I am a Vegetable

[WARNING: THIS IS A SLOW-STARTING STORY]



Yo Fang hated everything. He wanted to get rid of everything; his life, his family, and his friends.

This was the first time he had taken interest in something.

This was something very exceptional.

He had sworn to hold it deep to his heart, forever, unconditionally.

This person was Yo Fang's beloved.

When Yo Fang was an elementary student, he had a severe car accident. His parents survived half; his mother died sadly, but his father remained unconscious for 4 years.

Now that after his father, fortunately, woke up from a coma, his son went in coma for nearly 10 years.

When Yo Fang was rescued from the accident, he had obtained a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

And from that time, he has been in a coma.

It has been 10 years now. No school, no education. No education, no knowledge about his surroundings.

Yo Fang was at his loss.

But thank goodness, he had fortunately completed his last year of elementary school. Which meant, no worries. However...

Another 10 years passed, he was now 20 years old. His face and whole body looked like no ordinary vegetable.

He became vegetative at an early age.

After a few hours, the vegetable shuddered a bit. The doctor hurriedly rushed towards the room.

"Is He awake?!"

The nurse, in a trembling manner, said, "Y-yes, a few minutes before."

The doctor pressed my shoulder, softly. He sighed in relief.

Was I revived? 

I slowly opened my eyes and leaned on the headboard. It pained; my back ached like I had never moved my body for years. But that was true. I never did.

My eyes opened, slowly. I saw a massive load of machines, here and there. A ventilator, monitors, etc. I was clueless; they were so many that even I could not name or count them. Was reviving me that hard?

I anyways closed my eyes. they were so sour that it hurt to just open them.

The nurse came to pass me over a glass of water. She was shuddering in fear… or something.

I took the glass. She saw me feeling a bit active, so her nervousness disappeared.

“Are you… okay?”

I turned my gaze on her. I said with a crooked voice, “Yes… but I feel ached all over my body.”

She smiled and relieved me, “It will be okay. Master Yo will come to pick you up. I heard his wife died 10 years ago, it was so painful for him. But then his only child went in coma for another 10 years…”

Her face showed condolences.

That Yo Guang and his wife, are somehow related to the owner of this hospital, here.

They all had a roundabout diplomatic relationship, so I never gave concerns.

My only mother, who would give me time, died, so now I was obviously alone.

Being vegetative for 20 years was a really big time. But who knew what they really thought.

I got up slowly and changed into my regular clothes. Not to my surprise, the clothes were decades old, so they were obviously short. Back when I fell into a coma, I was 10, so now I’m 20, how am I supposed to wear decades older clothes?

I shifted my gaze and saw a white shirt with trousers, and a long black coat was hanging on the wall. I was supposed to wear that.

Doing that, I went out.

What I saw was beyond my expectations.

I saw two kids holding each one side of the pants of an adult man, outside.

“I asked the doctor, he said he’ll be fine from now on.”

“I believe so.” He had a dejected expression.

When he turned over, he waved me with a pitiful smile, and said,

“Come here, Yo Fang, this is President Sheng.”

President Sheng. That President Sheng?

If it is that bastard, then certainly I’m out.

“Hello, President Sheng. I didn’t know you had two kids already?”

He didn’t smile but sighed.

“You… as long as you’re alright, there’s nothing to worry about.”

Tsk. Why, this creature makes me hate him each time he even looks at me.

I nodded and left the hospital.

I was prescribed to be dispatched right after my final check-up.

Now, I’m heading towards my home. My father would not live with me after he sees how much I had grown up.

When I stood at the exit doors, I felt a weird feeling. A feeling of obscurity. Felt like I was in a world unknown to me. As if… I had been reborn into a mysterious, unknown world.

Suddenly, it started to pour.

The rain was fresh. Just like how before, when I drank water, my throat, which was all sour and dried up, got cleared with fresh, cold water. This time, it’s my body. The cold drops of rain dripped on my hands, and it felt like a fresh, peaceful feeling.

However, when I saw around, there were many people who had

started to pull out their umbrellas. I didn’t have one.

I sighed and pulled my coat up to my head, to cover it from rain.

And as I rushed towards my home.

After a while of running in a hurry, I arrived successfully.

