressionlessly, and entered the door like a living dead.

boom!

The door was slammed shut.

The female nurse was startled, but she didn't care and went back the way she came.

Inside the office.

Hugo opened the blinds, allowing plenty of sunlight to shine in. From here, you can see the intersection between the ocean and the sky. The cries of seabirds and the sound of waves are extremely pleasant. The water splashes against the rugged rocks, constantly being crushed and hit again and again. The coming waves can't help but make people feel stronger.

The seabirds flying in flocks in the sky caught Alex's eye and were captured by Hugo.

"Do you like these birds?"

Hugo closed the "Red and Black" on the table and asked.

"I'm jealous of them."

Alex replied.

"Is it."

"It doesn't have to be like this at all, you are better than them."

"They're just weak creatures who need to swarm, and you..."

"It's an eagle."

Because of his cowardly character, Alex was always bullied by his classmates in the name of friends in school, extorting some money or asking him to do something. Until one day on his birthday, these classmates came to his home to celebrate his birthday in the name of friends, but found his sister, controlled him, and violently abused his sister. After that, his sister committed suicide, although she had resorted to law.

But Alex will never forget that day, suffering repeatedly in the purgatory of regret and self-blame.

Hugo continued to add.

"You fight against the coldest mountains and fight against the harshest sky."

"Spreading its wings and flying high on those huge rocks, hovering in the sky, drawing huge circles."

"Honestly, I envy this power and this loneliness."

Hugo is about in his early forties, with medium-long dark brown hair. Although he is clean shaven, he still retains rough stubble. His face already has traces of etching by the years, but he can still distinguish the handsome face of the past. The face, the blue eyes are like the ocean, like...the gloomy deep sea.

"I've done what you asked... Doctor Hugo, I've done it."

Alex sobbed.

Every time at this time, Hugo asked him to recall that day in detail, all the details, whether she was on the sofa, on the bed, or even on the floor, one person or several people, taking turns or at the same time, she was How did he die? It was due to arterial blood loss, crushed internal organs, or suffocation due to drowning.

accurate.

More precise.

Accurate to the specifics of what she was doing every second, everyone's expression, the light at the time, whether she was crying, how many decibels it was, whether she resisted or endured like a corpse.

Until the face of the corpse is clearly painted with a brush, the scene of each frame is completely depicted.

Be so clear that you can even fully immerse yourself in the experience in your imagination.

Day after day, year after year.

Every time this time comes, Hugo will ask him to do the same thing.

His memory was extremely cruel, and it had even formed a conditioned reflex, and he began to recreate the scene of that night for him in detail.

"Then do you feel something?"

Hugo sat on the chair and made a cup of tea for Alex. If he was a weak reed, let him wither. If he was a brave man, let him make his own way.

"I don't know...no! I don't feel anything anymore. I can't feel anything anymore."

He didn't know the right answer at all, he just wanted to complete this daily routine as quickly as possible.

"Is it……"

"People and their own will are separate. Even if I don't let you do this, deep in your soul, you are still eager to seize the dream and control and possess this illusory memory."

"You've wasted too much time in this smoky dream."

"This is a common human problem."

“Remorse arises from a contradiction between cognition and behavior.”

"People do the most cruel things, but they don't have a cruel spirit."

"And the two slowly begin to unite in you, and you slowly begin to have this spirit, a cruel spirit, and even cruel treatment of yourself."

"Are you still scared now? Are you afraid of recalling that night?"

Hugo handed the tea to Alex while he flipped through the files. Today was indeed the time when the last of those people was released from prison.

"No, doctor."

"I am afraid of you."

He said this with a somewhat frightened expression.

"Well...you're recovering so well."

"Now I want to see how you behave. You may even be discharged today."

Hugo said that as long as he has his certificate and signature, the patient can leave here at any time.

In the hell of repetition.

Alex.

Finally heard...new vocabulary.

"I'll be on my best behavior, doctor."

Alex's eyes showed enthusiasm and he took a sip of tea. The chair was only half filled, and he sat upright with his hands on his knees.

"Such a long day."

"That dream, which is definitely not a fantasy, has caused you too much despair."

"And you made it through."

"The treasures in your heart are so swollen that they are about to explode. Your mind has accumulated too many unopened ideas."

"Do you remember these people's faces?"

Hugo handed him the photo of the ex-prisoner.

Alex could never forget these faces, even if they turned to ashes.

But at this moment...

He felt no fear.

He has long been accustomed to these faces, looking at them is like looking at a stone.

"I don't understand...doctor."

He was confused.

"All of these people have been released from prison. Some of them even have families, and I can provide you with their homes. Your answer will determine whether you are discharged from the hospital."

"Alex, do you want to take revenge on them?"

Hugo asked coldly.

this problem.

Like lightning.

running through Alex's mind.

"No……"

"No……"

He was extremely hesitant. What was the correct answer? He panicked again.

Hugo could feel the sadness and pain spreading throughout his body. He suffered from the oppression of the illusion for endless days and nights, and his whole body felt uncomfortable. The fire of the entire universe was burning in his veins, and his soul was like coal buried in a boiler. Boiling with intoxication.

The scent of new things was too strong, and his mind began to collapse, because he was about to cross that cursed night and start a new life.

"I want revenge, even on their infant babies."

Alex said expressionlessly.

Hugo could feel it, it was serious without laughter, it was a cruel body.

Bang bang bang...

Hugo applauded.

"Your mind and body are completely in sync."

"You are healed."

…

…

…

It was evening, and the dusk red glow in the sky reflected the entire sky.

Alex left the retreat wearing a suit and carrying a suitcase.

Hugo looked at his back.

He had completely overcome his cowardice, his illusions, his trembling body, and completely eradicated and uprooted the source of the decay of mental illness.

Complete recovery.

Reason no longer had any power over his actions; a blind instinct made the decision for his life.

This is the harmonious balance of the universe.

"Are you sure he has recovered? I just... felt that he was not normal."

The female nurse couldn't help but ask Hugo.

Hugo ignored her at all, ignored her like a stone, and returned to the office.

What matters is not the cure.

But live with the pain.

Just sink to the bottom.

There is no pain that cannot be eliminated.

because.

Extreme pain, like extreme joy, cannot last because it is too violent.

He returns to the office.

Found that there were missed calls on the landline phone.

He called back.

Twenty seconds later.

The call was answered, and as he expected, something had to be dealt with.

"Confirm, is the location in Luo City?"

After getting a positive answer.

Hugo hung up the phone, took off his white coat and put on his own clothes, an inconspicuous gray leather coat and extremely simple dress.

Finally, he picked up an ancient pocket watch and put it into his inner pocket, left the office, and then filled out the leave application. Even though he didn't get any approval, he didn't care.

that's all.

Under the light of the seaside lighthouse, Hugo quietly left the health center and headed to the airport.

It’s night in Auckland, the capital of sailing.

The monsoon wind blows, making the sails make a hunting sound.