Up until yesterday, the nurse looking after me was always full of encouragement.
"I wouldn't mind just living in the hospital like this."
"Don't be silly, just go and get the discharge procedures started so that my job will be easier."
Under such light-hearted circumstances, the day I would leave the hospital crept closer and closer. Then, I was transferred to a new room.
"It will only be temporary."
The room that I was assigned to was just a bit unusual. There was a bed, and there was the buzzer to call the nurse... so far, this was just the same as any of the other wards. But, there were no windows. I looked left and right around the room before lying down on the freshly made bed that I would not be using for much longer.
"How are you feeling today?"
The new nurse smiled at me gently, but she seemed to be somewhat uneasy.
"I'm fine. It's just that... this room is weird. Why are there no windows?"
The nurse's face grew pale.
"Ah? Can't you see the windows?"
Her expression became filled with reservation. She called in a doctor who was passing by, and the two of them conferred quietly, just outside the room.
The nurse returned to my bedside.
"So... my room..."
"Ah, it's fine. There's nothing to be concerned about."
Saying that brusquely, the nurse left, closing the door behind her.
This room had no windows.
After a few minutes, after a few hours, the nurse never came in.
Neither did any doctors.
Even my girlfriend, who would faithfully visit me everyday, never came.
Ah, I just noticed.
The four sides of the room was nothing but walls.
There was no door.
How did I get in?
How will I get out?
Some people say that in every hospital, there is a room that you never leave once you are admitted.
But were they talking about a room like this?