A vegetable for 20 years like me could run so enthusiastically, unbelievable.

I looked up at the house; it had a corroded roof, the garden around it was molded, and the door made screeching noises when opened.

I already knew; a house not used for decades would definitely need to be recovered and cleaned, so I am the one who’s going to clean it.

Believing that I just awoke from a coma, became more hard now.

As thought, I did clean everything and finished most of the kitchen.

Now it was left for me to recover. I couldn’t take a bath before, so I felt extremely suffocated in the aching and reeking smell. 

I reeked of medicine smell all over and my clothes were dirtied too.

I took a bath and felt a bit comfortable now.

When I sat around the table in the kitchen, my stomach started to growl.

I hadn’t eaten anything for years, of course, monkeys would start jumping around in it.

I checked my pockets then realized, I neither had money or a job; I was clueless!

I went around the house and checked for cash, luckily, found a rotten wallet. It had nothing inside of it; just a few pictures of my family together, but I found a card. A credit card, alright.

I took it and straight away went to the convenience store.

I picked up all my necessities, without seeing the prices. I knew my vigilant father would have put a few thousand in it.

Food, grocery, personal stuff…

When it came to swiping the card, it asked for a password.

‘Please insert the password.’

I felt contemplated.

“… password, password…” I suddenly remembered something.

My mouth suddenly, ran on its own, saying, “Sang Ya…”

‘Password accepted. Items purchased, thank you.’

It worked… how come…

That password, where did it come from? Anyways, I left the store and rushed home.

My stomach, growling, and my hands, running in the kitchen.

After I ate, I went to bed early.

The next morning, when I woke up, I felt like I had a nightmare. I saw a mysterious, young, slender, and white figure in my dream.

The person was as white as snow and full of beauty. But I couldn’t get why or what it was.

Shaking my head, I decided to look for a job. But knowing that my father was still alive, I decided to ask him.

I locked the door of my house and turned forward.

When I was walking on the bustling streets and footpaths, I saw a red light.

I stopped.

My brain started to bewilder. Everything after my sight started to fizzle around. Suddenly, a strong current-like pain appeared inside my brain. I felt as if a thick needle was pinned in it… once again, after a second, a strong pain clashed onto my head. As if a heavy metal hammer had been hit on it.

The next moment, I was found dead on the roadside.

My brain turned off. My senses switched to zero. My consciousness dropped, and I ended up being in the same old, hospital.

I couldn’t see, feel, or even hear, anything. It was so quiet. So quiet to feel like I was deaf.

The next moment I opened my eyes, I saw everywhere was pitch black. As if I was in a black hole?

Then, stood up from my laid position. As I walked over further, there was still no other color despite black.

Walking further, I saw a young figure. A slender young man, standing straight. I could see his back.

He was wearing all white. White shirt, white pants, with white shoes. Only his hairs were black.

A quick memory flashed back. I remembered it was the exact figure I saw in my dream.

I walked to him. I said in a wretched tone, “Who… are you? Where am I?”

“So many questions,” he turned to me and said, “I won’t answer.”

His face, so white and pretty. Almost a bishounen.

So he did end up to be real…

His glance on me, so fair and solemn. I could almost drown by his beauty.

“Who is this charming white?” I asked in a confident tone while raising my brow.

“No one special.”

“Perhaps…” I made yet another one.

He turned away, flying through his back, and after a second, was in the air.

“I’m…”

My eyes widened in surprise and curiosity. I wanted to know it so badly. Where did I end up?

“Your brother.” He smiled selfishly.

Nonsense.

“Illogical. How?”

“You will know it… uh, only if you knew.” His face turned sad as his mouth curved down.

“I won’t know until you tell me.”

Silly me, I still wagered to know.

“But you… forget it. The past needs to be forgotten.”

I was angry, “Who said so?”

He continued my anger, “I said so!” he blew up his mouth in annoyance.

I sighed and relaxed. One thing I knew was that this place isn’t mortal. I didn’t belong here.

“Who are you? Who am I right now? Where is this? Why don’t you answer all my questions in peace?”

He float around me in circles, then finally said, “Okay…”

He sat down with me and started.

“I’ll just say the basic.”

I nodded.

“Then… when I was around 4 or 3? You were 6 already.”

Is he related to me somehow?...

“Mother gave birth to me but when I turned 4, I died of a bad illness.”

My expression turned shocked. “My condolences…”

He still smiled and continued, “Don’t be guiltless; it’s partly your fault too.”

I couldn’t hold up my rage, “How come is it my fault? I don’t even know you!” 

“Forget it.” He continued without any expression. “When I died, both our parents started to dote on you. They looked like they had completely forgotten about me, that if they had a child, me.”

Now I understand a bit. It was my fault. I know that I’m faulty and that we’re related.

“Do you really not remember me? Our sweet childhood memories?”

I shook twice, then ending with a no…

“I’m sorry…”

Unexpectedly, tears started to drip downside. I didn’t know why.

Who is he exactly? Enough to make me cry?!

“It’s alright. It’s their fault to not tell you anything about me.”

He stood up and patted on my shoulder. Then he said in a soft, loving tone:

“How does it feel, to wake up from a coma then go back in it again?”

Now that made sense… enough sense to tell what the crap’s happening!

“Alright,” he turned away and started to float, wandering around.

“To put it simply, I was your younger brother. We went to the same toilet, slept under the same bed, went to the same kindergarten, but after we graduated from kindergarten, I died. And then you all forgot me.”

His serious tone deciphered his loneliness and sadness from all those years.

“I wasn’t told about you. I’m sorry…” I apologized with my head bowed.

“Will you tell me more?” I stood up hastily and went over him.

Caught him by his arm and held him into my embrace. It felt awkward; how could I do this all?

“Why? Why of all times, now?” his tone clearly stated that he was crying.

“Because,” I let go of him but held his face. It was pretty and soft. I said, “I want to know all cruelty.”

His eyes widened in shock and despair. He gritted his lips and said in a croaky voice, “Thank you… for noticing me… for beginning a new love with me.”

I felt it was okay. It was pretty much okay now.

I learned about a new person, who was actually blood-related to me. How could my cold-blooded parents not tell me about such a pure person like him?

I thought and thought, but except tears, nothing came.

He wiped his tears and said, “I’m Sang Ya. I won’t say, Yo, since I was never welcomed in your family.”

I angered up and said, “If not you, then me neither.”

Sang Ya started to fly around again, and said, “You were in a coma for 20 years, I was watching you, now that you are in a coma again, I’m still watching you. Rather… I’m with you.”

He has been watching over me all these years… even before my accident.

How I wish I could embrace him and dote on him. Bring him with me to the world…

I put on a serious expression and said, “Sang Ya, come with me to the world. Let’s live together. Only the two of us.”

Sang Ya’s expression widened, then he smiled and said, “It’s not possible.”

My emotions faded and my soul shattered. Why, why not?

I asked him but he didn’t reply. I sat on the black floor, my head inside my knees, as I began to cry without a sound.

“Yo Fang, brother Yo Fang, you are in a coma. I am in a coma. We both are vegetables. Vegetative. We can’t survive in one body, one place, one soul.”

I tilted up my head in a hurry, “What?!”

I saw his pure smile as he said, “When you die, I revive, but when I die, you revive. So we can’t.”

“When you were in a coma for 20 years, I was able to revive and awake. At that time, I protected you and your surrounding. Because I knew you didn't know about me, but I knew, so I wanted to protect you. And when you woke up, I had to go back once again. But now that we're both in a coma, we finally meet.”

I was in a shock. “What do you mean?”

He smiled and said with comforting, “Brother, I was kept alive secretly on a ventilator because of our father's selfishness. But he didn't know that I could swap bodies.”

Now I get it... That selfish man, couldn't bare to let me know of this younger sibling, so he tried keep him alive all these years...

“Let’s live here; in a coma, as a vegetable.” He said, in a charming voice.

Ah, now I understand.

I understand that… being a vegetable is easier than being a loner.

The person in my dream was there to indicate that we would meet soon and recollect old, cruel, unfair things.

I can live in a coma, with him, but not in a world filled with loneliness.

When I saw those couples on the street doting and loving each other, I wished I also had someone precious to me. Very precious, as I had now.

And I got. But not in real life, or as a mortal. As a vegetable.

Believe me, I am a Vegetable. And I’m happy to be in this form and coma, even if forever.